The Star's midseason ranking of Ventura County's top 100 football players

Five nonleague games are in the books and league openers have just finished for all 25 local high school football teams.

The high school football regular season has reached its midpoint.

Eight weeks after ranking the top 65 players in the area

entering the season, The Star's Joe Curley and Dominic Massimino used the first half of the regular season to expand their preseason list to the top 100 local high school football players.

Preseason top 65 ranking in parenthesis. Statistics are through the first five games.

More: VOTE for the @vcspreps football Player of the Week for Week 6

1. (1) Isaiah Phelps, Pacifica: The San Diego State commit entered league play as the county co-leader in tackles with 67. He had 21 tackles, including 10 solos, in the loss

to powerhouse Sierra Canyon.

2. (2) Taylor Lee, Pacifica: The Portland State commit has moved into the top 25 all-time in Ventura County passing with 6,551 yards. He's top five with 84 TD passes. The senior just set the school record with completions in a game with 30 against Sierra Canyon. 

3. (5) Caleb Pasina, St. Bonaventure: The 6-foot-4, 290-pound junior may be the most powerful force on either side of the line. The only question is how many snaps do the Seraphs ask him to play on a Friday night?  

4. (3) Alifeleti Tuihalamaka, Oaks Christian: The 6-foot-4-260-pound defensive lineman, who is committed to USC, is leading the area with 13 tackles for a loss.  

5. (4) Charles Davis, Westlake: The 6-foot-5, 210-pound receiver, who recently reopened his recruiting after previously being committed to UC Berkeley, has 27 catches for 372 yards and eight TDs through five games.  

6. (7) Tony Dargan, St. Bonaventure: The TD experience was in full affect against Chaminade on Sept. 18, when the electric sophomore scored on a run, a reception and a return. He added a TD pass in the Oct. 2 win over Simi Valley.

7. (13) Tristan Savage, Ventura: The Cougars’ 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior is second in the Southern Section with 17 TDs through six games. He scored five times in a win over Calabasas on Sept. 25. 

8. (10) Darrien Johnson, Newbury Park: The 5-foot-10 junior makes an elite impact in all three phases. He’s caught four TD passes, run for two TDs, intercepted a pass against Arroyo Grande and has already blocked four kicks.

9. (32) Sal Villa, Simi Valley: The 5-foot-10, 175-pound junior was leading the area in both rushing yards (884) and TDs (13) before sitting out the league opener against St. Bonaventure with an injury.

10. (9) Alijah Royster, Pacifica: There isn’t a game too big for Royster, who has five TDs in CIF-State championship bowls. That's continued as a senior. He had three TDs against San Diego-Lincoln and nine catches against Sierra Canyon.  

11. (11) Micah Hannah, Simi Valley: The 6-foot-2 junior cornerback hasn’t picked off a pass yet — but that is because teams have learned not to throw in his direction. That has meant more offensive production, catching eight TD passes through six games.

12. (NR) Dawson Armstrong, Moorpark: The senior quarterback has amassed 18 TD passes, just two picks and 1,509 passing yards for the 4-2 Musketeers.

13. (NR) Brad Barlow, Camarillo: The 6-foot-2, 170-pound dual threat quarterback has been a revelation for the Scorpions. He's now leading the county with 1,703 yards with 15 TDs and three interceptions, while running for 403 yards and six TDs. 

14. (NR) Philip “PeeWee” Wilson, Pacifica: The 6-foot-1, 215-pound linebacker is vying to play in a CIF-State championship bowl in all four seasons of his high school career. The senior has piled up 67 total tackles, 7.0 TFL and 4.0 sacks. 

15. (44) Antonio Spann, St. Bonaventure: The 5-foot-10 receiver can change a game with his pure speed. The senior, who has offers from UNLV, Western Michigan and Sacramento State, had 147 yards and four TDs receiving in a win over Trabuco Hills.  

16. (17) George Hastings, Agoura: The 5-foot-11 senior keeps doing it all for the Chargers. At running back, receiver or linebacker, he’s there. He’s piled up 593 rushing yards, 275 receiving yards and 10 total TDs.  

17. (8) Kingston Celifie, Calabasas: The 6-foot UCLA commit has elite speed and the Coyotes have relied on it during their 5-1 start. The senior has caught 41 passes for 514 yards with two TDs. He also returned a punt for a score. 

