On a dark and chilly Friday the 13th, the Hilmar High varsity football team entered McSweeney Field to the sound of heavy metal music. The undefeated Yellowjackets wore all black jerseys. Several even wore black ski masks to not only defend themselves from the cold conditions but to complement the intimidating looks on their faces. Some even had horror-themed images on their back plates.
“We dressed for the occasion,” said senior Nathan Ayala. “Since the start of the season, we knew we wanted to wear black for the special games. It’s win-or-go-home now, and we want to end seasons. We’re dressing for funerals.”
Hilmar’s latest victim was Casa Roble. After a slow start, the No. 1 Yellowjackets (11-0) pulled away for a 29-10 win against the No. 8 Rams (4-7) in the quarterfinal round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoffs. The win sets up a rematch with Trans-Valley League foe Sonora next week.
Friday’s win wasn’t without its fair share of scares for Hilmar, who found itself in a 10-0 hole after a quarter of play. On the very first play from scrimmage, quarterback Cohen Felber was picked off. On the very next play, Rams running back Liam Chavez broke a pair of tackles on his way towards a 38-yard touchdown. The Rams added a field goal after a quick Yellowjacket three-and-out.
“We were not playing the way that we knew we could play,” said senior offensive tackle Justin Ortiz, a Fresno State commit. “We knew something had to change, and we flipped the switch.”
Hilmar channeled its dominant rushing attack throughout an eight-play, 74-yard drive. After a 25-yard screen pass to Ayala, the Yellowjackets unleashed six straight runs, the last being a four-yard score by Adam Branco. The junior also carried the ball into the end zone on the ensuing two-point conversion.
Defensively, the Yellowjackets received a breakout performance from senior Dominick Clayton. Just four days removed from the loss of his younger brother, Logan, after a second bout with brain cancer, the defensive lineman exploded for five tackles for loss, including two on the next Casa Roble drive.
Hilmar struck for another score almost immediately, when Felber found Gage Gonzalez near the visiting sideline before the junior wideout sped 69 yards for a touchdown to give the home team its first lead of the game at 15-10.
The Hilmar defense held strong, forcing a punt near midfield that turned into one of the more peculiar plays on a football field this season.
Clayton and linebacker John Pereira blitzed on a punt attempt. Pereira blocked the punt, and the ball was caught on the fly by a Rams lineman, who ran towards the first down marker. Officials initially ruled that it was a Rams first down, but after an appeal from the Hilmar sideline and a nearly 10-minute discussion amongst themselves, the Yellowjackets were awarded possession. Three plays later, Felber connected with Ayala on a 28-yard touchdown strike to make it a 22-10 ballgame heading into halftime.
“It was a great momentum shift,” Clayton said. “Me and Johnny had this plan. The linemen would only block me the first few punts, so I went out there and pressured while he would go up the outside, and he blocked that punt. It was so beautiful.”
At about the four-minute mark of the third quarter, a snap by Casa Roble quarterback Jericko Pitnikoff was fumbled at the line of scrimmage and recovered by Isaiah Gil. It took two plays before Felber broke a 12-yard touchdown rush.
The Rams, desperate to keep the game within striking distance, then strung together 12 straight plays of positive yardage to set themselves up inside the Hilmar five. On fourth-and-2 at the 4-yard line, another fumbled snap landed in the hands of Clayton, who celebrated with teammates before pointing to the sky in honor of his late brother.
“It was a hard week with my brother passing,” said Clayton. “It was rough, but I just want to play the game that my brother loved. He loved watching me play this game, and he just kept me going. I just tried to hype up everybody because I know that he would want us to go out here and win.
“I know he had to leave us early, but it's all in God's plan. Every down I played was for my brother. All the plays I made were for him and for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That's my brother, and I'm just proud and happy for the life that I got to spend with him. My teammates really pick me up when I'm down, and they always have my back.”
Standing by Clayton’s side postgame was Ortiz, who experienced a similar tragedy earlier this year with the sudden passing of his father, Anthony.
“I’m so proud of this team and this community,” Ortiz said. “This team has gone through so much. This is already the second loss we’ve experienced, and to be able to come out here and still be 11- 0, still come out here and compete, is incredible. I'm proud of everyone. I’m proud of my family.”
The Yellowjackets will continue to wear stickers on the back of their helmets with the initials “LC” in memory of the 14 year old. A GoFundMe has also been organized at www.gofund.me/f202d9967.
Gonzalez put the finishing touches on the victory with an interception with just over four minutes to play. Two first downs on offense were enough to run out the clock and begin turning attention towards Sonora.
Felber finished completing seven of 11 attempts for 206 yards while scrambling for another 36. His top target was Ayala, who hauled in four catches for 70 yards.
The Yellowjackets went on the road and defeated Sonora by a 35-29 score Oct. 9. On the other side of the Division V bracket, the fourth-seeded Wildcats improved to 5-6 overall and advanced with a 35-21 win over Oakmont on Friday.
Next Friday’s game is set for 6 p.m. from McSweeney Field.
