High School Football Rankings: Stanislaus District’s Preseason Top 10
Friday night lights returns this week with Week 1 kicking off Aug. 19. The same team that ended 2021 at No. 1 leads the 2022 preseason rankings: Central Catholic, which won Sac-Joaquin Section and Northern California Regional championships last season, enters the season as the Stanislaus District’s top team.
The common theme in this year’s preseason Top 10 is returners. Juniors and seniors who were heavy contributors on last year’s teams are back for another year to defend league, section and regional titles against a number of teams hungry to climb the ranks to become one of the top teams in the area.
Here are the Stanislaus District’s Top 10 teams heading into the first week of the season.
Stanislaus District Preseason Top 10
1. Central Catholic
Key returners: Tyler Wentworth, Jaelen Nichols, Mario Savala III, Brooklyn Cheek
Key games: 9/23 at St. John Bosco, 10/14 vs No. 3 Oakdale, 10/21 at Manteca
2. Downey
Key returners: Conner Stoddard, Richard Williams, Gavin Garcia, Kimoni Ragland
Key games: 8/19 at Lincoln-Stockton, 10/7 at No. 5 Turlock
3. Oakdale
Key returners: Mickey Merzon, Jace Rau, Brian Delte
Key games: 9/9 vs Balboa, 10/14 at No. 1 Central Catholic
4. Escalon
Key returners: Donovan Rozevink, Owen Nash, Ryker Peters
Key games: 8/19 at Damonte Ranch, 9/30 at No. 6 Hilmar
5. Turlock
Key returners: JT Foreman, Cole Gilbert, Cole Hendrix, Peter Mello
Key games: 8/26 at Clovis West, 9/9 vs Manteca, 10/7 vs No. 2 Downey
6. Hilmar
Key returners: Hudson Azevedo, Derek Taylor, Luis Vargas
Key games: 8/19 vs No. 7 Patterson, 9/2 at Sonora, 9/30 vs No. 4 Escalon
7. Patterson
Key returners: Sean Hansen Jr., Lolo Mataele, Jonathan Delgadillo
Key games: 8/19 vs No. 6 Hilmar, 8/26 vs Manteca, 9/23 at Merced
8. Ripon Christian
Key returners: Trey Fasani, Grant Sonke, Griffin de Abreu
Key games: 8/19 vs Central Valley Christian, 10/7 vs Le Grand
9. Ceres
Key returners: Landyn Hudson, Tarrell Lee-Gill, Lebron Stallworth
Key games: 9/2 vs Central Valley, 10/14 vs Los Banos
10. Davis
Key returners: Adrian Gallegos, Jackson Brooks, Cobi Twist
Key games: 9/16 vs Mountain House, 9/23 vs Los Banos