18. (28) Simon Mekari, Newbury Park: The 6-foot-1, 195-pound outside linebacker, the cousin of NFL lineman Patrick Mekari, can remove the “budding” modifier from his star title. The junior has 48 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 6.5 TFL and two interceptions.

19. (37) Landon Stuart, Newbury Park: The versatile 6-foot, 260-pound defensive lineman, the son of former Westlake High legend Michael Stuart, is second in the county with 6.0 sacks. 

20. (19) Davis Benson, Moorpark: It took just two games for the multi-sport star to amass 304 receiving yards and five TDs before a nagging hamstring injury sidelined him. The senior should be in for a huge Channel League season.  

21. (NR) Erik Green, Westlake: The senior has caught 21 balls for 260 yards and six TDs. Did we mention the two-way star also has a pair of interceptions? 

22. (NR) David Dias, Moorpark: The senior has been the county's most disruptive interior defensive lineman, tallying 5.5 sacks, six hurries and 7.0 TFL. He had 3.0 TFL and 2.5 sacks in a dominant outing against Camarillo. 

23. (14) Dominik Hardy, Calabasas: The 6-foot-2 quarterback has played like a senior this fall, throwing for 1,527 yards and 10 TDs. He's also reached the end zone with his legs in five of the Coyotes’ six games this fall, including the OT winner against Oak Park on Oct. 2.

24. (25) Will Jones Jr., Pacifica: The 6-foot-2, 175-pound multi-sport star stood out against elite competition with a 10-catch, 105-yard, one-TD performance at Sierra Canyon.  

25. (6) Demare Dezeurn, Westlake: The Palisades High transfer has given the Warriors a lightning-fast downfield weapon. The junior UC Berkeley commit has caught 16 passes for 270 yards and four TDs.  

26. (15) Jaxson Carper, St. Bonaventure: The 6-foot-3, 160-pound quarterback is showing poise and toughness as a junior, throwing for 1,183 yards, 12 TDs and only one interception so far.  

27. (12) Malaika Sione, Pacifica: The 6-foot, 245-pound junior can impact the game from defensive end or linebacker. His red-zone fumble recovery was a pivotal play in the win over Oaks Christian on Oct. 2.

28. (57) Kelechi Ofoego, Hueneme: The 5-foot-10, 195-pound running back has found another level as a senior, rushing for 836 yards — second in the county — and nine TDs through six games.

29. (47) Charlie Martinez, Grace: The next Landon Cooper? More like the first Charlie Martinez. The 6-foot receiver exploded onto the scene to start his senior campaign, catching 35 passes for a county-leading 761 yards and nine TDs.

30. (41) Anthony Loreto, Pacifica: The 6-foot, 280-pound guard anchors the Tritons up front.  

31. (18) Anthony Jacobs Jr., Pacifica: The 5-foot-10 speedster was leading the area in yards per catch until recently. The senior has 20 catches for 415 yards and five TDs.

32. (27). Miguel Ledezma, Simi Valley: The 6-foot-3, 310-pound guard’s work up front has made the Pioneers one of the best rushing offenses in Ventura County. 

33. (22) Ford Green, Westlake: The 6-foot-2 sophomore completed 45 of 75 passes for 646 yards and nine TDs when he was sidelined by an injury in Week 3.

34. (24) Finn Ward, Agoura: The pass protection that the 6-foot-3, 285-pound tackle and reigning Tri-County League Lineman of the Year has provided for his new starting QB has helped the Chargers to a 5-1 start. 

35. (34) Jason Homan, St. Bonaventure: Underrated no more. The 5-foot-9 tackling machine has been in on 44 total tackles for the Seraphs defense, had a pick against St. Pius X-St. Matthias and a huge fourth-down stop at Chaminade.  

36. (16) Bryson Kennedy, Oak Park: The 6-foot-3 sophomore quarterback with offers from Arkansas, Auburn and Missouri has changed the tone of the Eagles offense. He has completed 41 of 75 pass attempts for 642 yards and six TDs, rushing for another four TDs.  

37. (31). Gary Ferguson, Oak Park: The 6-foot-3 transfer wideout announced his arrival in Ventura County in Week 1 by erupting for three receiving TDs and a pick-6 against Fillmore. The Sacramento State commit has caught 28 passes for 457 yards and four TDs. 

