Friday nights are back, and so is The Record's weekly search for the top high school football performance in San Joaquin County.
Each week during the 2026 season, one standout player will be voted the Martin Dentistry Football Athlete of the Week.
The choice belongs to you, the readers.
This week's ballot features 10 nominees from Stockton after their Week 6 performances.
Everyone is encouraged to submit nominations for the upcoming week by emailing dackermann@gannett.com.
The poll at the bottom of this page closes at noon Thursday, Oct. 15. There are no voting restrictions, so vote now and vote often.
Here are the Week 6 nominees (athletes listed in alphabetical order by last name):
Dylan Ball, running back/safety, Escalon
Knowing what Dylan Ball can
do and actually stopping him are two very different things, as Hughson found out. The Escalon sophomore rushed for 161 yards on 13 carries, returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown and added seven tackles in a 31-14 win over one of the TVL favorites. He's now surpassed 124 rushing yards in six consecutive games.
Mason Clark, athlete, Ripon Christian
Ripon Christian's running game had gone quiet during two straight losses, with just 61 team rushing yards two weeks ago and no player exceeding 36 last week. Senior Mason Clark changed that against Orestimba, rushing for a career-high 97 yards and a touchdown in a 17-6 victory. He doubled his rushing total from the previous five games combined.
Darien East, wide receiver, River Island
A 41-0 blowout win over Riverbank didn't give Darien East many opportunities, but he made the most of every touch. The River Island junior wide receiver caught one pass for 72 yards and a touchdown, then turned his only rushing attempt into a 34-yard score. East now has 668 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns this season.
Roman Duvernay, running back, Lathrop
Last week, Roman Duvernay introduced himself to the Lathrop community. This week, he showed he's here to stay. After spending his first three years at Manteca without recording a rushing yard, the recently cleared senior running back posted his second straight 100-yard game, rushing for 101 yards and four touchdowns on eight carries in a 43-10 win over Livingston.
Kalvin Hernandez, linebacker, Mountain House
Wherever the football went, Kalvin Hernandez seemed to be there. Despite Mountain House's 13-0 loss to Sierra, the senior inside linebacker helped limit the Timberwolves to their second-fewest points of the season. Hernandez finished with a career-high 19 tackles, including nine solo and 10 assisted, pushing his season total to 69.
Archie Sanders, quarterback, Escalon
Who says a quarterback needs a big passing night to lead his team to victory? Certainly not Archie Sanders, who helped Escalon knock off one of the TVL favorites in a 31-14 win over Hughson. The sophomore completed 2 of 6 passes for 37 yards and a touchdown, but did most of his damage with his legs, rushing for 101 yards and another score on nine carries.
Jaylen Santos, running back, Lathrop
That's the beauty of Lathrop's Wing-T offense. One running back can have a big night without taking opportunities away from another, and Jaylen Santos proved it against Livingston. The junior rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries in a 43-10 victory, surpassing 100 yards for the third time this season and pushing his rushing total to 459 yards.
Alonzo Ward, wide receiver, Edison
For three non league games, Alonzo Ward could only watch from the sideline. When the Edison senior wide receiver finally got his chance against Tracy, he made every catch count. The three-star recruit with six Division I offers hauled in three passes for 95 yards, turning all three into touchdowns in a 21-14 upset.
David Wyatt, running back, Kimball
The wins haven't come for Kimball, but David Wyatt's production has been hard to ignore. A year removed from junior varsity, the junior rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown on seven carries in a 55-6 loss to Lincoln. Despite Kimball's 0-6 start, Wyatt has four 100-yard games, with 520 yards and five touchdowns on just 32 carries.
Bryson Ybarra, quarterback, East Union
All East Union needed was someone willing to give everything he had and keep the Lancers in the fight. Bryson Ybarra answered in just his second career start at quarterback, completing 17 of 26 passes for 124 yards and rushing for 187 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries in a 41-31 loss to Patterson.
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This article originally appeared on The Record: VOTE: SJ County Martin Dentistry's Football Week 6 Athlete of the Week
