WINTER SPORTS - Hughson Unified School District

Hughson High School Ends Historic Season with State Championships and TVL Titles

March 6, 2026

For the third time, Yzabella (Baya) Austin was named a CIF State Champion in Bakersfield following the championship tournament on February 27 to 28. Austin dominated, with four falls and a major decision in the finals. As the first wrestler to bring back the championship to Hughson High School in twenty years and the first female wrestler in Hughson’s history to compete in State Championships, Austin closes her high school wrestling career making history.

“Her mark on the program is far greater than the title she has won,” Coach Joseph La Rosa said. “She carries herself as a true champion, and her approach to the sport is unmatched. She overcame adversity and persevered through trials and tribulations, proving yet again she is a true champion.”

Competing with her, also from Hughson High School, was Annebella Austin. Annebella went 2-2 and came up just short of a medal. Individual scores placed Hughson’s team in the top twenty for the state.

The triumph comes following a riveting season for Hughson High School wrestling. “We are so proud of the girls this year,” La Rosa said. Five girls competed in Hughson’s first-ever girls’ team: Mikala Forks, Grace Benitez, Victoria Cribbet, Annebella Austin, and Yzabella Austin.

“It was a joy coaching them, and Coach Mackenzie Buck did a great job coaching them up. We will miss Baya next year, but are super excited for the rest of the girls to come back, and hopefully add more girls to the team,” La Rosa said.

Stepping back to look at the big picture, finishing his fifth year as head coach and saying goodbye to the first group he began with as freshman, La Rosa sees this season as “a step in the right direction.”

Among its steps:

Hughson beat all the TVL schools in dual meets this year and beat its rival, Escalon, for the first time in 25 years.

As predicted, the team strove to wrestle their best in the postseason over four weeks of individual qualifiers: league, small-school divisionals, masters, and state. According to La Rosa, “Each week in the postseason has a life of its own; what you did last week doesn't matter.” They sought to correct mistakes and “leave no stone unturned.”

Hughson High School finished second in the tournament but won the D5 School TVL tournament and secured its first TVL Championship since 1999, with four champions among the boys: Dominic Lopez, Caleb Parshall, Valente Soria, and Carlos Zapien, along with the Austin sisters. Thirteen out of fourteen wrestlers advanced to the D5 tournament that Hughson High School hosted on February 13 and 14.

Six boys with one alternate and two girls headed to the Masters.

La Rosa described Masters as “a weekend filled with all the emotions! This sport is ruthless, and this time of year is cutthroat. There were both awesome victories this weekend, as well as crushing defeats.”

Yzabella Austin brought home the Section title, going 4-0 and dominating her way through the tournament. Annebella Austin brought home fifth. “The boys battled all weekend and left it all out on the mat,” La Rosa said. Multiple came up just short of going to state. Both boys and girls teams finished in the Top 25 in the section out of over 140 schools.

“A wrestling season is very grueling and demanding. We had our bright spots individually and had a few bumps along the way. Yet, most importantly, I hope each individual took away some valuable life skills that they will carry for the rest of their lives,” La Rosa said, finishing a season with a particular focus on discipline.

He recognized outgoing seniors who made it to the Masters, Landon Mason, Caleb Parshall, Valente Soria, and Ryker Beeson, as “vital to our success.” Soria “came out for wrestling in mid-November and became a league champion and masters qualifier,” an unheard of success and “hard to put into words how impressive it was to watch.”

La Rosa thanked assistant coach Daniel Zapien for all he did this year with the team, and the community for its support of the team. Among those contributions, Smith Woodcraft and Design created tournament patches; Hughson Lions Club donated 100 pounds of tri-tip and their trailer to BBQ; and Rob and Cheree Hill ran the snack bar.

Next year, La Rosa will look to returners Carlos Zapien, Dominic Lopez, and Caden Bowerman to lead the group. “The standard has been set by this team,” La Rosa said. “Moving forward as a team, it is an expectation to win TVL titles, section titles — This is no longer a hope. It's an expectation!”

Hughson High School Winter Sports Recap

February 26, 2026

While Hughson High School Wrestling waits to see how Bella Austin performs at the State Championships this weekend, basketball and soccer have wrapped up their seasons, with young teams and a promising future.

After starting the season “cautiously optimistic,” Coach RJ Henderson can end the season satisfied as Hughson High School Boys Basketball played it close, just missing the playoff spot, the first team out of the playoffs.

