The Modesto Bee’s All-District Team – Offense

Note: Jim Silva and Julian A. Lopez factored in individual statistics, team success, level of competition, all-league honors, and submissions from readers in creating their All-District team.

QB: Bryce Gouker, Sr, Downey

Gouker’s nickname may as well be “Mr. Efficient” as he led the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section in passing yards (3,127), passing yards per game (284.3), completion percentage (72.9), and was second with 37 passing touchdowns. The Central California Athletic League’s Offensive Player of the Year, Gouker had at least three touchdowns in nine of 11 games.

RB: Kaden Christensen, Sr, Escalon

The Bee’s All-District Player of the Year, Christensen had nearly 2,900 total yards and 32 touchdowns as Escalon won a state title. He also was a three-year captain and played defensive back.

RB: Minaya Olivo, Sr, Central Catholic

A first-team Valley Oak League honoree, Olivo battled multiple injuries throughout the season but still ran for 1,136 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 9.1 yards per carry. The 6-foot running back is a three-star running back, according to 247Sports, and has offers from Sacramento State, UC Davis and UNLV.

RB: Zeke Saffar, Jr, Oakdale

Elusive and shifty, Saffar had 200 carries for 1,883 yards and 18 touchdowns as the Mustangs advanced to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV Final. Against Central Catholic on Nov. 1, Saffar ran for 199 rushing yards and two touchdowns as the Mustangs clinched a share of the VOL title. He was a second-team VOL honoree.

RB: Anthony Frias, Sr, Turlock

Playing against tough competition that included two state champions and one section champ, Frias ran for over 1,000 yards and averaged close to 100 rushing yards per game. He was a first-team CCAL honoree and ended his Turlock career with two touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 24-14 loss to Oak Ridge on Nov. 15. He’s also the school’s senior class president.

WR: Aiden Azevado, Sr, Hilmar

Another consistent player, Azevado had at least one receiving touchdown in every game but one and finished the year with 34 receptions for 678 yards. He was junior quarterback Seth Miguel’s favorite target and caught 14 of the 28 touchdowns Miguel threw. He had four games with two receiving touchdowns.

WR: Sithri Price, Sr, Central Catholic

While dealing with a nagging hamstring injury throughout the season, Price had 52 receptions for 925 yards and eight touchdowns and was a first-team VOL honoree. He had at least one receiving touchdown in six of his final seven games. Price was an All-District nominee as a defensive back last year.

WR: Lawrence Harris, Sr, Downey

Harris had one of the best individual performances of the season against Manteca in Week 2 when he had nine receptions for 264 yards and five touchdowns in the Knights’ 54-48 overtime win. He finished tied for fourth in the section with 16 receiving touchdowns and sixth with 1,050 receiving yards. He was named co-MVP in the CCAL.

OL: Damien Tom, Sr, Escalon

Tom was a three-year varsity starter for the Cougars and anchored an offensive line that had three 1,000-yard running backs. He made the All-District team last year and was the Trans-Valley League’s 2018 Lineman of the Year. He also had 81 tackles and 10.5 sacks.

OL: Caleb Delgado, Sr, Ripon

Delgado was the 2019 TVL’s Offensive Lineman of the Year and helped the Indians’ offense average over six yards per carry. He also had 53 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, and 7.5 sacks. Like Tom, he was a disrupter on both sides of the ball.

OL: Everett Johnson, Sr, Turlock

The best offensive lineman in the Stanislaus District and one of the best in the section, Johnson was named the CCAL’s Offensive Lineman of the Year. The 6-foot-7, 312-pound lineman was a nightmare for opposing defensive lines and did a great job of protecting senior quarterback Brock Paslay. Johnson, who made the All-District team last year, signed with Cal on Dec. 18.

OL: Ralph Cordaway, Sr, Gregori

At 6-feet-7 and 320 pounds, Cordaway was a first-team CCAL honoree and helped Jaguars senior running back Titus Rhiney rush for over 1,000 yards. He played tackle for the Jaguars and also nose guard on the defensive side. He played three years on varsity.

OL: Armando Palominos, Sr, Central Catholic

A first-team VOL honoree, Palominos was the best offensive lineman for the Raiders and their run-first offense. Central Catholic averaged over eight yards per carry and Palominos created plenty of open space for the Raiders’ talented running backs.

OL: Jacob Bojorquez, Jr, Johansen

The 2019 Western Athletic Conference’s Offensive Lineman of the Year, Bojorquez was instrumental in the Vikings’ offensive success. Johansen was 7-3 in 2019, its best record since 2008.

All-Purpose: Robert Rivera, Sr, Downey

The 5-foot-5, 135-pound Rivera was called pound-for-pound one of the strongest kids in the area by Downey coach Jeremy Plaa. Rivera was the CCAL’s Outstanding Back/Receiver of the Year and had 1,685 total yards and 24 touchdowns, including a seven-touchdown performance against Enochs on Oct. 11. He had at least one touchdown in every game but one.

Kicker: Nathan Valdez, Sr, Ripon

All Valdez did was make the game-winning 36-yard field goal to help the Indians capture their first state championship. Valdez, who made the All-District team last year, converted 61 PAT’s this year and made 7-of-8 field goal attempts. He also had 53 tackles and three sacks for the Ripon defense.

Utility: Dalton Durossette, Sr, Central Catholic

Durossette was the Raiders’ starting quarterback, played defense due to Central Catholic’s injury woes, and was the team’s punter. He was the VOL’s first-team quarterback and punter. He had 21 passing touchdowns, 36 tackles, and averaged nearly 37 yards per punt. He signed with Santa Clara to play baseball.

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2019 Modesto Bee All-District Team: Offense

Julian A. Lopez

The Modesto Bee

562-206-9393

Julian A. Lopez has been covering local sports for The Modesto Bee since August 2018. He graduated from Arizona State in 2016 with a BA in Journalism.