38. (30) Will Gelt, Agoura: The 6-foot-3, 240-pound pressure machine picked took the county lead for sacks (7.5) with a two-sack night against Buena on Oct. 2. The senior had 5.0 TFL and 2.0 sacks in the win over Heritage Christian on Sept. 18.

39. (42) Michael Dennie, Nordhoff: The senior was the first local quarterback to reach 20 TD passes. The 6-foot quarterback broke his own school record for TD passes in a single game with seven in a win over Taft. 

40. (29) Riley Williams, Grace: The 6-foot-1, 180-pound senior quarterback’s second year playing the position for the Lancers has been just as productive as the first. He has thrown for 1,492 yards and 18 TDs through six games.

41. (NR) Alder Kubic, Oxnard: The Channel League pole vault champion has developed into quite a linebacker. The senior is leading the state in solo tackles with 74 and is Ventura County’s leading tackler with 96. 

42. (NR) Blake Davidson, Moorpark: One of the breakout stars in the Musketeers’ new-look offense, the junior deep threat has caught 22 passes for 461 yards and seven receiving TDs. His 98-yard catch and run spurred the Musketeers’ comeback win over Camarillo.  

43. (26) Gabriel Goroyan, Westlake: Arguably the most valuable weapon in the area on special teams, the Stanford commit can kick a field goal from NFL range. A walking touchback, all but one of the senior’s 25 kickoffs has reached the end zone. 

44. (23) James Watson, Ventura: The junior had run for 123 yards and a TD on just seven carries in the Cougars’ season opener against Oxnard before suffering a broken ankle. Look out for late-season fireworks when the star running back returns.  

45. (49) Drew Estrada, Fillmore: Four of the senior speedster’s team-high nine TDs have come on special teams, including two punt return scores and two kickoff return scores.  

46. (20) Apisai Fifita, Oaks Christian: The 6-foot-6, 235-pound tackle, who transferred from Mountain View-St. Francis, made a big impact on both sides of the ball in his debut against Pacifica.

47. (21) Zayne Reed, Agoura: The 6-foot-6, 255-pound defensive end, who holds offers from Washington and Colorado, is still awaiting his debut for the Chargers after transferring from Oaks Christian this offseason. 

48. (39) Tadd Mitchell, Pacifica: The 6-foot-2 senior cover corner committed to Montana offered a big boost to the Tritons secondary when he made his debut Oct. 2 against Oaks Christian.  

49. (NR) Landon Samon, Simi Valley: The 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker has 54 tackles, 7.0 tackles for a loss and a forced fumble as a sophomore.  

50. (NR) Wyatt Barlow, St. Bonaventure: The sophomore is already an impact player. As a freshman, he caught a TD pass in the playoffs at Oaks Christian. As a sophomore, he’s blocked a punt and a kick against St. Pius and intercepted a pass against Chaminade.  

51. (NR) Brody Tweedy, Moorpark: The junior answered the biggest offseason question the Musketeers had this offseason: who will carry the football? The 5-foot-9, 210-pound back has run for 630 yards and six TDs in six games. 

52. (36) Gael Flores, Santa Paula: The 5-foot-10, 200-pound senior is third in the county with 68 tackles, while piling up 9.0 TFL and 5.5 sacks. He’s also blocked two field goals and a punt, and ran for three TDs during a backfield cameo against Royal on Oct. 2.

53. (NR) Cruz Howe, Camarillo: The Scorpions may be undefeated had the 6-foot-1 junior not suffered an injury against Moorpark. The safety’s late goal-line interception was the decisive moment in the win at Santa Barbara. 

54. (NR) Korbin Thomas, Calabasas: A transfer from Newbury Park, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior wideout had caught 22 passes for a team-high 498 yards and five TDs before suffering an injury In Week 5.

55. (43) Dylan Bruns, Westlake: The 6-foot-5, 240-pound edge rusher leads the Warriors with 4.0 sacks and 8.0 TFL. 

56. (NR) Anderson Mercer, Agoura: The junior slot has found the end zone in five of his six games, catching 26 passes for 453 yards and eight TDs.

57. (NR) Jack Shepp, Newbury Park: Thrust into emergency offensive line duties as a freshman, the 6-foot-4 junior has developed into a key member of the Panthers’ dangerous front seven with 4.5 sacks and 8.0 TFL.  

