Every week brings answers. It also creates a whole new set of questions.
That’s the fun of a high school football season. There are reactions, overreactions and takeaways as San Joaquin County teams continue to show what they might become.
And then there are the numbers that make you look twice.
Some belong in a video game, the kind you might put up with Madden or EA Sports College Football set to easy mode. Others may not seem quite as unreal but still find a way to fill nearly every corner of the stat sheet.
Here are The Record’s biggest takeaways, reactions and top individual performances from Week 2.
Key Takeaways
Wait, is Tracy actually No. 1?
It’s never happened before. The closest Tracy came was in 2014, when it finished No. 46 in California according to
MaxPreps but still trailed No. 26 St. Mary’s. Twelve years later, the Bulldogs are 3-0, fresh off their first top-100 state win since 2014 and now ranked No. 63. St. Mary’s sits No. 66 and Manteca No. 69. Can it actually be? Maybe Tracy really is No. 1.
Escalon is turning “a year away” into reality
Two close losses had Escalon staring at a 0-2 start. Not exactly what coach Andrew Beam envisioned when he called the Cougars “a year away” before their 5-6 season in 2025. Then they knocked off then-top-100 Oakdale 21-14. A program with 12 section championships suddenly has some life again.
How long can McNair and River Islands keep this up?
Three weeks in, neither McNair nor River Islands has found the brakes. The Eagles have produced 468, 451 and 391 total yards while scoring 34, 62 and 47 points, capped by a 47-13 win over Ceres. River Islands has topped 40 points every week and just piled up 520 yards in a 46-20 win over Modesto Christian. The only question is the competition. Neither has faced a top-750 opponent, but both have already matched last year's three-win total.
East Union finds its passing attack
East Union scored 49 points against Modesto without completing a single pass. Impressive, sure, but “more of the same” after the greatest season in program history was going to require an aerial attack eventually. The Lancers threw for 2,422 yards and 33 touchdowns last season, after all. Enter sophomore Dante Tafoya. More on him below.
Ripon Christian lost nearly everyone. What changed? Nothing.
The players who made up most of “the best Ripon Christian football team ever” are gone. Apparently, the winning didn’t leave with them. Unbeaten Calaveras arrived with CIF SJS Division VII and CIF State Division 5-A titles to its name. Ripon Christian sent the defending champions home with a 28-14 loss. How do the Knights keep doing this?
Video Game Numbers
Nikko Juarez, Manteca — Go ahead and call Juarez the greatest of all time. At least when it comes to rushing yards at Manteca, nobody has more. The senior rushed 14 times for 129 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-7 win over Chavez, surpassing 4,000 career yards and 2023 graduate Blake Nichelson’s program record of 4,078.
Daryl Carpenter, River Island — What a difference a season makes. Carpenter quarterbacked a three-win River Islands team a year ago. Now the Riptide is 3-0 after the senior torched Modesto Christian for 423 yards and four touchdowns on 23-of-28 passing in a 46-20 win, pushing his season totals to 1,089 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Lincoln Ly, Linden — Wherever the ball went, Ly seemed to follow. The senior stuffed the defensive stat sheet with 16 tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss and an interception, while a blocked punt and blocked field goal resulted in two caused fumbles. He wasn’t finished, adding four catches for 62 yards at tight end in a 28-14 win over Golden Valley.
Darnell Holmes, Stagg — Coach Sopeter Mao’s first varsity win came with a heavy dose of Holmes. The senior running back piled up 169 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-7 win over Grace Davis and has now topped 150 rushing yards in each of his first three games.
Dante Tafoya, East Union — Talk about changing the script. One week after East Union didn’t complete a pass, Tafoya stepped in for his first varsity appearance at quarterback and threw for 220 yards and four touchdowns on 11-of-15 passing in a 36-6 win over Johansen.
Gunnar Fay, East Union — Big brother set quite the standard, but Gunnar Fay is beginning to make a name for himself. One game after East Union failed to complete a pass, the junior wide receiver exploded for nine catches, 170 yards and two touchdowns in a 36-6 win over Johansen.
Stat Sheet Stuffers
Not many people gave Escalon much of a chance against Oakdale. Dylan Ball gave them something to think about, rumbling for 162 yards and two touchdowns as the Cougars knocked off the then-top-100 Mustangs 21-14.
There’s the Kael Rangel Ripon remembers. After totaling minus-1 rushing yard through two games, the fullback erupted for 140 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries in a 49-10 win.
Ten carries were all Joseph Riggins needed. He turned them into his first 100-yard game, piling up 126 yards and two touchdowns in McNair’s 47-14 win over Ceres.
Pick a defensive category and Case Borges probably showed up in it. The senior had 16 tackles, one sack, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries and two forced turnovers in Tracy’s 56-0 win over Lathrop.
From emergency backup in a section championship to delivering in the biggest start of his career. Josiah Van Vliet went 10-of-15 for 181 yards and three touchdowns as Ripon knocked off state champion Calaveras 28-14.
This article originally appeared on The Record: San Joaquin County football Week 2 takeaways and top performances
