Eagle sophomore QB racks up 7 TDs in his playoff debut. And he’s only getting started.
Eagle sophomore Mason McHugh started the season on the bench. But he’s ending it by rewriting the record books for one of the state’s most storied football programs.
McHugh, who turned 16 last week, threw for six touchdowns and ran for another Friday to lead Eagle to a 52-32 win over Capital in the first round of the 5A state playoffs.
His six touchdown passes tied a 2011 record set by Tanner Mangum, one of the most sought-after recruits in Idaho history. And his seven total TDs tied a 2010 record set by Dillon Lukehart.
“I told him his time was probably coming soon,” Eagle coach John Hartz said. “And it came in a big way. Tonight was pretty special.”
The record-tying outing carried the Mustangs (7-3) into the state quarterfinals, where they will face No. 5-ranked Rigby (7-1) at 7 p.m. Nov. 8 at Rigby High.
McHugh started the night completing his first seven passes and never slowed down, finishing 20-for-28 for 379 yards and six TDs. He also scored the game’s opening touchdown on a 2-yard QB sneak.
The sophomore entered fall camp battling junior Ben Ford for the starting quarterback job. Ford took the state by storm last season with his elite speed, and many questioned how much of a battle it really was.
Hartz said the Mustangs staff agonized over the decision, evaluating film each day before going with the known quantity. But Ford tore an ACL on a rugby punt three weeks ago, thrusting McHugh into the starting role and throwing Eagle’s season into jeopardy.
But McHugh never wavered. He and the Mustangs pushed No. 1-ranked Rocky Mountain to overtime in his first varsity start, then he threw for 293 yards and three TDs in the regular-season finale before an ever more explosive outing Friday.
“I knew it from the start how good he was,” Hartz said. “I’ve always believed in him. But there were two guys there, and we were trying to figure it out for a bit.
“But when Ben went down, we were like, ‘It’s your time, buddy.’ And he stepped up in a big way.”
Eagle beat Capital 35-14 in the regular-season finale last week, setting up a rematch back in Eagle in the first round of the playoffs. The Mustangs ran the ball at will a week ago, racking up 202 yards at 5.5 yards per carry. So Capital responded by dedicating extra defenders to stopping the run.
But that allowed McHugh and Eagle’s receiving corps to take advantage of one-on-one matchups on the edge all night.
“He did a great job,” said Eagle senior receiver Dalton Mashore, who finished with 137 yards and three TDs on five catches. “He’s an athletic kid. He really showed it tonight. And he made really good decisions.”
Cam Churchill caught five passes for 164 yards and a touchdown, and Cannon Margon turned three catches into 55 yards and two TDs.
McHugh’s playoff explosion puts him in the record books alongside Mangum, who was the co-MVP at the Elite 11 Camp with Jameis Winston and the No. 3-rated quarterback in the country as a senior before going to BYU. McHugh said it’s an honor to hear his name in the same sentence as Mangum’s, but he deflected the praise.
“It’s cool. But at the end of the day, we got the win,” McHugh said. “That’s really all that matters. I mean, I’ll enjoy the record. But at the end of the day, it’s all about the win.”
The loss ends Capital’s season at 5-5, its worst record since 2005, when it also went 5-5.
Capital senior quarterback Carson Bohning completed 29-of-47 passes for 433 yards with three TDs and two interceptions. Junior Jackson Reed caught 12 passes for 260 yards and a TD.
EAGLE 52, CAPITAL 32
Capital | 0 | 21 | 7 | 4 | — | 32 |
Eagle | 14 | 17 | 21 | 0 | — | 52 |
First quarter
EAG — Mason McHugh 2 run (Austin Frisk kick), 7:25
EAG — Cannon Morgan 21 pass from McHugh (Frisk kick), 1:39
Second quarter
CAP — Jackson Reed 33 pass from Carson Bohning (Emrah Sahbegovic kick), 10:26
EAG — Dalton Mashore 40 pass from McHugh (Frisk kick), 9:50
CAP — Bohning 6 run (Sahbegovic kick), 8:14
EAG — Cam Churchill 58 pass from McHugh (Frisk kick), 5:27
CAP — Jonah Blackham 52 pass from Bohning (Sahbegovic kick), 4:30
EAG — Frisk 35 field goal, 1:29
Third quarter
EAG — Mashore 13 pass from McHugh (Frisk kick), 9:09
CAP — Marcus Avalos 21 pass from Bohning (Sahbegovic kick), 8:14
EAG — Morgan 32 pass from McHugh (Frisk kick), 5:48
EAG — Mashore 30 pass from McHugh (Frisk kick), 1:11
Fourth quarter
CAP — Safety, 5:06
CAP — Safety, 2:19
Individual leaders
RUSHING — Capital: Carson Bohning 14-51, Jake Jones 14-43, Jackson Reed 1-16, Sean Holstein 1-3. Eagle: Jackson Stampfli 10-49, Mason McHugh 9-5, Gannon Matthews 1-(-21), Charlie Baker 13-83.
PASSING — Capital: Bohning 29-47-2 430; Max Clark 0-1-0 0. Eagle: McHugh 20-28-0 379.
RECEIVING — Capital: Justus Del Rio 4-18, Jonah Blackham 1-52, Kody Walk 3-33, Gabe Bacon 3-29, Marcus Avalos 5-31, Reed 12-160, Holsteing 1-7. Eagle: Dalton Mashore 5-137, Cannon Morgan 3-55, Cam Churchill 5-164, Ethan Mikita 3-14, Charlie Baker 3-8, Jaxon Buck 1-1.
This story was originally published November 1, 2019 at 10:43 PM.
