Whether the Hughson High football team won or lost Friday night in the CIF Division 4-AA Northern California Regional Bowl Game against St. Vincent de Paul of Petaluma, one thing was certain — it would be the last home game of the season.

Unfortunately for the Huskies, their final homestand turned into their final game of the season, as well as the final time 24 senior student-athletes were to suit up, as they fell to the Mustangs by a lopsided 42-14 score.

It was a game in which the Mustangs dominated in nearly every facet of the game. They had a combined 242 rushing yards, led by the 5-foot-10, 175-pound Mason Caturegli’s four touchdowns. Their quarterback, junior Gabe Casaniovas, even outplayed Hughson’s now-UCLA bound, four-star recruit Robert McDaniel. Casanovas completed 8 of 15 passes for 180 yards and two more touchdowns, while McDaniel completed 10 of 20 passes for 91 yards, one score and three interceptions.

The Mustangs took command almost immediately. 

For one of the rare instances in the past three years, the three-time defending Sac-Joaquin champions received the opening kickoff after losing the coin toss. Their seven-play opening drive stalled, and on SVDP’s first play from scrimmage, took a 6-0 lead after running back Joseph Edwards Phillips took a screen pass from Casanovas 62 yards. After empty possessions from each team, the Mustangs were back in business after intercepting McDaniel, who delivered a ball right into the hands of a defender after miscommunication between he and intended receiver Lawson Aviles. Four plays later, the Mustangs took a 14-0 lead midway through the second quarter off a touchdown rush and 2-point conversion courtesy of Caturegli.

An already-quiet crowd quickly could’ve been mistaken for a morgue on the ensuing drive when McDaniel, desperate to give his team a spark, scrambled for 19 yards but was met with a late, helmet-first hit to his legs. He remained on the floor for a handful of minutes before limping off the field with the help of coaches. He later confirmed his left ankle had been injured on the play. 

McDaniel, one of those 24 seniors, was adamant to return to the field, though. His wish was granted and he promptly completed a 9-yard pass to Eli Wilbanks before firing a strike into the end zone to tight end Max Mankins from nine yards out to cut the score to 14-7. The star quarterback played with a noticeable limp for the remainder of the game.

The Mustangs weren’t fazed. It took just three plays for Casanovas to find Jack Ellis for a 26-yard touchdown to make it a 21-7 game with three minutes to play in the half.

They seemed poised to add on before the intermission after picking off McDaniel a second time with just over a minute on the clock, as a pass attempt was tipped by Ellis at the line of scrimmage and lofted into the hands of Hudson Kensic. After six plays set them up at the 12-yard line, they missed a field goal as time expired. 

Despite the momentary change of fortunes, the hits kept on coming for Hughson.

Head coach Shaun King opted for an onside kick attempt to start the second half, and it seemed successful as wideout Malakai Sumter snagged Noe Pacheco’s kick out of the air just over the required 10-yard distance, but the recovery was negated as an SVDP player signaled for a fair catch. Three plays later, Caturegli broke off a 23-yard touchdown.

After the Huskies failed to convert on downs in the red zone the next drive, they piled on when Caturegli received a direct snap and tossed to a wide-open Casanovas for a 13-yard game to set up a 1-yard score for the hard-nosed running back. Caturegli’s final score came early in the fourth quarter to make it a 42-7 game, 12 seconds after McDaniel’s third turnover. 

McDaniel said postgame that the ankle was “good” and that it was not the reason for the offensive struggles.

“I think we could have come out stronger. We didn't, like we haven't for the past games, and the other team capitalized on it, and they didn't let us stay in the game,” he said. “All hats off to them. They played great.

“This team never quits… We’re always in a game, it just didn’t happen this time.”

Hughson’s second and final score of the game came with just over four minutes to play courtesy of a 1-yard dive from Wilbanks, who finished the game with 148 yards on the ground.

King credited the Mustangs for being a strong, physical team that proved too much for his defense, while also acknowledging unique defensive scheming from SVDP head coach Trent Herzog, who ran a Tampa 2 defense against McDaniel. It’s a zone coverage where a middle linebacker drops deep into the middle of the field to cover the deep middle zone, while the cornerbacks play the flats to allow only incremental passes down the field.

“They ran an unorthodox defense we haven't seen, and we prepared for it this week, but that's a very good football team, very good program, and they're on top of it,” King said. “They made some great adjustments, and, you know, in the state playoffs, you have to play your perfect game. And we didn't play our perfect game.”

The Huskies finished the year with a 13-1 record and the Trans-Valley League and SJS Division 6 titles to add to their trophy case.

“I personally think that my guys are one of the best (teams assembled at HHS), for sure,” said Mankins, another senior bound for Division I college ball at Air Force. “There's so many great dudes on this team that work so hard.

“This run, it turned the school around. We've been in a long slump for a long time and we wanted to get back to the glory that we had back in the day. These last three years have really just done that, and I know that this program can stay on and stay the way that we've been going and keep winning to just really get established as a powerhouse in the Central Valley.”

McDaniel, who will be keeping a watchful eye from Westwood, agreed.

“It’s just such another level for our next year. It’s got to be a standard we gotta keep holding… Just so proud of what we’ve built.”