TVL football preview: Hughson, Escalon hope to continue section title runs this season

Hughson’s potential this season is through the roof with a pair of Division I-bound seniors and the complementary pieces on both sides of the ball to make another deep postseason run.

The D-I prospects are quarterback Robert McDaniel, headed to Arizona, and tight end/defensive end Max Mankins, who is Air Force-bound. McDaniel will throw to his brother, Bryce, and deep threat Malakai Sumter. In 2024, they likely will see their roles increase as they defend back-to-back section titles.

Robert McDaniel, Mankins and Sumter all have stepped up as senior leaders, Hughson coach Shaun King said. McDaniel runs the first few minutes of practice on his own, taking the offensive skill position players through routes for about 15 minutes.

“It’s definitely not common, so I’m taking full advantage of it,” King said of his three four-year varsity players. “Not only are they great people, they’re great leaders.”

Sumter led the team with 11 touchdown catches and four interceptions last season, McDaniel passed for 2,839 yards and 33 TDs, senior Carlos Guizar finished with a team high nine tackles for loss, followed by Mankins with seven.

The Huskies also added a weapon this offseason: Lawson Aviles, who transferred in from Pitman. He moved to Hughson so the Huskies are expecting him to be eligible Week 1. In 2023, he led the Pride in receptions (33), receiving yards (484) and receiving touchdowns (11).

If they’re ever in a tight game, they have confidence they can overcome anything. Two years ago, they nicknamed themselves the “Heart Attack Huskies” after winning each game on their state championship run by less than five points. Last season, they beat Bradshaw Christian by one point in a comeback thriller to claim their second straight section title.

“We never get down on ourselves and we find a way in the second half,” King said. “This year, we’re trying to fix that and play the first half how we play the second half. Everyone’s going to give us their best.”

Escalon

The four-time defending section champion Cougars received the biggest blow of any team in the area when two-way star Sam Jimenez went down with a knee injury. The receiver/defensive back will miss his senior season. Jimenez in 2023 led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns (1,019 yards, 18 TDs), interceptions (8) and total touchdowns (20). He was also the team’s punt and kickoff returner.

“In my opinion, we’re losing one of the best players in the whole area,” Escalon coach Andrew Beam said. “I think he was one of the best two-way players regardless of league or division. … It’s a major loss at a small school but he’s out there coaching up his buddies and we hope multiple guys try to step up.”

Escalon was led by seniors in 2023 and went 12-2. It has holes to fill at a ton of positions this season, but tight end/defensive end Ryan Lewis and lineman Ryan Murphy return as leaders on the offensive line.

Murphy and Trent Powell are the only two returning offensive linemen and the Cougars will have a new quarterback and running back. Beam said he also called up a freshman for just the second time as a coach. They have eight new starters on offense and eight on defense.

Among the new starters is quarterback Logan Huebner, a junior who is just as much a rushing threat as the Cougars fullbacks.

“It’s gonna be a process,” Beam said. “We’re not going to deviate from who we are, but it’s gonna take a lot of reps and some game experience before all these young guys are playing to the expectation we have.”

Escalon went perfect in the league last season but Beam knows that with the talent added in realignment, the league champion likely won’t run the table. There could be co- or tri-TVL champions this football season, similar to what we saw in girls basketball last winter.

The Cougars will not move up a division this season should they make the section playoffs, meaning they will have the chance to defend their D-IV title. Escalon is the lone TVL school in Division IV.

Hilmar

Caden Bailey is back, better than ever and ready for possibly another season of 1,000-plus rushing yards. He’ll be back, with an added 15 pounds of muscle, as a hybrid slot receiver/tailback and occasionally will line up at quarterback, according to longtime head coach Frank Marques. The coaching staff is bringing Bailey back into the fold slowly to start the season as he nurses a pulled hamstring from track season. When he hits the field, everyone is confident he will be as explosive as ever.

“Not only is he fast in a straight line, he can cut on a dime and shift,” said Marques, who enters his 22nd season. “And he’s a lot stronger. I think when he gets going, he’s going to be even better than he has been in the past.”

John Labno could break out during his senior season. The 6-foot-4 receiver, who caught 10 passes for 192 yards last season, has had a great offseason, Marques said, and also can play “anywhere on defense.” Matt Avila is the backbone of the Yellowjackets’ offensive and defensive lines and Juan Ponce will line up at running back. It’s been a battle all camp for the starting quarterback between senior Merek Ellerd and sophomore Jordan Jacobo. Marques said the summer passing leagues they attended and last Friday’s scrimmage will help determine who starts the first game.

“They’re both team leaders and liked by the team,” Marques said. “The other thing is can you move the ball? Are you effective under pressure? What do you do when there’s pressure on you?”

Defensively, Ryan Couchman and Labno combined for five interceptions and Labno finished 2023 with a pick-six.

Orestimba

The Warriors have a ton of key returners on both sides of the ball entering 2024, including their starting quarterback, leading tacklers and a pair of productive receivers. While that is great to have, head coach Aaron Souza knows 2023’s success doesn’t carry over to 2024. A new year means a new slate. Souza, however, is extra optimistic about the upcoming season because Orestimba just put in its best offseason in all his years as coach.

“We’ve had great energy since January,” said the coach entering his 15th season. “You remember every season but you also remember every offseason. I’ve told the kids that this is one of the best offseasons we’ve had in a long time. My hope and belief is that it will translate onto the field.”

Jacob Valenzuela was named the starter in 2023 after Alex Milan hurt his collarbone in Week 3. He’s never looked back. Before taking over QB1 duties, Valenzuela played at linebacker and receiver just to get on a field but after Milan’s injury, “it was basically Jacob’s job the rest of the season.”