58. (NR) Isaiah Ramos, Santa Paula: An offseason shift to a more aerial attack has boosted the two-way weapon. He has turned 27 catches into 464 yards and three TDs through six games while also snagging a pair of interceptions. 

59. (45) Cooper Moir, Oaks Christian: The 6-foot-5, 325-pound right tackle and team captain anchors the Lions up front. 

60. (52) Isaiah Giesea, Nordhoff: The 6-foot-1 junior has blossomed into a star for the Rangers. He's caught 23 passes for 427 yards and seven TDs.

61. (NR) Patrick Lynch, Camarillo: The 6-foot-1 defensive end has 5.5 sacks, 9.0 TFL and nine QB hurries.  

62. (NR) Kris Carranza, Agoura: The Sierra Canyon transfer has completed 77 of 119 pass attempts for 19 TDs and four interceptions to help lead the Chargers to a 5-1 start. 

63. (NR) Ke’andre Lee, St. Bonaventure: The 6-foot, 200-pound running back has combined with Amani Walker to bring a combination of size and speed to the Seraphs' running game.

64. (33) Denver Smith, Simi Valley: The 6-foot, 205-pound linebacker has a team-high 61 tackles, 7.0 TFL, an interception and a blocked kick through five games.  

65. (40) Saul Fraga, Fillmore: The two-way playmaker has shouldered more of an offensive load as a senior for the Flashes, catching a team-high 30 passes for 493 yards and seven TDs.  

66. (NR): Aiden Tasci, Newbury Park: Despite playing with a broken non-throwing hand, the senior has completed 71.4% of his passes, the best percentage among any local QB with at least 50 attempts. 

67. (46) August Gibbs, Westlake: The 6-foot-2 middle linebacker has 48 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, a game-clinching interception in the season-opening win over Newbury Park on Aug. 21, and a game-turning interception return for a TD in the win over Rio Mesa on Oct. 2.

68. (NR) Isaiah Flores, Del Sol: This workhorse back leads the area in carries and is making the most of them. He has rushed for 705 yards and seven TDs on 146 carries.

69. (38) Tristan Dottin, Westlake: The 6-foot senior cover corner has an interception and a forced fumble through six games.  

70. (55) Donald Penn III, Calabasas: The 6-foot-3, 270-pound tackle, the son of the former NFL lineman, anchors the Coyotes offensive line.  

71. (NR) Tyler Stromsoe, Newbury Park: The Panthers back has been a drive-finishing force, punching into the end zone eight times on his 96 carries for 390 yards. That’s the second-most rushing TDs in the county. 

72. (NR) Cassius Calderon, St. Bonaventure: The versatile 6-foot-1, 225-pound starting center has been filling in at right guard until the offensive line is at full strength. 

73. (NR) Neo Lewis, Rio Mesa: The 5-foot-10 junior is the area co-leader in interceptions (3), including a pair off red-hot Brad Barlow in the Black and Blue rivalry game. He’s also caught 17 passes for 276 yards and three TDs. 

74. (54) Landen Murray, Royal: The 6-foot-1 senior has scored seven times — six times on the ground and once through the air — in less than nine quarters of action since returning from injury.  

75. (NR) Jacob Garcia, Camarillo: The 6-foot-1 sophomore has been QB Barlow’s top target, catching 32 balls for 486 yards amid the Scorpions’ hot start. 

76. (48) Nevada Ford, Oak Park: The speedy 5-foot-8 running back has rushed for 372 yards and two TDs for the new-look Eagles offense. 

77. (56) Brandon Lane, Fillmore: The 6-foot-4, 245-pound left tackle is a beast in the trenches for an offense averaging 437 yards and 37.2 points per game.

78. (NR) Jordan Estrada, Rio Mesa: Battling in the trenches for the Spartans, the 6-foot-1, 245-pound defensive tackle has been key to his team limiting the inside run. The senior has 27 total tackles, 2.0 sacks, 2.0 TFL and nine hurries.  

79. (NR) Isaac Villanueva, Santa Clara: The senior running back was sixth in the area in rushing through five games, amassing 452 rushing yards and seven TDs in the Saints' surprising 4-1 nonleague run. 

