Who are the favorites to win SJAA, TCAL football league championships?
Is it ever too early for high school football predictions? In Stockton, it isn’t. The clock is winding down for the 2023-24 season, which starts in just 10 days.
The Record has decided to look into the future — let’s say around October — just before teams' fate in the postseason is decided and league games wrap up. We are breaking down which teams from the 209 are favorites to win the San Joaquin Athletic Association and Tri-City Athletic League championships as well as the teams who may shock the area and make a run for the title themselves.
San Joaquin Athletic Association
The SJAA will head into its second season with eight teams after adding Linden last season from the Sierra Delta League. Bear Creek, Chavez, Edison, Franklin, McNair, Stagg, and Weston Ranch make up the rest of the league.
The favorite: Edison
Edison has been man-handling the SJAA for the past five years making the Vikings an easy favorite to take home the league championship. Last season the Vikings went unscathed in league play to finish with a 7-0 record and its fifth consecutive league title.
Not only did Edison beat its seven other local foes but it held five of them scoreless. The two teams that did put up points against the Vikings' brute defense were Stagg who scored a touchdown and McNair who managed two safeties. With key returners on defense like senior defensive back Javonnie Haymon Edison the team will look for another season of shutouts.
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Head coach Booker Guyton will also return rising stars at the quarterback and wide receiver spot in sophomores Berrell Staples and Langdon Horace. The sophomores got solid touches last season and will be go-tos when it comes to putting points on the board.
Another big driving force in making Edison the favorite is its strength of schedule in the preseason. Before SJAA play, the Vikings will take on high-profile Sac-Joaquin Section teams such as Folsom, Central of Fresno, and Foothill.
Edison’s biggest task of the season will be Folsom, who was ranked the No.1 SJS team on the MaxPreps preseason poll. These three-tone-setting games will have the Vikings primed and ready to go against league opponents. Plus, if they lose any of the three preseason games, the pressure to win will be even higher once league play starts.
The top challenger: Stagg
As a long-time rival to Edison, Stagg is always a top contender when it comes to the SJAA title. The Delta Kings didn’t make too much noise against Edison last season losing the matchup 59-7 but they were the only other SJAA team to secure a playoff bid. Finishing second place with a league record of 5-2, Stagg will look to give Edison a run for its money.
Keys to doing so will be its big bodies on the offensive line and unproven stars showing out when the time comes. Senior Jeremiah Singleton fills in the offensive linemen position and will serve as the Delta Kings captain once again this season. Their secret weapon will be senior Jayden Moses who can play at the quarterback, wide receiver and cornerback positions.
If head coach Don Norton and the Delta Kings can secure a win against Edison this season they’ll not only break a five-year losing streak but will be front runners for the SJAA championship.
Underdog watch: Linden
Although it's only their second season in the SJAA, the Lions have risen to the top of the totem pole. Linden ended last season tied for second place with a league record of 5-2 losing games against Edison and Weston Ranch.
Like Stagg, the Lions' biggest game this season will come against the Vikings and it will be a shot at securing the SJAA title if they can pull off the win. Last year’s matchup ended in a big blowout with Edison winning 50-0 and killing Linden’s five-game winning streak.
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With junior Dax Weber and sophomore Deandre Smith returning as running back and wide receiver, the Lions have the tools to be more competitive this go-round. The two combined for almost 1,500 all-purpose yards last season and will be key players to watch from the SJAA this season.
Tri-City Athletic League
This season will probably be the last time the TCAL looks like this once realignments are put in place in the 2024-25 season. Until then, Lincoln, Lodi, St. Mary’s, Tokay, Tracy, and West make up the league.
The favorite: St. Mary’s
It should come as no surprise that St. Mary’s is the favorite to win the TCAL as the Rams haven’t lost a league game since the 2013-14 season. Head coach Tony Franks has led his team to countless league titles and playoff appearances and this year won’t be any different.
The Rams have returned players at every power position and have one of the most loaded wide receiver cores in the SJS. Despite graduating top receivers like Nasir Danielson and Brooks Wheatley, they have new names filling in.
Some of their must-watch wideouts will be seniors Cayden Ward and Brilan Reynolds, junior Ahmyri McGee-Hall, and sophomore Kenneth Moore III.
St. Mary’s is also in good hands with senior Samson Hunkin and sophomore Devin Rasmussen sharing quarterback duties. The two combined for 25 total touchdown passes last season.
Like Edison, the Rams' preseason schedule will make them battle-tested way ahead of Week 5 when league play is set to start. They will take on some of the biggest names in high school football in De La Salle, Bishop Amat, and Central Catholic. It will also take on the SJS Division 2 reigning champs in Manteca in Week 2.
Unless a team forces the Rams out of the top spot in the TCAL, this season will mark their tenth consecutive league championship.
The top challenger: Lincoln
Lincoln has always been close to snagging the TCAL championship but has fallen short typically due to losses against St. Mary’s. Last season the Trojans had trouble not only against the Rams but also Tracy. They finished with a league record of 3-2 and third in the TCAL.
Despite the not-so-stellar league record, with new head coach Terrance Hampton in charge, the Trojans are St. Mary’s biggest contender for the TCAL title. Hampton’s goal for Lincoln this season is returning to its strong running back roots.
Junior running back Jordin Thomas will be the face of the offense standing at 5-foot-10 inches and weighing in at 190 pounds. Thomas is already a highly recruited speedy back and will stuff the stat sheet this season. Along with Thomas, the Trojans' offense can still fall back on the quarterback and wide receiver duo in seniors Martin Tokmo and Jaythn Long.
Lincoln also has a pretty strong preseason schedule as well to help prepare for league play. They open up the season against Downey, the reigning Central California Athletic League champs. Some of its other notable matchups will come against Kimball, Antelope, and Del Oro.
The underdog: Tracy
After graduating 26 seniors, Tracy’s personnel may have changed but they remain a contender for the TCAL title. The Bulldogs finished second place last season with a league record of 4-1 only losing to St. Mary’s.
The task this season, along with getting past the Rams, will be rebuilding its offense. Senior Tommy Hayes will likely be the go-to guy for Tracy this season at the running back position. Hayes wracked up close to 400 all-purpose yards in just five games last season. If the senior plays the whole season he can rise in the ranks within the TCAL.
Head coach Jeff Pribble has loaded the Bulldogs preseason schedule as well which will have them well-prepared for league play. They will begin the season at Oak Ridge, the No. 2 ranked team in the SJS Maxpreps preseason poll. Tracy will also take on Kimball, Sheldon, Rocklin, and Mountain House.
Tracy could shock the 209 once again if they can pull off another win against Lincoln and push for a win against St. Mary’s.
Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Who are the favorites to win SJAA, TCAL football league championships?
