VOTE: SJ County Martin Dentistry's Football Week 7 Athlete of the Week

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 11 nominees from Stockton, Escalon and Manteca after their Week 7 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. 22. There are no voting restrictions, so vote now and vote often.

Here are the Week 7 nominees (athletes listed in alphabetical order by last name):

Jackson Batch, wide receiver, Chavez

Chavez’s Jackson Batch celebrates after scoring a touchdown during a varsity football game at Chavez High Stadium in Stockton on October. 2, 2026. Chavez defeated Tokay 49-14.

The record

books already belong to Chavez's star receiver, but he's far from finished. A week after breaking two school receiving records, three-star Oregon State commit Jackson Batch caught five passes for 151 yards and three touchdowns in a 69-0 rout of Franklin. The senior now has 2,084 receiving yards and 34 total touchdowns in 25 games.

Dylan Ball, running back/safety, Escalon

Escalon’s Dylan Ball runs the ball during a varsity football game at Engel Field in Escalon on Sept. 25, 2026. Escalon won 38-7.

Every "R" on Escalon's campus became a target for tape leading up to the Ripon rivalry game. Junior Dylan Ball made sure the Cougars backed it up, rushing 23 times for 157 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-24 victory. It was his seventh consecutive 100-yard game, bringing him to 1,139 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.

David Gray, wide receiver, Lincoln

Lincoln’s David Gray exploits a gap in the line during a varsity football game at Edison’s Magnasco Stadium in Stockton.

A 200-yard receiving game had always eluded David Gray, but the Lincoln wide receiver picked the right time for his first. Despite a 51-48 loss to Edison, the Cal Poly commit caught 12 passes for a career-high 211 yards and three touchdowns. It was just his second 100-yard game this season after entering with 351 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Travis Gresham, wide receiver/defensive back, Edison

Edison’s Travis Gresham, left, reaches for a pass while being guarded by Lincoln’s Kesean McCullough during a varsity football game at Edison’s Magnasco Stadium in Stockton on Oct. 16, 2026.

Without a 55-yard kickoff return, Edison's 51-48 victory over Lincoln might have ended differently. Travis Gresham delivered when it mattered most, setting up the game-winning field goal. But that wasn't all, as the senior finished with more than 200 all-purpose yards and two interceptions, bringing his season total to seven.

Taevion Gibson, wide receiver, McNair

West’s Francisco Hernandez, left, fights for a pass intended for McNair’s Taevion Gibson during a varsity football game at McNair High in Stockton on Sept. 26, 2025. The pass was incomplete. McNair won 40-21.

What took an entire season to accomplish last year now takes Taevion Gibson just one big game to approach. After recording 302 receiving yards last season and 202 in Week 0, the McNair junior hauled in seven passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns in a 52-12 win over Merrill West. He's now up to 821 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

Jayden Harris, wide receiver/safety, Manteca

Washington State recruited him for what he can do at safety, but Sierra got a firsthand look at everything else Jayden Harris brings to the field. The three-star recruit scored three different ways in Manteca's 65-14 victory, returning a punt 78 yards and adding touchdowns on a 10-yard catch and 14-yard run.

Darnell Holmes, running back, Stagg

Stagg’s Darnell Holmes runs the ball during a varsity football game at Tokay’s Hubbard Field in Lodi on Sept. 18, 2026. Stagg won 22-20.

Darnell Holmes keeps piling up rushing yards, and Weston Ranch was the latest team unable to slow him down. The Stagg senior ran for 150 yards and five touchdowns in a 48-0 win. Holmes has now rushed for 1,033 yards with 17 total touchdowns in seven games, surpassing 149 rushing yards in six of them.

Nikko Juarez, running back, Manteca

Manteca’s Nikko Juarez, left, evades St. Marys’ Micah Mandracken during the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. II football semifinal game at Manteca’s Guss Schmiedt Field in Manteca on Sept. 19. 2025. St. Mary’s won 19-14.

There wasn't much time for Manteca's star running back to put on a show, but he didn't need it. Nikko Juarez turned just three carries into 134 yards and three touchdowns in a 65-14 win over crosstown rival Sierra. Already the school's all-time leading rusher, Juarez has pushed his career totals to 4,577 rushing yards and 69 touchdowns.

Julian Perez, quarterback, Lincoln

Lincoln quarterback Julian Perez scrambles under pressure from Edison’s Terrion Rollins, center and Alijah Gonzales during a varsity football game at Edison’s Magnasco Stadium in Stockton on Oct. 16, 2026.

Lincoln needed a career night from its quarterback to keep pace with Edison, and it got one. Senior Julian Perez completed 34 of 50 passes for 590 yards with six total touchdowns and two interceptions in a 51-48 loss. He entered with 6,271 passing yards and 67 total touchdowns in 27 games, but had never reached 400 yards.

Shawn San, quarterback, McNair

Every time McNair dropped back to pass, a big play seemed to follow. Junior quarterback Shawn San completed 12 of 18 passes for 405 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 33.8 yards per completion in a 52-12 win over Merrill West. Through seven games, he has 2,085 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and just one interception.

Ian Trejo, wide receiver/defensive back, Escalon

Escalon’s Ian Trejo goes up for a pass against Ripon’s Ben Medhurst during a varsity football game at Engel Field in Escalon on Sept. 25, 2026. Escalon won 38-7.

Why stop at 100 receiving yards when 200 is within reach? Escalon junior Ian Trejo entered the rivalry showdown against Ripon without a career 100-yard game, then erupted for 211 yards and two touchdowns on nine catches in a 45-24 win. After finishing last season with 213 yards and one touchdown, he now has 422 yards and four scores this year.

Elijah Walker, quarterback, Chavez

Chavez’s quarterback Elijah Walker celebrates after a victory again Escalon at Engel Field in Escalon on Sept. 4, 2026. Chavez won 27-22.

Three incompletions. That's all that separated Chavez's quarterback from a perfect passing night. Junior Elijah Walker went 17 of 20 for 396 yards and five total touchdowns in a 69-0 rout of Franklin. A week after breaking the school's career passing yards and passing touchdowns records, he has 6,576 passing yards and 89 total touchdowns in 29 games.