80. (NR) Jaxson Berg, Grace: The 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior edge has lived in the opposing backfield for the Lancers, logging 4.0 sacks, 7.5 TFL and 32 tackles.

81. (NR) Connor Petrov, Simi Valley: After an efficient nonleague campaign, which including 10 TD passes without an interception, the junior QB led it fly for 379 yards and four TDs in the wild comeback attempt at St. Bonaventure on Oct. 2.

82. (NR) Brody Dvortcsak, Nordhoff: The 5-foot-8 senior leads the county with 10.0 tackles for a loss through six games. He’s also run for seven TDs, caught a TD pass and has 3.0 sacks. 

83. (NR) Skylar Batchelor, Royal: Part of a 1-2 punch on the edge for the Highlanders with fellow sophomore Logan Rafiq, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound edge has a team-high 39 tackles, 7.0 TFL and 3.0 sacks. 

84. (NR) Connor Paquette, Ventura: Undersized but physical, the junior is excelling after moving to inside linebacker for the Cougars this fall. He had four TFL in the Cougars' 26-24 victory over Lakewood in Week 2. 

85. (NR) Ryder Blakney, Thousand Oaks: The 6-foot-1, 200-pound sophomore left tackle has lent some consistency to a brand-new Lancers offense. 

86. (NR) Gavin Scarlett, Ventura: The first-year starter is completed 68% of his passes, while throwing 1,456 yards, 16 TDs and just three picks.

87. (NR) Hayden Kennington, Oaks Christian: The 5-foot-10 senior linebacker leads the Lions with 60 tackles and he’s also recovered a fumble.  

88. (NR) Brody Samon, Simi Valley:  The 6-foot, 220-pound senior middle linebacker has 48 tackles, 8.0 TFL and a fumble recovery.

89. (NR) Jonathan Verduzco, Nordhoff: The 6-foot-1 defensive back has two interceptions. He’s also caught 14 passes for 311 yards and four TDs. 

90. (NR) Miguel Mijares, Ventura: The 6-foot, 260-pound guard has stepped into a key role after the Cougars graduated most of a stellar offensive line. He has served 22 pancake blocks this season. 

91. (NR) Nicholas Shannon, Oxnard: Both of the Oxnard's wins this season were made possible by the senior’s playmaking. The star receiver has 45 carries for 135 yards and five TDs and has caught 29 passes for 336 yards and a TD.

92. (NR) Casey Rowland, Buena: The 6-foot-2, 183-pound senior defensive end has had two pass deflections at the line of scrimmage that caused interceptions for the Bulldogs. 

93. (NR) Preston Murray, Royal: At the heart of the Wing-T offense is the 6-foot-2 quarterback, who makes the machine run smooth with his ballhandling and decision-making. He threw eight TD passes before throwing his first interception on Oct. 2 against Santa Paula. 

94. (NR) Charlie Ward, Newbury Park: The 6-foot-1 senior outside linebacker is contributing to the Panthers’ productive front seven with 34 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.  

95. (NR) Chris Cazares, Del Sol: Opposing teams are throwing away from the senior cornerback, who has already pulled down a pair of interceptions for the Jaguars. 

96. Aaron Salazar, Oxnard: The junior running back has already topped his scoring total from last season, logging 407 yards and six TDs rushing.

97. (NR) Todd Lindemer, Moorpark: The 6-foot-3, 270-pound starting left tackle has been key to the team’s offensive success this fall. 

98. (NR) Tony Castro, Hueneme: The 5-foot-8, 150-pound senior safety is the Vikings’ second-leading tackler with 46, despite playing in just four games. He's also blocked a field goal.

99. (NR) Zaul Pacheco, Channel Islands: The senior is a workhorse for the Raiders on both sides of the ball, leading the team in rushing yardage (310), carries (57) and tackles (23). 

100. (NR) Matthew Zavala, Fillmore: The senior defensive lineman has 3.0 sacks and 4.0 TFL, while three of his seven receptions on offense have gone for TDs.  

Joe Curley covers football The Star. He can be reached at [e-mail]. For more coverage, follow @vcspreps on Twitter/X, Instagram/Threads, Facebook and Bluesky.

Dominic Massimino is a staff writer for The Star. He can be reached at [e-mail]. For more coverage, follow @vcsdominic on Twitter and Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: The Star's midseason ranking of Ventura County's top 100 football players