Souza said Valeuzuela has improved this offseason.

“Rather than just being part of the team, he’s taking it upon himself to be the leader of the team,” Souza said. “Jacob has taken leadership and quarterback to exactly what it should look like at this level.”

After getting over 2,300 yards and 40 touchdowns on the ground from senior Juan Esquivez last season, Souza sees Orestimba’s offense this year as a more balanced attack.

“You evolve to your talent and adjust to who you have,” he said.

Their experience isn’t just on offense. Three returning players combined for 32 tackles for loss last season and Nicholas Cuevas, who led the team with 90 total tackles and 17 TFL’s, returns for his senior year. In total, three of their top four tackles leaders from 2023 are back.

Ripon

This season’s goal for Ripon and head coach Chris Musseman is to put 2023 behind them. They went an uncharacteristic 3-7 overall and 1-4 in TVL play while battling injuries and inexperience.

“The theme this year is ‘never again,’” Musseman said. “We had some things go on that weren’t Ripon football. We made an effort as coaches to make sure that’s clear to the players, and the players have done a good job responding.”

This year’s outfit is led by over 20 seniors with valuable experience and a drive to make sure last season is a distant memory. Their top five tacklers from last season are all back after combining for 219 total tackles and 12 tackles for loss, four of the team’s 2023 sacks leaders are also back and three players who combined for seven interceptions return. All of their top returners on defense are seniors.

“Our defense is going to be much improved with the experience they had,” Musseman said, “and the addition of juniors in some spots where we needed them.”

Junior JJ Brawley steps in at quarterback after leading the junior varsity team to a 6-3 record last season. Already, Musseman has seen him make strides just in the offseason and respond well in learning the nuances of running the offense against the speed of varsity level competition.

“We’re doing a lot of things different than we’ve done in the past so he’s picked it up and done really well with it,” the coach said.

Ripon Christian

The Knights enter the TVL as reigning Southern League champions, finishing 2023 7-0 in league play for the program’s first perfect league finish since 2019. A new year in a new league presents opportunities for new stars and head coach Phil Grams believes tailback Trevor Van Elderen is next up. As a junior, he rushed for 592 yards and 10 touchdowns and collected 155 yards and a touchdown as a receiver. He also recorded 39 tackles with six tackles for loss and three interceptions.

“Most teams, he could have started for,” Grams said of Van Elderen as a junior. “He’s as good of a high school running back as I’ve seen. … He’s bigger and stronger and he’s a little bit hungrier because he knows he’s the guy now.”

They also have two-way returners on the offensive and defensive lines and are bringing others along to fill in holes.

At quarterback and on the outside, Mason Tameling and Amos Cady have drastically improved after standout sophomore seasons.

Tameling took control of the offense in his first varsity season, passing for 1,416 yards and 40 touchdowns. He connected for at least one touchdown pass to eight different receivers. Cady was one of the section’s interceptions leaders, collecting seven in 2023, returning three for pick-sixes. Offensively, he could see an expanded role after catching six passes for 75 yards and a score last year.

“There’s pieces to the puzzle, we just have to figure where they all fit, where we’re going to plug in the young guys … and we’ll take it from there,” Grams said.

The Knights bring a winning tradition to a league full of section and state championship programs. Though small in numbers, they’re no stranger to TVL competition. In 2022, they played Hughson in a nailbiter in the Division 5-AA NorCal bowl game.

Modesto Christian

After an offseason filled with rumors, first-year head coach Michael McFadden is eager to get the season underway. He confirmed with The Bee on Tuesday that the Crusaders have 19 players. They are a young team this season after playing 2023 with most of its production coming from seniors. This year’s team begins the season with six upperclassmen, entering Week 1 with five seniors and one junior.

The Crusaders will replace one of the section’s top weapons in Jeremiah Bernard, who accounted for over 1,400 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns while performing as one of the TVL’s top defensive backs as a senior in 2023.

Despite losing offensive production, four-star edge Hassan Iddrissu returns for his senior year and MC welcomes a talented crop of skill players. McFadden said the team will run the veer and shoot offense, taking advantage of space, speed and athleticism to combat the physicality of the TVL. He believes senior Asani Divens could have a breakout season as one of the team’s main weapons.

“Our 11 can match anyone’s 11,” he said. “I feel like we’re gonna surprise a lot of people this year.”

Divens will play quarterback this year and has been a “true leader.” He is replacing last season’s starter Ross Widemon, who transferred. Joe Enwia, Jameel Harrison and lineman Blake Colbert are all other names McFadden said will have a big impact this season.

McFadden believes this team has “MC grit,” a combination of physical and mental toughness that will keep it competing four quarters.

More TVL Notes

Sonora

▪ Sonora is one of two teams entering the TVL after Sac-Joaquin Section realignment

▪ The Wildcats enter the TVL after winning eight of the last nine Mother Lode League titles outright. They finished as three-way co-champs with Amador and Calaveras in 2019

▪ Sonora finished 45-1 in MLL games over the past nine seasons, going perfect in eight seasons

▪ Sonora is 5-4 against current TVL teams over the past three seasons

▪ The Wildcats’ top three rushers from 2023 graduated. They accounted for 1,399 yards and 26 touchdowns

▪ Brody Speer, Cash Byington and Eli Ingalls all return after playing varsity last season as sophomores. They each recorded at least one reception

▪ Speer was also Sonora’s leading tackler. He finished 2023 with 46 total tackles

▪ Byington led the team with four interceptions in 2023