Here are the Top 10 SJ County players to watch in the 2024 Lions All-Star Football game
They don’t call them All-Stars for nothing.
The 32 San Joaquin County football players who make up the North Team in the 48th Annual Central California Lions All-Star Football Game were beasts on the field this past season.
From racking up thousands of yards of offense to winning a Sac-Joaquin Section championship, these athletes have proved more than worthy of representing the North side of Central California. Ten of these all-stars stick out among the rest though as they will be huge components to helping the North take down the South.
Here are the 10 SJ County All-Stars that you won’t want to miss on June 22 when the Lions All-Star Football Game will kickoff.
(Athletes listed in alphabetical order)
Asante Carter
School: St. Mary’s
Position: Running back
Summary: One of the hardest runners in the 209 this past season was Carter who was St. Mary’s go-to in its ground game. The 5-foot-11 running back rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and 25 total touchdowns. Carter’s unrelenting attack on the ground helped the Rams make an SJS Division 1 championship appearance against Rocklin. He will look to be one of the North’s team's lethal offensive weapons.
Tony Cowan
School: Linden
Position: Linebacker
Summary: Standing at 6-feet and 220 pounds Cowan was a big body on both sides of the ball for the Lions this past season. Offensively, he rushed for seven touchdowns and caught for four touchdowns. For the North, he’ll most likely be playing more defensive snaps where he led Linden with 8.8 tackles per game for a total of 106 tackles, the sixth most in the SJS Division III level.
Elijah Chrim-Cordero
School: Lincoln
Position: Wide receiver/safety
Summary: Last year, Chrim-Cordero played a vital role on both sides of the ball for Lincoln. He had a solid finish to his high school career leading the Trojans in receiving touchdowns (6) and causing fumbles (2). The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder will look to fill in wherever he is needed on the North team as he can be an asset on both sides of the ball.
Barrett Crosby
School: Tokay
Position: ATH
Summary: The Tigers' do-it-all player this past season was Crosby who led their ground game and was a bruiser on defense. He ended the year averaging a team-high 85.3 rushing yards per game and found the endzone 16 times. As a strong safety, Crosby continued to lead Tokay averaging a team-high 6.1 tackles. He finished with 61 total tackles, two sacks and four interceptions.
Darius Doyle
School: Kimball
Position: Wide receiver
Summary: Doyle has a knack for getting behind defenses and it showed throughout his three years on varsity at Kimball. He caught for 1,665 yards and 18 touchdowns during his time as a Jaguar making a name for himself as a speedy receiver. Doyle will look to do the same for the North team before he’s off to the University of Nothern Colorado to play NCAA Division I ball in the fall.
More: See which SJ County football players will compete in the 2024 Lions All-Star Game
More: St. Mary's, Manteca dominate Athlete of the Week, POTY polls in 2023-24 school year
Javonnie Haymon
School: Edison
Position: Defensive back
Summary: Haymon was a leader on and off the field for Edison’s defense at the defensive tackle position. The 6-foot-1, 240-pounder will look to do the same for the North team as he has an eye for the ball and can lay anybody out. He ended his high school career with 147 total tackles averaging around seven tackles per game.
Samson Hunkin
School: St. Mary’s
Position: Quarterback
Summary: One of the slingers battling it out for the QB1 position for the North is Hunkin. The 6-foot speedy passer is the reigning Tri-City Athletic League MVP after leading St. Mary’s to a perfect league record and a deep postseason run. He ended his senior campaign throwing for 2,732 yards the 12th most in the section as well as 25 passing touchdowns.
Jamin Miller
School: Escalon
Position: Running back
Summary: Miller is the lone SJS champion to make this list as he was a part of the Escalon team that captured the Division 4 blue banner. He was a part of the Cougars running back core that could ground and pound through just about any defense. At the end of the season, Miller had amassed 864 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 117 carries.
Tommy Perea
School: Manteca
Position: Middle linebacker
Summary: Serving as the Buffaloes' shepherd in the 2023-24 season, Perea led them to a deep SJS playoff run. The 5-foot-10 middle linebacker averaged a team-high 8.6 tackles per game and nearly finished with 100 total tackles. He will be a core of the North’s defense.
Aidan Van Os
School: Tracy
Position: Quarterback
Summary: Van Os is the other quarterback to make this list as he killed opponents on the ground and in the air for the Bulldogs this past season. He led the team in rushing yards per game (73.3) and total touchdowns (11). Despite Tracy not making it far in the playoffs, Van Os was a bright spot of the season and will be continuing his career at American River College.
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: 10 SJ County football players to watch in 2024 Lions All-Star Game
