Prep football: Terrific trio power Hanford past Dinuba

Hanford High unleashed its offensive trifecta of Ryan Johnson, Joseph McDaniel and Juwuane Hughes and the defense was as effective as the Central Section’s eighth-ranked team coasted 45-21 at No. 13 Dinuba Friday night.

Johnson passed for 168 yards and two touchdowns, McDaniel rushed for 104 yards and three scores and Hughes caught seven passes for 115 yards and a TD as 3-0 Hanford turned an expected nonleague showdown into its own showcase for the second straight year.

Johnson, McDaniel and Hughes all returned from a team that blasted the Emperors 30-7 in a 12-1 season that closed with a Division III title. Dinuba would go 11-2 and place second to Ridgeview for the D-II crown.

In a game that began at 8:50 p.m. and finished at 11:10 p.m. on a night many section games were postponed, canceled or at least delayed because of poor air quality, Emperors senior star quarterback Isaac Leppke was benched midway through the third quarter after being intercepted by McDaniel, also a linebacker standout.

Leppke would not return as Gustavo Villarreal entered and threw TD passes of 50 and 47 yards to Jacob Paradine.

But Dinuba never threatened after falling behind 29-7 at halftime.

McDaniel, cornerback Hughes, linebacker Kaipo Barnes and end Ellix Jimmeye were outstanding defensively for the Bullpups, who will play at Porterville in another nonleague game next Friday.

Jimmeye, however, departed for good in the third quarter with a hyperextended elbow.

The Emperors of the Central Sequoia League will play a nonleague game next Friday at El Diamante.

This story was originally published September 12, 2015 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Prep football: Terrific trio power Hanford past Dinuba."