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League vigor helps Hilmar, Hughson in respective playoff runs
Hilmar v Hughson football
Hughson quarterback Robert McDaniel tries to avoid a tackle during the Huskies’ matchup against Hilmar on Oct. 20. Both Hilmar and Hughson remain alive in the Sac-Joaquin Section football playoffs (Journal file photo).

Hilmar and Hughson remain alive in the Sac-Joaquin Section football playoffs, with both teams vying this Friday night to reach their respective championship games.

The Trans-Valley League rivals both have to make long road trips, with third-seeded Hilmar (8-3) traveling 110 miles to Orangevale to take on No. 2 Casa Roble (10-1) in a Division 5 semifinal. No. 4 Los Banos faces unbeaten and top-seeded Twelve Bridges (Lincoln) in the other.

Meanwhile, defending state champion and No. 4 seed Hughson (8-3) will make a 135-mile trip to face No. 1 Sutter (9-2) in one half of the D-6 bracket. No. 2 Sonora hosts No. 3 Bradshaw Christian (Stockton) in the other half.

According to CalPreps.com, Hughson is a one-point favorite, while Hilmar is a nine-point underdog.

But both Hilmar and Hughson have a secret weapon, and it’s this:

They play in the TVL.

The TVL is the best small-school football conference in the state. I’d even go as far to say it’s one of the best small-school football conferences in the nation.

Over the previous five seasons, the TVL has produced five state champions: Hilmar (2018), Ripon (2019), Escalon (2019, 2022) and Hughson (2022). 

Though Modesto Christian has fallen on hard times, the Crusaders won a state crown in 2009 and were competing for section titles as recently as 2018. And Livingston, which traditionally  has struggled to keep up, is coming off a three-year stretch in which it was highly competitive.

Iron sharpens iron, folks, and no other league prepares its teams for the rigors of postseason football like the TVL.

And guess what: It’s only going to get tougher.

Next year, when the section realigns its teams, Modesto Christian and Livingston will leave for greener pastures, and the TVL will welcome aforementioned Sonora, plus Orestimba and Ripon Christian, who happen to face each other Friday for the Division 7-A title.

That means six of next year’s seven TVL teams (Hilmar, Hughson, Escalon, Sonora, Orestimba, RC) remain alive for section championships. Only Ripon, a state champ just four years ago, has turned in its equipment.

Two of the six have already reached the finals; Escalon, Hughson and Sonora are favored to do so, which would give the TVL five section finalists.

But let’s dream big for a moment. Let’s say Hilmar pulls off the upset and all six reach the finals. That means the TVL could open play next year with four reigning section champions. It’s a long shot, but the TVL could even open 2024 with four state champions.

Name another league in California where that’s even an option. I can think of just one: the Valley Oak League.

With Central Catholic (Modesto), Manteca, Oakdale and 2024 newcomer Patterson — the VOL still has four teams still competing.

Not even the mighty Trinity League in Southern California, which features national powers Mater Dei (Santa Ana) and St. John Bosco (Bellflower), or Northern California’s West Catholic Athletic League, which boasts Serra (San Mateo), St. Francis (Mountain View), St. Ignatius (San Francisco), Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) and Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco), can match the TVL’s bona fides.

And what about the preseason? With such a rugged regular-season slate, you’d think that TVL coaches would schedule cupcakes to ensure their squads enter league play healthy and brimming with confidence.

Not so.

In 2022, Escalon rounded out its preseason schedule with Buchanan (Clovis), a school with an enrollment of about 2,700, more than three times the size of Escalon. The Bears escaped with a 41-40 victory over the Cougars last year, but this season Escalon went to Clovis and beat Buchanan 23-21.

Hilmar has traditionally scheduled Sonora in the preseason; Hughson added Downey this year; Orestimba scheduled up and took on Hughson last season. How good was Orestimba in 2022? It lost two games — both to the eventual state champs. Ripon Christian this year opened with Central Valley Christian (Visalia), the top-ranked D-2 team in the Central Section, whose only loss this year came to 11-0 Clovis North, ranked eighth in the state and No. 2 in Northern California by Cal-Hi Sports.

Even Ripon stepped up and added Sonora to its non-conference slate.

Sonora, meanwhile, always has Oakdale on its preseason calendar.

Get the point?

These teams run from nobody. And next season they’ll all run into the burning building that is the Trans-Valley League.

Iron sharpens iron. And the TVL is about to get much sharper.