HUGHSON — Hughson middle linebacker Colt Foss tipped a short pass over the middle from Sonora quarterback Eli Ingalls, denying the Wildcats a two-point conversion and helping the Huskies hold on for a thrilling 52-51 Trans-Valley League victory on Friday at Husky Memorial Stadium.

Sonora rushed for 477 yards against Hughson, including a 7-yard surge up the middle from quarterback Eli Ingalls with just three seconds showing on the clock. But when the Wildcats most needed to gain 3 yards — they opted to pass.

“I’ll own the last play call, that’s my fault,” said first-year Sonora head coach Kirk Clifton, who served as the team’s offensive coordinator for Bryan Craig, who stepped down after last season. “We didn’t practice that enough, and that’s my fault. The guy was open.”

Clifton called for a short pop pass from Ingalls, but Foss sniffed it out in time to react.

“I thought it was going to be the same play as the touchdown — the fake dive and the quarterback pulls it and runs right up the B gap,” said Foss. “So, I was playing the B gap heavy, just staring at the quarterback only. Then he put some weight on his front foot and I could tell it was going to be a pop pass.”

Despite Hughson’s postseason success the past two seasons, which has included back-to-back Sac-Joaquin Section Division 6 titles in addition to a state championship in 2022, it has yet to a TVL title under head coach Shaun King, now in his seventh season as head coach. With the victory, the Huskies now have the inside track after improving to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in league play. Sonora drops to 6-1 and 3-1.

After taking a 52-45 lead on Eli Wilbanks’ 2-yard burst into the end zone with 1:48 remaining, Hughson kicked off to the Wildcats’ Cash Byington, who fielded the ball on the 5 and returned it 35 yards to the 40 with 1:41 left on the clock. Before the next play even began, Hughson was flagged for too many on the field, pushing the ball to the 45. Sonora gave the ball to Byington on first down and the Huskies’ defense just about had him pinned for a 5-yard loss. However, the speedy junior slipped free and turned it into a gain of a yard — and even managed to get out of bounds with 1:31 to play. Eight plays later, the Wildcats cashed in on Ingalls’ TD with seconds to play, setting up the dramatic finish.