Looking to even their record – and retain the Vaca Bowl trophy – the Escalon varsity football Cougars will host the Hilmar Yellowjackets in a key Trans-Valley League contest on Friday night, Sept. 26.
Escalon lost its league opener to Sonora on Sept. 19, while Hilmar defeated Ripon Christian to start TVL play. The Vaca Bowl trophy stayed in Escalon last year after the Cougars took a 42-17 win over Hilmar on the road. This time, they will be on their home field but the situation is eerily similar. The Cougars lost their season opener to Sonora last year before facing and defeating Hilmar. They are hoping that the same outcome holds true this year, as the varsity squad is in need of a victory in league play.
“We’ve got to regroup,” varsity head coach Andrew Beam said simply.
Hilmar comes in with a 4-1 overall record; they defeated Los Banos, Atwater and Grace Davis in the preseason, while losing to Palma. Then, they topped Ripon Christian in the league opener.
Escalon defeated Rodriguez of Fairfield and Lodi in preseason play while losing to Chavez of Stockton and Oakdale, going 2-2 in preseason, then lost to Sonora to open league.
“The three teams we have lost to are a combined 14-1,” Beam said, with the only loss among them being Oakdale’s loss to Sonora in preseason. “We’ve played some juggernauts.”
The coach is hoping that tough preseason makes a difference as the Cougars get into the thick of a very tough TVL schedule.
For some of the players, getting on track at home hosting Hilmar is an important goal.
“I think our team had a lot of fight today, we showed really good glimpses of good offense, good defense,” said senior quarterback Logan Huebner following the road loss at Sonora. “In the end, we just couldn’t capitalize on some key plays and I’ll take responsibility for some of those, too. We’ve got to take practice seriously and we’re going to come back hungry for a win against Hilmar.”
Junior Conner McDowell said focusing on specific assignments will be important when taking on the Yellowjackets.
“We’ve got to be more physical and not make as many mistakes,” McDowell added, noting that it also has to be a team effort, especially with some players sidelined with injuries. “Next man up, we’ve got to step up and make the plays.”
For junior Ethan Butler, it also comes down to the team believing in itself and its capabilities, from one player to another.
“Keep playing with my head up, don’t discourage myself, and just keep playing the next play,” Butler explained. “Practice better, definitely, run our plays more efficiently than we have and we can make it a lot better.”
The JV game will start the evening with kickoff at 5 p.m. Friday; the varsity game will begin about 7 p.m.
And while the trophy would be nice to have, it’s even more important to get that first league win on the books.
“It’s the ‘Battle for the Milk Can’,” Beam said of the teams from the agriculture-rich communities facing off on the football field. “Expect a big crowd; it’s a rivalry game.”
