SUTTER, CA (MPG) - The Sutter Huskies football season ended Friday night as they suffered their only loss of the season to the Escalon Cougars 23-2 in the semifinals of the 2022 Division V CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Football Playoffs.

The windy environment in the Sutter area affected the game on the opening kick as the wind howled towards the south end zone of the stadium. The Huskies muffed the kickoff and turned the ball over to Escalon.

The Cougars started their first offensive drive on the Sutter 33-yard line. Escalon (10-3) senior fullback Ryker Peters put the Cougars on the scoreboard first when he scored on a two-yard rushing touchdown with 7:51 left in the first quarter. The Cougars converted a two-point conversion attempt to take an 8-0 lead.

The Huskies were significantly undersized against Escalon, but their speedy offense struggled to get any momentum as they only had 78 offensive yards in the entire game compared to the 423 yards they averaged in their previous 11 games.

Sutter (11-1) coach Ryan Reynolds told the Territorial Dispatch that anyone who watched the game could see the size difference on the field. 

“It came down to physics at the end of the day,” Reynolds said.

He added that with two similar rushing offenses, there weren’t any surprises throughout the game.

The Cougars opened the second quarter with an eight-yard touchdown pass to extend their lead 15-0. Sutter forced an Escalon turnover with 5:21 left in the first half, but like their other four offensive drives of the first half, they couldn’t get consistent momentum. 

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This was the second game in a row where the Huskies were held scoreless in the first half of play on their home field. Sutter and Ripon were scoreless in the second round of the D5 playoffs on November 11, where the Huskies eventually won the game 14-0.

Sutter first drive of the second half failed as the Huskies’ rushing attack couldn’t get by the bigger Cougars defense. The Huskies’ special teams unit then pinned Escalon on their own one-yard line.

Huskies senior defensive back Jeffrey Azevedo gobbled up Cougars junior quarterback Donovan Rozevink in the end zone for a safety to put Sutter on the scoreboard. Those were the only points the Huskies scored for the rest of their season. Azevedo was voted as a member of the All-Pioneer Valley League First Team.

Peters added the last score of the night to extend the Escalon lead to 23-2 when he scored on a one-yard rushing touchdown with a little less than nine and a half minutes to go in the game.

When the clock hit triple zeros, Sutter fans cleared the stands and went onto the field to support the Huskies with hugs all around. Reynolds explained to the Dispatch that the community is one big family, which couldn’t have been more evident with the outpouring of support postgame.

“Sutter football, we preach family. These kids are tremendously close, and it shows how they play the game and approach everything,” Reynolds explained.

Reynolds added his favorite memory of the senior Class of 2023 players was the total buy-in of their commitment to the program. Reynolds was also named the PVL Coach of the Year.

“They’re a gritty group, they're not the biggest or fastest guys, but man, they just give you everything they got,” he said.

RELATED: Sutter shuts out Twelve Bridges after even first quarter

Huskies senior quarterback/running back Luke Miller couldn’t have been prouder and more appreciative of wearing a Sutter uniform. He transferred to Sutter in his sophomore year.

“When I switched over, I didn’t know who was going to be my friend,” Miller said wholeheartedly. “Troy Brucie became my best friend, and I couldn’t be more proud.”

Miller was named the PVL Offensive Most Valuable Player with 109 carries for 855 rushing yards with 338 passing yards and 16 total touchdowns on the season. Miller’s message for the Class of 2024 was to leave a legacy.

Sutter senior running back Troy Brucie finished the season with 100 carries for 895 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. He poured out his emotions postgame for the support Reynolds showed him throughout his Sutter football career.

Brucie explained to the Dispatch that he struggled during his sophomore season when he got pulled up to varsity with remembering some plays.

“Having a coach like Reynolds who consistently pushed me to become a better person was a blessing to me, I couldn’t have asked for a better head coach,” Brucie told the Dispatch. 

Huskies senior linebacker Joseph Martinez was also named to the PVL first team with a team high 111 tackles through the first 11 games of the year.

Martinez has played in the Sutter football program going back to when he was four-years old in the Jr. Huskies and expressed how many close friends and relationships have been built throughout the years. Martinez reiterated the closeness of Reynolds to everyone in the program. 

“Coach (Reynolds) loves us all like sons,” Martinez said.

Martinez added that Reynolds’ effort goes throughout the junior program as well by saying he will greet and always remember everyone’s name throughout the multiple age groups. 

Reynolds said the Huskies will begin focusing on next season when the new calendar year begins in 2023.