The Hughson High Huskies learned that many things change over the course of three weeks.
For starters, the weather.
“The temperature was cold,” Hughson coach Shaun King said as he remembered the chilly conditions during the Huskies’ 28-6 win over El Dorado. “We had some cobwebs but our defense last week was on-point.”
The Huskies (11-0), top-seeded in Division V, will meet Union Mine at home Friday night in the Sac-Joaquin Section semifinals. Rain is a distinct possibility—more on that later—but Hughson already has dealt with some issues beyond their control.
They were idle for three weeks before last week’s game. Besides the bye due to their seeding, they also received a forfeit victory over Modesto Christian on the regular season’s final week. MC was deemed an independent by Trans-Valley League officials due to having an insufficient number of players on its varsity team.
That meant the Huskies were forced to wait. And wait. This week, King and his staff put their team through wet-weather drills to assimilate what might happen Friday night.
The footballs were wettened, and the sprinklers were turned on to douse the practice field. King also has stressed about senior quarterback Robert McDaniel. Physically, he is fine. King fears, however, that the weather might slow down what he called his “once in a generation quarterback.”
“I want the rain to hold off,” King said. “We’ve had quite a few rainy games over the years. But it’s not just about Robert. Our receivers have to catch the ball, too.”
The matchup also draws concern. No. 4 seed Union Mine (9-2), the runner-up behind Bradshaw Christian in the Sierra Valley Conference, did not complete a single pass during its 55-41 win last week over Casa Roble. A muddy track probably wouldn’t bother the Diamondbacks. That’s not the case with the Huskies.
The Huskies know they possess a special talent in McDaniel, who has committed to the University of Arizona. King promoted him late in his freshman year and the result was a 2022 CIF state championship, blue section banners the last two years and a hard-earned title TVL title this fall.
“I’m trying to take it all in,” King said. “Robert knows how special he’s been to me.”
A little sentimentality is allowed, of course, for a quarterback who’s thrown for nearly 7,500 yards and 93 touchdowns in his career.
Hughson also has focused on an improving defense. Running back/linebacker Eli Wilbanks, a junior who’s rushed for 1,007 yards and 13 touchdowns, should play a prominent role on both sides of the ball.
On the other side of the bracket, Western Athletic Conference Conference champion Lathrop travels to Sutter in a meeting of 10-1 teams. The Spartans scored a noteworthy 35-14 win over Hilmar last week.
A quick look at the other divisions on semifinals night:
Division I: Turlock (9-3) and No. 2 seed Oak Ridge collide for the third straight year. The Bulldogs lost both previous meetings, but they caught everyone’s attention with their dramatic 43-42 victory in overtime last week over Central Catholic. Freshman quarterback Scout Silva now is a known quantity—quick and decisive with his feet and his arm. Top-seeded Folsom (10-1) is heavily favored against Inderkum (9-2).
Division II: Manteca (10-1), the Valley Oak League outright champion for the first time in 11 years, takes on No. 1 seed Rocklin (9-2) for the third straight year in the playoffs. The Buffaloes won in the semifinals in 2023 but the Thunder – the defending section champion--answered a year later. All signs point toward a close rubber match. St. Mary’s 9-2, the No. 2 seed, welcomes Grant (8-3).
Division III: Oakdale (8-3), the No. 1 seed, welcomes Destiny Christian Academy of Sacramento (9-3) to the Corral. The Mustangs trailed briefly in the second quarter but rallied behind do-everything star Wes Burford to defeat Woodcreek 35-14 last week. The Lions upset No. 4 seed Christian Brothers 28-7 last week. No. 2 seed West Park of Roseville (10-1), which eliminated Merced last week 45-28, will host Vanden (9-2).
Division IV: No. 2 seed Patterson 6-5), a first-time member of the Valley Oak League, defeated East Union 38-22 to reach the semifinals. They will play host to Sacramento (9-3), which has won close games over Del Campo and No. 3 Roseville to get here. No. 1 Twelve Bridges, an easy victor over Sierra, welcomes a Placer team (9-2) which dominated Escalon 42-2.
Division VI: No. 3 seed Sonora (9-2) thrashed former Mother Lode League rival Calaveras 64-7 to earn a trip to No. 2 seed Woodland Christian (10-1). Linden (9-4), which advanced by blanking Orestimba 47-0, runs into top-seeded Bradshaw Christian (11-0).
Division VII: Big Valley Christian (7-5), after a respectable debut in the Mother Lode League, has reached the semis for the first time. The Lions avenged a 35-22 loss to Waterford on Aug. 30 by defeating the Wildcats 55-25 last week. They’ll journey to Tuolumne City to face a top-seeded Summerville team (10-1) which stopped the Lions last month 47-21. No. 2 seed Stone Ridge Christian of Merced (9-2), which shared the Southern League title with Delhi, welcomes Rio Vista (7-5).
