Survive and advance.
That’s the mantra for college basketball teams playing in March Madness every year. And it should be a rallying cry for teams playing in the madness of Trans-Valley League football every fall.
The Hughson High Huskies survived a big test against Ripon Christian on Friday night, defeating the Knights 28-21 on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Robert McDaniel to brother Bryce McDaniel with 6.5 seconds left in the game.
The win kept Hughson undefeated at 5-0 and in the hunt in the TVL with two big challenges over the next few weeks — games against title contenders Escalon and Sonora on back-to-back Fridays.
Hughson coach Shaun King was relieved to have gotten past Ripon Christian.
“It’s not a game that I’d like to repeat,” King said. “We’ve got some things to work on.
“Glad to come out with a ‘W’, but hats off to Ripon Christian. That’s a heck of a team and they definitely deserve to be in the TVL.”
Tough beginning for Hughson
The Huskies got off to a sluggish start, with Robert McDaniel struggling to connect with his receivers, and didn’t really get going until the second half.
Ripon Christian (2-3, 0-2 TVL), despite being short on numbers and missing several players, built a 14-7 lead at halftime, then took a 21-14 lead with 10:19 left in the game on a 2-yard touchdown run by Lushen Sanders.
That’s when survival mode kicked in for Hughson.
Down by 7 and facing fourth down and 13 yards to go, Robert McDaniel threw deep to Malakai Sumter, who hauled in the 43-yard touchdown pass that tied the game at 21.
After the Huskies’ defense forced Ripon Christian to punt, Hughson marched down the field to reach Ripon Christian’s 23.
With Bryce McDaniel facing single coverage on the right side, Robert McDaniel, Hughson’s Arizona-bound senior quarterback, went his brother’s way.
Bryce McDaniel hauled in the winning touchdown pass and the Huskies celebrated the game-winning play.
“He told me to run the go and I ran the go, and he put the ball to me,” said Bryce McDaniel, a junior.
The brother-to-brother connection continues to pay dividends for the Huskies.
Bryce McDaniel also scored Hughson’s first touchdown of the game on a 42-yard pass play. The ball bounced off a defender’s helmet and Bryce McDaniel grabbed it and scored.
“We kind of get that backyard connection ... that’s the stereotype for it,” Robert McDaniel said.
Warning signs for Hughson
Surprisingly, the Huskies (2-0 TVL) lacked energy to start the game. The Hughson sideline was almost silent through the first half.
Hughson knows it’ll have to come out with more urgency from the opening kickoff against Escalon (2-3, 1-1 TVL) and Sonora (5-0, 2-0 TVL).
“We just can’t be flat like we came out today,” Sumter said. “We’ve got to make sure to be more hyped.”
The Huskies also will have to clean up their game. A bevy of penalties throughout made things tougher on Hughson.
While Hughson’s passing attack struggled for much of the night, its running game was productive. Junior running back Eli Wilbanks continues to show speed and power. His 36-yard touchdown run in the third quarter tied the game at 14.
Ripon Christian proves it belongs in TVL
Ripon Christian impressed with its ability to stay in the game against one of the TVL’s powerhouse teams.
The Knights are new this season to the TVL, one of the state’s toughest leagues. After a 10-point loss to Hilmar in the league opener, Ripon Christian nearly pulled off the upset of Hughson.
Ripon Christian coach Phil Grams said playing in the tough TVL will only make his team stronger.
“We were just training to hang in with a team that’s a lot deeper than us,” he said. “But we kept battling. ... Hughson’s a great program. You can’t make mistakes against a great program like that, and we made a couple of little mistakes.
“We’re going to get those cleaned up and we’re going to be battle-tested by the time we get to playoffs.”
Ripon Christian is scheduled to play at Modesto Christian next Friday night. Hughson will host Escalon at Husky Stadium.
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