Hughson wins $5K Fridays sweepstakes in T-Mobile Friday Night 5G Lights, readies for the next round
T Mobile

September 29, 2026

Hughson is at it again, competing to win the annual T-Mobile Friday Night 5G Lights for Hughson High School Football has already made it through the first round, winning $5000 in Week 3 of the $5K Fridays sweepstakes.

In 2024 and 2025, Hughson was also a $5K Fridays recipient, and in 2024 the community banded together, pushing Hughson to a Top 16 finalist. The school has received a combined total of $40,000 as it enters the contest for a third year. Any winnings this year will be used to augment the bond with things like a new locker room, new weight room, and other ancillary things that will help build the program,” Hughson High School Principal Loren Lighthall said.

This year, Hughson High School Athletic Director Justice Futch applied to help modernize Husky Memorial Stadium, where much of the facility has not been upgraded since 1971, and generations of local families have helped build and maintain the field. Funding would help improve a small-town gathering place where Hughson football continues to bring students, families, alumni and the broader community together.

Hughson joins 39 other California schools were awarded $5,000 so far. 1,000 schools will win $5,000 through four weekly $5K Fridays sweepstakes. Four standout social media video posts will win a $5,000 Spotlight School award.

On Oct. 8, the 40 finalists will earn a place on the Division Bracket in the West, East, Midwest and South, with each team bringing in $25,000 for their school plus a T‑Mobile-hosted Home Game Celebration. Then public voting will begin Oct. 8 through 25 to determine the Final Four schools advancing to the final round. All 40 finalists will receive $25,000 and a T-Mobile Home Game Celebration.

Four Division Champion schools, one from each division, will rise to win $250,000, a Gronk Fitness gym (valued at $90,000) and "The Big Deal" student leadership award prize of $5,000. And T‑Mobile employees will vote for one finalist to win “Fan Favorite” and an extra $25,000.

Then, the grand prize winner, announced Nov. 12, will receive a $1 million football field upgrade.

The goal now is to make it to the top 40 as a Division Finalist. Getting to the next round depends on the community teaming together to support Hughson High Football through social media. To help, post and share your Husky Nation Pride on Instagram. Every like, post, and share by anyone in the community on Instagram increases the school’s chances. When posting, use all of the tags: Hughson High Football, T-Mobile, #entry,#fn5gl.

Huskies off to a hot start across the board in fall sports
HHS Volleyball

September 28, 2026

Hughson High School Football is feeling good as it goes into bye week, 3-1. The only loss was a tight contest against Patterson. The first TVL game takes place Oct. 2 against Ripon. Hughson High School is ranked No. 4 in the division and is feeling confident about the rest of the season, excited to have four transfers be eligible. This season, Hudson Baldwin is the leading passer in the area, Titus Beers is the leading receiver, and Noah Bradley set the single-game Hughson record for receiving yards in a game against Linden.

Starting off 5-0 in the TVL is no small feat for Hughson High School Volleyball, also ranked No. 1 in Division 4. The TVL had six of the seven teams make it to the state playoffs last year and is generally regarded as the best league in the section, if not the entire state. Hughson will play Ripon, 5-0 and ranked No. 1 in Division 3, on Sept. 29 at home. Olivia Piazza and Addison Yarbrough are No. 1 and No. 2 in the league in kills, and Piazza leads the league in service aces.

Flag football is 8-4 as it begins TVL play. As in other sports, the TVL is a dominant flag football league and has had the section champion each of the last two years, Hughson two years ago and Hilmar last year. This year, Orestimba is the No. 1-ranked team in the division. “It's a young team, but they are holding their own and playing well going into TVL play,” Principal Loren Lighthall said.

Girls' cross country, the No. 1-ranked team in the division, is dominating the TVL. If they stay healthy, they will win the section and move on to state. Grace Benitez won the first TVL meet by over 30 seconds and leads a strong group of returning runners.

Boys' cross country is also dominating the TVL and is ranked No. 2 in the section. With a decent shot to repeat as champions, Coach Bernard reports he is taking a new approach this season, trying to make sure Hughson’s defending section champions "peak" a little later in the season when the playoff meets begin. Manny Ruiz was the runner-up in the TVL meet, as Hughson had seven of the top 14 boys in the opening league meet.

Both girls' and boys' cross-country teams competed at the Woodbridge Invitational in Southern California, a competition that attracts teams from all 50 states and includes almost all of the top runners in the nation. Both Hughson teams finished in the top 10 in their division.

Girls golf is currently in third place, chasing Hilmar (second) and Ripon (first). Seniors Kali Irizarry, Ava O’Hara, Kelsey Brower, Sophia Spears and Victoria Cribbet lead the way. With 12 freshmen on the 26-golfer team, the team is young but full of promise. “Again, for the past 16 years, it seems like we get the best students at Hughson High on the golf team. They’re just great kids,” Coach Paul Gose said.