High school football championships: Seven games determine who gets a blue banner

The big games are here. More than 150 teams in the Sac-Joaquin Section began working in January towards the goal of making the section championships and this weekend, 14 teams will lace them up for a blue banner.

The weekend for Stanislaus District teams is highlighted by the rebirth of an old-school league rivalry between Escalon and Patterson in the Division IV section title game at St. Mary’s High School Friday at 7 p.m.

Patterson is in its first section championship game since 2007. It is their second Sac-Joaquin Section title appearance in school history. Their opponent is no stranger to championship games at St. Mary’s. Escalon has taken home three straight blue banners in various divisions.

Patterson coach Rob Cozart admits the stage is a bit bigger than the last time he led the Tigers to the title game.

“We’re taking it all in,” he said Monday, “but we know there’s still a job to do.”

Escalon is in its first year in Division IV and still earned the No. 1 seed. Escalon coach Andrew Beam admitted after a 20-point win over West Park that the athleticism at the Division IV level is not like what they’ve faced in the past.

He expects the Patterson game to be no different.

“They are similar in speed and athleticism but Patterson is way different in terms of size and physicality,” Beam said earlier this week. “They are big, fast and physical.”

For Hughson, Robert McDaniel is in his third season as the Huskies quarterback and head coach Shaun King says the 6-foot-1 gunslinger has grown up right in front of his eyes on and off the field.

King says McDaniel came into the program as a freshman with a bunch of energy and in his three seasons as the quarterback, has embraced his role as the team leader and puts in the extra work. King says he has a trainer and a nutritionist and colleges have started to take notice. In the span of two weeks recently, he picked up scholarship offers from Georgia Southern, Temple, San Jose State and Liberty. He has six total offers.

On Saturday McDaniel will look to lead the Huskies to back-to-back section titles in a 3 p.m. matchup against Bradshaw Christian at Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium.

Tight knit Hughson faces tough defense in D-VI final

When you see one Hughson offensive lineman, chances are the other four aren’t too far behind. They are an experienced group responsible for making the offense go. When it comes to championship teams, winning in the trenches is what matters most.

“Three of our five linemen from last year are back,” King said. They are a tight knit, humble group.”

The combination of McDaniel’s steady improvement at quarterback and an offensive line that is versatile, agile and strong, Hughson coaches transitioned play calling from run heavy to a 50-50 pass and run offense. It took some time, but the Huskies used the regular season to establish how they wanted to play.

“It took a while to determine if run opened up pass or pass opened up run, but we feel like we’ve figured it out and we’re confident in our gameplan.”

The team all season has rallied around head coach Shaun King who has battled through a personal matter all season. King says the seniors have kept the group together and the coaching staff all moves as one, filling in at practice when needed and keeping players bought into a team-first atmosphere.

The No. 4 Huskies are coming off a big semifinals upset road win against Division VI top seed, Sutter.

“Everyone trusts and makes decisions as a team … we’re always excited to play during Thanksgiving week,” King said.

The versatile offense will go against a Bradshaw Christian defense that did not allow more than 14 points in a game until last week against Sonora in the section semifinals.

The Pride allowed one touchdown or less in seven contests this season.

“We’re going to throw a lot out there and see what sticks,” King said. “We have speed on the outside and physicality. But we have to get off to a fast start.”

2022 title rematch for Ripon Christian

Ripon Christian head coach Phil Grams has been a member of section championship winning coaching staffs at Granite Bay and Capital Christian but in all his years of coaching, he had never repeated. Until Friday.

After beating Orestimba 35-14 in the Division VII-A title game, the Knights repeated as D-VII champions in Grams’ fourth season with the program. With the win, Ripon Christian qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VII NorCal Qualifier Saturday at 11 a.m. at Sacramento City College.

Grams came into the Knights program at the same time as this year’s 13-man senior class. He speaks glowingly of the team’s leaders, highlighting everything from their growth and maturity on the field to numerous lunch conversations among the lockers, helmets and shoulder pads in the team’s locker room.

“No group I have coached has poured into the weight room like this team,” he said.

Undefeated Woodland Christian stand in between the Knights and their second straight NorCal appearance.

“The section banner last week was a huge game for us. Our next goal on our list is to get back to NorCals,” Grams said. “This game gives us that opportunity.”

Rebirth of an old school rivalry

Andrew Beam can remember a time when he faced Patterson as the Escalon High quarterback under legendary head coach Mark Loureiro. Beam went 2-1 against the Tigers in his junior and senior years during 2004 and 2005 against a Rob Cozart led team.

Now, Beam will coach against Cozart for the first time since taking over the program in 2018.

A number of kids on both sides have dads, uncles and granddads who played against each other when the Cougars and Tigers were TVL foes for decades.

Beam and Cozart estimate the two sides have faced off more than 80 times in the history of the rivalry. After Patterson left the TVL for the Western Athletic Conference in 2006, they kept the annual contests going for 11 more years, playing until 2017.

The fact that they have not played in six years and the allure of a blue banner on the line only make the matchup that much more exciting. Both coaches are expecting a large turnout at St. Mary’s High School in Stockton.

“I’d imagine St. Mary’s is going to be pretty dang full for a D-IV football game,” Beam said.

Championship Games

Friday at St. Mary’s High School

D-IV: No. 1 Escalon (11-1) vs. No. 3 Patterson (11-1), 7 p.m.

Friday’s games at Hughes Stadium

D-V: No. 1 Twelve Bridges (12-0) vs. No. 2 Casa Roble (11-1), 11 a.m.

D-III: Grant (10-2) vs. Woodcreek (11-1), 3 p.m.

D-I: No. 1 Folsom (10-2) vs. No. 3 Oak Ridge (10-2), 7 p.m.

Saturday’s games at Hughes Stadium

D-VII: No. 1A Ripon Christian (12-1) vs. No. 1B Woodland Christian (12-0), 11 a.m.

D-VI: No. 3 Bradshaw Christian (10-2) vs. No. 4 Hughson (9-3), 3 p.m.

D-II: No. 1 St. Mary’s (11-1) vs. No. 2 Rocklin (11-1), 7 p.m.