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.