Hughson High School finished 6-6 in the league with a young team and core players returning. They lost to the TVL league champion Ripon Christian in overtime, and 27-1 Bret Harte by two. They finished fourth in the 7-team TVL. “Coach RJ Henderson has the boys improving every year, and we will look to be in the playoffs and the top three of the TVL next year,” Principal Loren Lighthall said.

Going into the season, Girls’ Basketball Coach Tim May was ready for a season of building a cohesive unit as the team learned to work together with six sophomores, three juniors, and three seniors. The team finished last in the TVL at 1-11. The losses were close; seven of the eleven losses were by single digits or in overtime.

Next year, much of the core will return, with new players next year who will come from the Ross Middle School Program.

After 10 years of coaching, winning two TVL titles, and taking Hughson High School to the state tournament, Coach May is stepping down, and Hughson High School is looking for a new coach. “He will be sorely missed. Even though we didn't have the season we wanted, it was a good season to build on with a lot of close losses, and the future is positive,” Lighthall said.

After winning the TVL last year, Hughson High School Boys Soccer took a step back, finishing sixth at 3-7-2. The boys finished the regular season on a high note, winning three of the last four games and making the playoffs. In the end, they were knocked out in the first round by Dixon.

Hughson High School Girls Soccer was led by first-year coach Tevin Jones, who previously coached the Boys team for 4 years from 2018 to 2022, helping them reach the playoff semifinals twice.

After finishing last in the TVL last year, Girls Soccer moved up to fifth in the 7-team TVL this year. They won two of their last three games and started nine freshmen and sophomores. “With those starters coming back and some strong additions from JV, we hope to enter the top half of the TVL next year and keep building the program,” Lighthall said.

Winter Sports Midseason at a Glance

January 28, 2026

Hughson High School Boys Basketball

Boys Varsity Basketball dove into league play, coming up to the end of January, 2-3 in league play and 9-12 overall. According to Coach RJ Henderson, the Hughson played a solid preseason schedule, culminating in a four-game tournament in the Palm Springs area over Christmas break. January saw them split the road against Ripon schools, traveling to Escalon, and again to Sonora. A six-consecutive league stretch will end February 5 against Sonora for Senior Night.

On April 25, Boys Varsity Basketball will hold its annual Cajun Crab Boil fundraiser at St. Anthony's Church in Hughson. For ticket information, call 209-535-8332.

Hughson High Girls Basketball

According to Athletic Director Justice Futch, “We are currently struggling in Girls' Basketball and sitting at 6-14 overall and 1-4 in the league. However, we are a very young team that we feel has a very bright future,” Athletic Director Justice Futch said. “Hope to see growth in this final stretch of the season to build some momentum going into next year.”

The team has seven underclassmen on Varsity (1 freshman, 6 sophomores) and has doubled its win total from last season. According to Futch, Shawna Valverde leads the team in points, assists, and steals as a sophomore. Freshman Chloe Beers provides a defensive presence and leads the team in both rebounds and blocks. Sophomore Kindal Barstow has really come along in the second half of the season and is a key contributor in every area of the stat book. Team captain Adisyn Powers has provided much needed Senior leadership and is second on the team in both points and assists."

Hughson High School Boys Wrestling

Hughson Wrestling, with its mix of experienced wrestlers and new young talent, “had a great preseason,” Coach Joseph La Rosa said. “It has been really fun to watch them all grow as the season has progressed.”

As a team in dual meets, Hughson beat Downey, Linden, Ceres, Modesto, and Summerville in preseason duals. Hughson came up just short against Turlock, Central Valley and Golden Valley.

By mid- January, the team was 3-0 in league with wins over Sonora, Ripon, and Hilmar, bouncing back from a rough home tournament before Christmas. Wrestling is still undefeated in league and beat the league powerhouse Escalon last night in a thriller. Hughson is “now in the driver's seat for the first league title since 1999 with one more league match to go at Orestimba on 1/28,” Athletic Director Justice Futch said.

La Rosa added, “I've been very pleased by the team's response. Wrestling is a demanding sport, physically and even more so mentally. The season isn't a sprint, it's a marathon, and we are in a great spot heading into the last half of the season.”

Carlos Zapien (Jr.) is 20-4 on the year and, claiming a couple of tournament titles, continues to stand out this year.

