QB called upon to lead Tower Sports section
“The sports culture here on campus is huge. Everyone knows who you are and how you play. A lot of students come out to support you and it feels like the city is behind you.”
The Tower
Whether he’s commanding a huddle, running a lane on the hardwood or trading stories from around the Sac-Joaquin Section before the bell, senior Hudson Wyatt understands the culture at Manteca High is tied closely to its athletic program.
And Wyatt, a two-sport star, has been at the epicenter in his two years on campus.
As the starting quarterback for the better part of two seasons, Wyatt guided the varsity football team to back-to-back section championships in 2021 and 2022 and CIF State Northern California Regional Bowl appearances. This winter, he’s part of coach Jason Hitt’s run-and-gun boys basketball team, which has serious Valley Oak League aspirations.
“The sports culture here on campus is huge,” Wyatt said. “Everyone knows who you are and how you play. A lot of students come out to support you and it feels like the city is behind you. … I play two sports here at Manteca High and it has helped me meet new people that I never thought I would meet.”
His circle is sure to grow this winter and spring. Wyatt has been named the first-ever Sports Editor for The Tower, Manteca High’s brand-new digital student newspaper.
The Tower can be accessed at www.MHSTheTower.com and is advised by Journalism instructor James Burns. The site was created by web designer and marketing specialist Ambra Jo Pinol, whose father Bill served as an administrator at Manteca High for many years. The Tower was introduced to the public in December 2022.
Through his work with The Tower, Wyatt hopes to continue to evolve as a writer and help shine a light on the athletes and teams that don’t get the same recognition as the school’s decorated football and basketball programs.
Wyatt earned this position after excelling in Journalism during the fall. He ranked among the course’s top reporters and often showcased his leadership skills, taking the reins on every group project he was associated with.
His portfolio includes stories on the Sac-Joaquin Section’s playoff system for football, including an interview with the section’s assistant commissioner Will DeBoard, and the school’s cheer captains.
Wyatt also spotlighted girls basketball player Brianna Parker, who transferred from Sierra High and must sit out the first 30 days of the season. Wyatt’s story helped put into focus the section’s often-muddy, always-confusing transfer/sitout policy.
“My goal is help to others know more about the athletes and help them push articles and news,” he said. “… I hope (The Tower) represents what goes on inside Manteca High that not a lot of people can see.”
Senior Hudson Wyatt is a two-sport athlete who has reached championship levels in the athletic arena. He’ll use that experience to help steer The Tower’s sports section.
Wyatt steps into this new role with the confidence from those closest to him. For two seasons, Manteca High football coach Mark Varnum leaned on Wyatt to command the offensive huddle; to be an on-field extension of himself.
Wyatt closed his prep career with nearly 2,000 passing yards, no small feat at a school with a run-heavy attack, and his touchdown-to-interception ratio (20-2) this season was among the best in the region.
That leadership experience has married well with Wyatt’s academic pursuits. He’s an Honor Roll student, a teacher favorite and now a member of The Tower’s first-ever team of editors.
“Hudson is an exceptional leader who always puts the best interests of the team and his peers ahead of his own,” Manteca High football coach Mark Varnum said. “He is extremely unselfish and has an unparalleled will to succeed.”