Here are the top 5 SJ County offensive football players from Week 8
Prep football teams hailing from the 209 looked to their upperclassmen to lead them to victory in Week 8 of the 2023-24 season. Three seniors and two juniors make up this week’s Top 5 Offensive Players of the Week list.
These experienced athletes did everything in their power to help their team secure a dub as the regular season winds down and post-season play is around the corner. In Manteca, the Buffaloes’ are rolling past their Valley Oak League opponents winning its third shutout game in a row. St. Mary’s and Escalon are on the same page as they are also 3-0 in Tri-City Athletic and Trans Valley League play.
Here is a breakdown of the stars behind the success of these teams following Week 8’s actions.
1. Bryson Davis
School: Manteca
Position: Running back
Year: Senior
Summary: Bryson Davis is officially back. The star running back was still getting back into the groove of things in the Buffaloes games in the last two weeks; however, against East Union this Friday, he went off. He rushed for 267 yards on 11 carries for a career-high five touchdowns. The 6-foot-1 power back couldn’t be stopped no matter what Lancer defender stood in his way. Davis ended the night averaging 24 yards per carry helping Manteca blow out East Union 69-0.
Manteca Head Coach Mark Varnum: “He’s definitely back to 100%. We were kind of easing him back into things but he was chomping at the bit to let him loose and he definitely showed out last night. The past two, three weeks he’s like 'Coach I’m ready. I’m good, I’m good.’ We wanted to do it slow and right so last night we decided to let the binders off and let him spin.”
2. Samson Hunkin
School: St. Mary’s
Position: Quarterback
Year: Senior
More: 'Well-played': St. Mary's football dominates Tracy in gritty league matchup
Summary: Facing adversity isn’t new for Hunkin who has been a leading St. Mary’s offense going on three years now. His slow start against Tracy ended in an explosive 42-14 victory for the Rams and a second quarter filled with scoring. The dual-threat quarterback threw for 215 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Hunkin and his stellar wide receiver core scored two touchdowns in the second quarter leaving the Bulldogs in the dust by halftime. He also added a 13-yard rushing touchdown to round out the night.
St. Mary’s Head Coach Tony Franks: “Samson has been here before. He played a ton of big games last year and he had that experience of playing in big games his sophomore year. Our seniors have been through some stuff and they ought to respond really well in situations like this. They know how to do just fine.”
3. Jordin Thomas
School: Lincoln
Position: Running back
Year: Junior
Summary: Thomas wasn’t going to let Lincoln’s homecoming game against Tokay end on a bad note. He locked in and got the job done for a thrilling 28-24 comeback win over the Tigers. The junior carried the ball 21 times for 216 yards and two touchdowns. Thomas has been the Trojans' workhorse in the backfield all season long and can find holes in just about any defense. His clutch performance helped Lincoln improve to 5-3 overall and third place in the TCAL.
Lincoln’s Head Coach Terrance Hampton: “Despite all the distractions, I think his focus was always there. He was positive and cheered his lineman on. He was just being a great leader that night and never lost hope. So I think Jordan is going to continue to shine he still has another year of eligibility and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do in the future.”
4. Sam Jimenez
School: Escalon
Position: ATH
Year: Junior
More: Week 8: San Joaquin County high school football kickoff times, scores and more
Summary: Everything was clicking on offense for Escalon in its first annual Vaca Bowl matchup against familiar foe Hilmar. Jimenez got in on the action catching for 101 yards on seven catches and a touchdown. The junior two-way player also added a two-point conversion and an interception picking off Hilmar’s quarterback Merek Ellerd. The Cougars won the battle for the milk can beating the Yellowjackets 49-21 thanks to Jimenez and a host of other offensive weapons.
Escalon Head Coach Andrew Beam: “Sam has been pretty incredible this year. He's gone from a guy nobody's heard about to a guy who is one of the best players in this league and our area. I mean, he's been incredible in the last couple of weeks and he started to really make a name for himself on both sides of the ball.”
5. Darius Doyle
School: Kimball
Position: Wide receiver
Year: Senior
Summary: Kimball’s matchup against Sierra was a must-win for the Jaguars who have a tough VOL schedule. Doyle made big plays to ensure his team’s victory finishing the night with seven catches for 150 yards and a touchdown. The 21-16 win over the Timberwolves marks the first game Doyle has caught for over 100 yards this season. He will look to continue his hot streak next week as No. 23-ranked Oakdale comes to town.
Kimball’s Head Coach Derek Graves: “Darius did really good and he is one of the best players in the area. I'm glad he got to showcase his skills last night. His numbers aren’t a reflection of his game mainly because we have young quarterbacks that we had to get up to speed. Everybody knows who he is as a player and everything is just coming together for him.”
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: Here are the top 5 SJ County offensive football players from Week 8