Hughson High School Girls Wrestling

Girls Wrestling started league play strong as Baya and Annebella started competing after their 6-week sitout (transfer) and “to no surprise, did very well,” La Rosa said. Baya took second, and Annebella took one of the toughest Girls’ Tournaments in the state at the Napa Valley Girls Classic.

Postseason is nearly here with competitions for multiple blue banners first in the SJS team duals at Lincoln High School in Stockton. Records will reset to 0-0, and individuals have four weeks to accomplish the goals they began training for months ago.

The TVL tournament will be on February 7 in Hilmar. February 13-14, the team will wrestle at Central Valley for divisionals, and Hughson will host Boys D5 divisionals.

The Masters tournament will be in the Stockton Arena from February 20 to 21.

Hughson will finish the season at the State Tournament in Bakersfield from February 26 to February 28. “As a coach, this is the best part of the year and my favorite. We want to peak and wrestle our best and achieve the goals that we have been working towards all year long,” La Rosa said.

Hughson Wrestlers are selling tickets to Taste of Hughson on March 28 from 6 to 9 p.m. Taste of Hughson is a major contributor to Hughson Wrestling. La Rosa said, “It is a great event that supports ALL of Hughson's youth.”

Hughson High School Varsity Boys Soccer

Varsity Boys Soccer quickly turned around an initial loss to Denair in the tournament, posting wins over Millennium and tying Riverbank. Hughson later went on to win against Denair in the preseason. After a loss to Ceres in a close match, Hughson won against Riverbank.

A few players suffered season-ending injuries, and others were in and out with injuries. The team dropped a couple of losses while trying to adjust.

Hughson High School Girls Soccer

Girls soccer’s preseason was “very productive and competitive,” Coach Tevin Jones said. “We focused heavily on fitness, team chemistry, and sharpening our tactical execution.”

Decisive wins, 4-1 over Riverbank and 4-0 against Waterford, showed the “team’s growth, defensive organization, and overall confidence heading into league play.”

The regular season got off to an exciting start with a road match at Sonora, who finished second in the league last year. “We earned a hard-fought 1–1 tie. We held the lead for most of the match and controlled long stretches of play before Sonora sneaked in an equalizer in the second half. It was a great early test for our group and showed that we can compete with top-level opponents,” Jones said.

With one of the top defenses in the league, Hughson’s offense is still working to fully click. “We are a young team and continue to grow with every match,” Jones said.

Home games coming up, played at Deputy Wallace Park, will be:

January 28 vs. Ripon
January 30 vs. Ripon Christian
February 6 vs. Orestimba
February 9 vs. Hilmar

“We are excited about the direction the program is heading and truly appreciate the continued support from our families, students, and community,” Jones said. “We look forward to seeing everyone out at the games this season.”

As Temps Cool Down, Winter Sports are Heating Up - A Look Ahead at Wrestling, Soccer, and Basketball

November 24, 2025

Hughson High School Wrestling

For Hughson High School Wrestling, strong returners set the stage for a promising season. They include Sophomore TVL champions Caden Bowerman, senior Caleb Parshall, and senior Landon Mason, who returns as a TVL and D5 champion. Mason placed eighth at the SJS Masters meet and is poised to make a run this year to qualify for state in Bakersfield. Carlos Zapien and Dominic Lopez, both D5 medalists, had great offseason training. “We will count on these individuals to lead the group!” La Rosa said.

Of particular note are incoming freshmen, who previously wrestled in the K-8 Huskies Wrestling Club: Fulton Stanhope, David Brackett, and Padrick Hill.

With two transfers from Pitman High School, sisters Yzabella (senior) and Anabella (sophomore) Austin, Hughson will have its first Girl’s Wrestling Team in nearly a decade. Yzabella is a 3-time state finalist and 2-time state champion, and Anabella qualified for state as a freshman.

The focus moving into this season is discipline. “Discipline will make the difference for us as a team, and each individual achieving their goals or not. This sport requires so much and offers so little in return at times, so making sure we are doing everything we can in our preparation on and off the mat is crucial,” Head Wrestling Coach Joseph La Rosa said. “Wrestling, like all sports, is extremely mental, so building mental toughness every day while trying to get 1% better each practice is something we preach daily.”

