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Record Athlete of the Week: Linden's Matthew Schallberger

shannon mia belt, the stockton record
·4 min read

San Joaquin County voted and the Record/Recordnet.com Athlete of the Week for the week of Sept. 17-23 is Matthew Schallberger of Linden football. In an online poll that closed on Friday, Schallberger received over 70% of the votes cast for a total of 17,054 votes.

The junior quarterback earned this recognition after leading the Lions offense to a whooping 36-6 victory over Bear Creek on Sept. 22. He threw for over 200 yards and found his receivers in the endzone three times. This helped Linden extend its San Joaquin Athletic Association record of 3-0 as it has beaten every league opponent so far this season.

Linden's Matthew Schallberger poses for a photo holding a football during the 2023-24 season.
Linden's Matthew Schallberger poses for a photo holding a football during the 2023-24 season.

Schallberger plays a key role as a leader on and off the field for the Lions according to head coach Alek Mechikoff. The junior stays composed in the pocket and has a good read of defenses during high-pressure situations. Six games into the season and he has thrown for 14 touchdowns and 1,121 yards showcasing he is an elite quarterback from the 209 to keep an eye out for.

Here’s a look at the past winners:

  • Aug. 26: Samson Hunkin, St. Mary's football

  • Sept. 2: Eliana Williams, St. Mary's girls' volleyball

  • Sept. 9: Landen Ly, Linden, football

  • Sept. 6: McKenna McIntosh, St. Mary's girls' volleyball

Editor's Note: Anyone can nominate an athlete of the week for every sport. Nominate next week’s ballot through email. Readers can email nominations to sports reporter Shannon Belt at sbelt@recordnet.com. Please include the player's stats and a photo if possible.

Original story: Another week of high school sports in San Joaquin County means The Record is back on the search for the Record/RecordNet.com Athlete of the Week.

Fall sports are now at or past the midway point of the season with football getting deeper into league play and girls' volleyball and girls' flag football preparing for the upcoming playoffs. Cross country, water polo, and girls' tennis are also making headway this season. The poll for Athlete of the Week closes on Friday.

Manteca running back Nikko Juarez bowls over a Lodi defender during a game between Manteca High School and Lodi High at The Grape Bowl in Lodi.
Manteca running back Nikko Juarez bowls over a Lodi defender during a game between Manteca High School and Lodi High at The Grape Bowl in Lodi.

Here are the candidates for Sept. 17-23 (athletes listed in alphabetical order):

Victory Bragg, girl’s flag football, St. Mary’s: In St. Mary’s game against Lodi on Sept. 19, Bragg played an essential role offensively. The junior quarterback threw 152 yards and 50% completion for two touchdowns. She helped the Rams come away with a close 14-12 victory over the Flames.

Andrea Fuentes Calderon, girls’ flag football, Escalon: Calderon led Escalon’s defense in its 14-6 victory over Central Catholic on Sept. 18. The senior defender finished the game with six total tackles helping her team contain the Raiders all game long. She leads her team in total tackles so far this season.

More: Which 5 San Joaquin County football players shined in Week 5?

Samantha Chacon, girls’ volleyball, Tracy: Chacon played lights out against Tokay on Sept. 19 leading the Bulldogs offense with 10 kills. The senior outside hitter also added two aces, and 10 digs as Tracy would sweep the Tigers 3-0. The Bulldogs are now 2-1 in league play.

Nikko Juarez, football, Manteca: Manteca rode Juarez all the way to a 48-6 victory over Lodi in its Sept. 22 matchup. The do-it-all athlete finished the game with a rushing touchdown, a passing touchdown, and a kickoff return touchdown. He rushed for a total of 137 yards in the Buffaloes victory.

Matthew Schallberger, football, Linden: In the Lions league matchup against Bear Creek on Sept. 22, Schallberger was locked in. He finished the game throwing 12-for-20 for a total of 204 yards and three touchdowns. With Schallberger leading the charge Linden blew past the Bruins to win 36-6.

More: Lincoln football survives East Union in fourth quarter comeback

Martin Tokmo, football, Lincoln: Tokmo led the Trojans in a historic 21-point fourth-quarter comeback against East Union on Sept. 22. He finished that game throwing for over 200 yards and four touchdowns. Tokmo’s clutch performance helped Lincoln win 27-26.

Athlete of the Week nominations are based on information available to The Record about all high school varsity players from San Joaquin County. Nominations must be received for consideration by Monday morning following that week's games.

Anyone can nominate an athlete of the week for every sport. Nominate next week’s ballot via email. Readers can email nominations to sports reporter Shannon Belt at sbelt@recordnet.com. Please include the player's stats and a photo if possible.

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: Record Athlete of the Week: Linden's Matthew Schallberger