Turlock’s Johnson earns football honor; Modesto Christian boys open league play

Turlock High’s Everett Johnson was named Lineman of the Year by the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

Thirteen Stanislaus District football players were among those named to the first team or honorable mention by a committee of high school coaches representing the north and south regions — as well as small, medium and large schools — that make up the Sac-Joaquin Section.

Last month, Johnson signed a national letter of intent to play for the University of California.

The 6-foot-7, 312-pound Johnson will graduate Turlock and enroll at Cal on Jan. 16.

“It’s close to home and my friends and family can come watch me play,” Johnson told The Bee’s Julian A. Lopez last month. “Turlock means the world to me.”

Johnson’s teammate, Jacob Mashihi, who had 4.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss, was named to the first team.

Named honorable mention were: Nico Illardi, QB, Ripon; Bryce Gouker, QB, Downey; Chris Delgado, OL, Ripon; Lawrence Harris, WR, Downey; Sithri Price, WR, Central Catholic; Kaden Christensen, RB, Escalon; Sean McGovern, RB, Ripon Christian; David Camacho, DL, Escalon; Jayden Jackson, LB, Turlock; Darian White, DB, Turlock; Adrian Melesio, K, Patterson.

Prep boys basketball: Modesto Christian’s Holiday Hoops Classic, won by Campolindo, marked the near-end of the tournament season and the start or continuation of the league season.

Modesto Christian, which fell to Campolindo 60-52 in the tournament championship game on Monday, opens Tri-City Athletic League play Friday night when it travels to Stockton to face Lincoln.

The Crusaders (6-5), despite 20 points from Alek Merkviladze and 14 from Michael Pearson, fell short against a Cougars team (9-3) that received 30 points from Aiden Mahoney, who connected on 7 of 8 free throws in the fourth quarter.

In another game Friday, Beyer and Enochs will clash for supremacy of Sylvan Avenue when the two teams meet at Enochs. Tip off is 7 p.m.

Beyer lost to Ripon, 65-54, in the 15th-place game of the MC tournament. Sonora beat Turlock, 63-54, in the 13th-place game and Gregori fell to Bullard, 87-85, in the consolation championship.

The Central California Athletic League gets started in about two weeks. The Western Athletic Conference got under way last month.

This story was originally published January 2, 2020 at 11:49 AM.