Hughson has been the runner-up in the TVL each of the last three seasons to Escalon, and was D5 runner-up to them last year. “They have been the team to beat, and Ripon and Sonora also have a solid group of kids,” La Rosa said. “Overall, the TVL is the toughest small school league for wrestling in our section, yet our focus is within and making sure we are ready to perform and controlling how we compete each time we step on the mat.”

Home matches this season will be held on December 3 vs. Downey at 6 p.m., December 11 vs. Turlock at 6 p.m., December 17 vs. Hilmar at 5:30 p.m. (Senior Night), December 19 at the Mel Lindstrom Duals at 1 p.m., and December 20 at the Hughson JV Tournament at 10 a.m. January 7 vs Ripon at 5:30 p.m., and January 21 vs Escalon at 5:30 p.m. The SJS D5 Sub-Section Tournament will be held from February 13 to 14.

Hughson High School Boys’ Soccer

Last year, Hughson High School Boys’ Varsity Soccer won the TVL for the first time since 2006.

This year’s team is young, with a number of sophomores and juniors, but with the return of talented players like Luis Moreno, Diego Medina, and Brandon Pantoja, who are poised to dominate the midfield, the squad looks promising for the new season.

Coach Riley Piatt expects Hilmar to be the battle to look at once again for the league title.

Hughson High School Girls’ Soccer

For Hughson High School Girls’ Soccer, excitement is in the air.

“Girls’ Varsity Soccer is looking great this year!” Coach Tevlin Jones said. “A lot of talent and dedication. We had a really good turnout for tryouts.”

They are a young team but not lacking in experience. Jones expects the girls to be fast, relentless and hit the field ready to prove it. Among their best returning players are Senior Madden Nobles, winger, who will be a big part of the offense, and Junior Keylee Lundquist, Center Back, who will be able to lead the defense.

Jones is already seeing a lot of promise in some of the team's new players, including freshmen Cristina Pacheco, a center midfielder, and Rowin Reisz, the goalkeeper. Pacheco “will add a lot of creativity to our midfield,” and Reisz “will help keep us in a lot of games with her shot-stopping ability.”

Looking ahead, Ripon will be one of Hughson’s formidable opponents. “Ripon is always a powerhouse for girls' soccer. It will be fun to see what we can do this year with a fresh look.”

This year marks Jones’ return to coaching at Hughson High School. For four years, he coached boys' soccer, but after a job change, he took a two-year break. Now, Hughson has him been back and “we are glad to have him,” Principal Loren Lighthall said.

With that enthusiasm, Jones invites the community to “come on out and support our girls' soccer program! I’m very excited for this year and looking forward to building up this program.”

Hughson High School Girls’ Basketball

The Hughson High School Girls’Basketball team is a young one this year, with six sophomores, three juniors, and three seniors. Returning senior, Adyson Powers, will lead the way, fostering a "defense-first" and "all-in" mentality, Coach Tim May said. “Our strategy will rely on speed, defensive intensity, and utilizing our deep bench to maintain high energy levels throughout games.”

What the coaches are seeing at practice is encouraging. The teams are “focused and committed to working hard,” May said. “While it's challenging to predict our league standing with such a young team, I expect them to compete every night and develop as a cohesive unit. We wouldn't be surprised to find ourselves in contention by the end of the season.”

Promising talent makes up the offense with sophomores Lila, Shawna, and Kindel, freshman Chloe, and senior Adi. Defensively, Hughson will rely on a full team effort, with high expectations for all our players.

The going may get rough. “Sonora is a new and challenging opponent this year, and Escalon returns a top team from last season.” Still, May concluded, “We anticipate a fun and challenging year as this group matures and strengthens its bond.”

Hughson High School Boys’ Basketball

Coach RJ Henderson is taking a “cautiously optimistic” approach to the new boys’ basketball season as the staff enters its second year. The team has nine core players who play year-round, with three more adding in when their fall sport has completed. Key departures are Jackson Gehrke (14.8 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game), and key returners are Sophomore Karam Kang (Point Guard, 14.3 ppg, 98 3-pointers made on 35% 3pt %), Senior Xavier Urquidez (Power Forward, 7.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg), and Sophomore James Seay (Small Forward, 5.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg).

Boys’ Basketball is looking to improve this season from a 1-11 TVL record and 10-18 overall. “Our goal is to utilize the pre-season schedule and be able to evaluate our roster, and hopefully, we can put together a competitive league stretch in January and February,” Henderson said.