Stanislaus District football stars shine: Player of the Year candidates

It’s always a good time to highlight some of the Stanislaus District’s standout players so far in 2024.

One of the goals every team sets at the start of the season is to make the playoffs, and thanks to the players on this list, every one of these teams is well on its way to a postseason berth. With team success come individual accolades and these players have seen both team and personal success.

The Player of the Year award and offensive and defensive All-District teams will be named at the end of the season and could feature a lot of the names on this list. Here is a look at some of the offensive and defensive players who are candidates for The Bee’s Football Player of the Year award.

Max Medina, QB, Patterson

Already a Tigers record holder as a junior, Medina leads the section in passing yards with 1,850 and adds 19 touchdown passes to just seven picks. The two-sport athlete with Division I baseball scholarship offers also has rushed for 245 yards and three scores. He led Patterson to a section title game appearance last season and looks for more postseason success in Division IV in 2024.

Carson Lamb, QB, Downey

Lamb is the only quarterback in the Sac-Joaquin Section with over 1,700 passing yards and over 20 touchdowns through the season’s first seven weeks, and there’s no sign of him slowing down. The senior with a scholarship offer from Sacred Heart University has led the Knights to a perfect record to start the season. He is No. 2 in passing yards behind Medina (1,761 yards) and has 22 passing TDs. He has also rushed for 202 yards.

Robert McDaniel, QB, Hughson

Headed for the University of Arizona at the beginning of 2025, McDaniel has diced up all of the Huskies’ opponents through their first six games, leading the team to a 6-0 record. His most recent feat included leading a game-winning drive against TVL rival Escalon. McDaniel is 14th in the section in passing yards (1,326) and has thrown 19 touchdown passes to just one interception.

Scout Silva, QB, Turlock

A freshman who has played well beyond his years since his first varsity start, Silva got a trial-by-fire introduction to high school with nonleague games against the No. 11 team in California, Folsom, and the No. 27 team in California, Rocklin. The Bulldogs also played Tracy, Central of Fresno and Clovis West before their CCAL opener last week. Silva is top 20 in the section with 1,226 yards passing, and he has 10 touchdown passes. On the ground, he has racked up 347 yards and six scores for the 3-3 Bulldogs.

Jacob Valenzuela, QB, Orestimba

The Warriors have a 5-1 record and are transitioning into the TVL. Valenzuela has done his best to make the change as smooth as possible. He has thrown for 988 yards over six games, with 13 touchdown passes and not a single pick. Despite a loss to Sonora, he passed for 296 yards and three touchdowns. In a narrow win over Ripon, he threw for a touchdown and 119 yards.

Wes Burford, RB/DB/LB, Oakdale

Burford has followed a stellar sophomore year with an even more impressive junior campaign. His 1,132 rushing yards is first in the Sac-Joaquin Section and No. 9 in California. He adds 12 rushing scores and a pair of receiving touchdowns to an already impressive offensive resume. Burford is thriving in an expanded defensive role as well, with 37 tackles, second on the team, and five tackles for loss. He also has one interception, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.

Joey Alcutt, RB, Central Catholic

The leading rusher for a top-three team in the Stanislaus District, Alcutt has rushed for 618 yards and five touchdowns with an average of 103 yards per game. When the Raiders needed wins, Alcutt led the charge, rushing for 148 yards and a pair of touchdowns on eight carries against Bishop Manogue and 201 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries against Patterson in back-to-back wins.

Noah Cozart, WR/DB, Patterson

Cozart is a threat to make a play on both sides of the ball as the Tigers’ top statistical receiver and defensive back. Offensively, he has caught 42 passes for 614 yards, good for fifth in the section, and nine touchdowns in seven games. On defense, he has 20 tackles, a tackle for loss and two interceptions. He also has a special teams touchdown after returning a kickoff for a score against East Union.

Joseph Ramirez, WR, Downey

Ramirez is one of the many targets in Downey’s high-powered offense. He’s the team leader in receiving yards (482) and receiving touchdowns (9) through six games on 21 catches. On the rare occasion Downey punts, Ramirez has also taken that role on special teams, averaging 43.1 yards per punt. He holds an offer from Pacific University.

Ethan Woodmansee, WR, Downey

Woodmansee leads the Stanislaus District’s top team after Week 7 in total touchdowns, getting it done on offense, defense and special teams. He has seven receiving touchdowns, has returned two blocked punts for scores and, against Pitman, added an 86-yard pick-six to his resume. His best game of the season came against Merced in a six-catch, 176-yard, four-touchdown outing.

Max Mankins, DL/TE, Hughson

Mankins is a two-way threat for the Huskies, but will play at the next level on defense. He’s headed to Air Force as a defensive lineman and has been great for Hughson all season. The senior has 166 receiving yards and a touchdown to go with 24 tackles, three tackles for loss and a team-high 5.5 sacks. He showed his two-way ability against Escalon, catching a key pass over the middle for a 15-yard gain and then securing the game-sealing sack in a 24-21 win.

Ryan Lewis, DL/TE, Escalon

Another two-way star out of the TVL, Lewis is in his fourth varsity season for the Cougars. He is a steadying presence on the offensive line and one of the team’s best at getting to the opponent’s backfield. He has 41 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks and a fumble recovery. On offense, he’s caught 23 passes for 225 yards, both team highs, and has a receiving touchdown.

Tresor Mulumba, DL, Patterson

Mulumba barely misses the MaxPreps cutoff for the top 100 in terms of total tackles: The last person has 45 and he comes in at 44. But he may lead the section in tackles for loss. A disruptor in the backfield, he has 17 TFLs and adds three sacks.

Noah Sacuskie, DL, Downey

Sacuskie’s total tackles numbers also may not quite crack to top 100 in the section, but he is one of the best in tackles for loss in the area. He’s taken opponents down behind the line of scrimmage 13 times and adds 4.5 sacks. He’s also blocked three punts, recorded three pass deflections and recovered a fumble. He’s also added three rushing touchdowns.

▪ Stats, section rankings and records are all taken from MaxPreps