Orestimba’s dream season continues with last-second victory over Hughson

When the Hughson and Orestimba high school football teams met Friday night, history was on the Huskies’ side.

Hughson has a long tradition of success in the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, with 19 wins and four championships.

Orestimba entered the game 0-7 in the postseason.

But sometimes to overcome history you have to make some of your own, and that’s exactly what the Warriors did Friday night.

A thrilling 42-35 victory over Hughson gave Orestimba its first section playoff win, improved the Warriors to 11-0 and sent the fourth-seeded team in the Division V playoffs into a matchup with top-ranked Sonora next week.

“We’re four quarters from the section title game,” Orestimba coach Aaron Souza said. “We’re trying to keep the magic going.”

One week after a dramatic victory over rival Gustine, Orestimba stepped up to the postseason pressure.

“This is way better than winning ‘The Chief,’ ” said Orestimba quarterback Joe Sheldon, who passed for three touchdowns and ran for two.

Sheldon and backfield mate Austin Martins helped the Warriors overcame a tough Hughson squad that ended the season at 8-3.

Sheldon was 13 of 16 for 131 yards and carried the ball for 150 yards, including a 50-yard romp that started the second-half scoring.

Martins rushed 36 times for 177 yards and a crucial fourth-quarter touchdown.

“Last week was crazy; we played our rival – 9-0, 9-0 – but nothing beats this feeling right here,” Martins said. “Since I was a kid I’ve been dreaming of having a playoff victory, and it finally came true.”

It almost didn’t happen.

The Warriors watched Hughson overcome a seven-point deficit with back-to-back Justice Futch touchdowns, and the Huskies were up 35-28 with 8:38 left.

But Orestimba showed its heart and rallied behind the hard-charging Martins, who scored on a 29-yard run with 6:45 left. A blocked extra-point attempt kept Hughson in the lead 35-34.

After the Warriors forced a Hughson punt, Martins carried the load on the game-winning, 69-yard drive. With the ball at the 1-yard line and clock winding down, Sheldon took the snap and plunged into the end zone, and the Warriors celebrated.

“Our guys never flinch,” Souza said. “This team believes it won’t lose a football game.”

The loss left many of Hughson’s players in tears. With a senior-led backfield of Futch, Cesar Cuevas and quarterback Walter Fountain, the Huskies appeared poised to make a run in the Division V playoffs.

Instead, their season is over after yet another gut-wrenching defeat. The Huskies’ two other losses this season came in overtime.

Cuevas finished with 154 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, Futch had 75 yards and the two touchdowns on 12 carries, and Fountain passed for 108 yards and a touchdown. That scoring pass went to Cuevas for 64 yards on the last play of the second quarter, a play that seemed to stun the Warriors.

It was a play that could have devastated Orestimba entering halftime.

Instead, the Warriors opened the second half with a scoring drive that culminated with Sheldon’s 50-yard touchdown run.

Now Orestimba gets back to business, preparing for Sonora, which defeated eighth-seeded Marysville 39-14 on Friday.

“We’re going to enjoy this one tonight and get back to work on Monday,” Sheldon said. “That’s how we always do it.”

This story was originally published November 13, 2015 at 11:28 PM with the headline "Orestimba’s dream season continues with last-second victory over Hughson."