VOL Football Preview: Oakdale running backs return; Patterson brings in freshman QB
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Oakdale returns top rushers Burford, Lopez and Flores for 2025 title pursuit
- Burford leads backfield with 2,678 yards, 32 TDs and key defensive roles
- Lineman Broden Bush anchors offense after learning from 2024 title game loss
Oakdale’s Division III runner-up team is back and better, faster, stronger, more experienced and ready to get back to contention.
The start of the new season brings a host of rushing opportunities for senior backfield trio Wes Burford, Chase Lopez and Richard Flores. They combined for 4,397 rushing yards and 52 rushing touchdowns.
Very few rushers in the nation were as productive as Burford. The Air Force commit finished 19th in the nation in yards with 2,678 and added 32 touchdowns. Burford barely leaves the field and enjoys being able to affect the game in multiple ways. On defense, he plays linebacker and defensive back, he returns kicks and is the team’s punter. He even completed his only pass attempt of the season for a 20-yard gain.
Lopez rushed for 1,135 yards and nine touchdowns and Flores rushed for over 500 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Flores is an interesting story because he didn’t start playing running back until late in 2024. He had 100 yards against Woodcreek and over 200 yards and five touchdowns in the Division III semifinals against Destiny Christian.
A running back is nothing without his offensive line, and Broden Bush returns to lead the way. He is one of the 11 Mustang returners who played a role in last season’s loss to Vanden in the D-III title game and says he learned a lot about strength, scheme and technique, making him a better lineman entering his senior season.
Central Catholic motivated by last year’s playoff loss
When the Raiders took the field at 12 a.m. Monday for their annual midnight practice, they were greeted by a scoreboard that read “CC RAIDERS 42, TURLOCK 43.” All that a few people at the midnight practice could do was smile when asked if that was intentional. It was all the confirmation needed. The Raiders entered 2025 motivated by last season’s Sac-Joaquin Section Division I quarterfinals loss to Turlock on an overtime two-point conversion. The scoreboard stayed on for the entire two-hour practice. A constant reminder.
Last season’s Raiders team had new players stepping up in key places. Now, they are one year older, more experienced and have an offseason of lifting and film study under their belt.
Kayden McHenry is more confident in his second season as the varsity starter. Sacramento State commit Carter Meeks, after being a constant contributor on defense, is ready for his breakout season as a running back. Chase Perino, a Fresno State commit, had a breakout first varsity season at receiver/defensive back (35 catches, 639 yards, seven touchdowns and 46 tackles) and is hungry to produce again.
Lineman Kayden McDonald, running back/linebacker Isaish Faagata and receiver/defensive back Dylan Ridenour are other key returners expected to make an impact.
The Raiders will have their customary Holy Bowl game against St. Mary’s and will play Manteca in their second VOL contest on Sept. 26. Both games will be measuring sticks for where they stack up against some of the section’s top teams.
Patterson has a freshman QB, continues to find VOL footing
Patterson has 28 returners, but none of them are named Max Medina. The star quarterback who holds a number of Tigers passing records transferred to Central Catholic along with younger brother Cole. Both are also star baseball players and Max has already committed to Cal Poly. At the moment, neither are playing football for the Raiders, likely to focus on baseball.
So, just like three years ago when Max Medina first stepped onto the field at Patterson, head coach Rob Cozart named a freshman as the starting quarterback. Jacob Pierce will take the first snap of their season opener Friday against Merced in the first varsity game and first varsity start of his career. Cozart calls him a “fierce competitor who goes above and beyond to connect with his teammates.”
Joining him as a freshman on varsity is Giovonni Jefferson, a receiver/defensive back with the physical abilities to keep up with the big team.
Patterson is finding its footing in the competitive VOL and, with a top finish among DIVISION IV teams, could be primed for a run at a third straight section title game appearance. In 2023, the Tigers fell to Escalon in a close contest, and last season, they lost to Twelve Bridges.
Five key returners from last season’s team are hoping to bring the Tigers their first football section title. Daniel Mataele is the leader up front. The senior three-star Sacramento State commit will lead the offensive line and will be the center of the defensive line.
Royale Tago has football in his blood. His dad played defensive end at Cal, and after leading the Tigers in tackles as a sophomore and junior linebacker, Royale will make the switch to the defensive line.
Jace Johnson is a junior in his third varsity season and will play primarily at tight end at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, but will play some wide receiver and defensive end as well. He finished 2024 second on the team in catches (49) and receiving yards (568) and added four touchdowns. Hayden Droogsma returns as a defensive starter, and Jared Carrate is a senior kicker who made 45 of 53 extra points and went three-for-six on field goals, with a long of 41.
More VOL notes
Every team in the VOL has at least one Division I football recruit.
Last season’s league champion, Manteca, returns its top two skill players. Quinn Martinez was first in catches (27), receiving yards (425) and receiving touchdowns (6), and Nikko Juarez had 159 carries for 1,508 yards with 21 touchdowns, all team highs.
Manteca coach Mark Varnum says the season of the Buffaloes’ returning stars should be “exciting.”
Manteca tackles-for-loss leader Kyrin Barajas returns. He took down runners in the backfield 13 times last season.
East Union’s 3-star UC Davis commit Jackson Fay is back for his senior season after recording 868 yards and nine touchdowns on 48 catches.
Sierra’s returning leading receiver is 6-foot-6 AJ Chapman. He caught 28 passes for 403 yards and 7 touchdowns and has offers from Eastern Washington and Utah Tech. Chapman also had 39 tackles and five interceptions last season.
Mountain House’s quarterback, Erin Foster, passed for 994 yards and rushed for 437 yards and five touchdowns on 118 carries as a junior last season. He returns for the Mustangs.
Mountain House running back Jacoby Johnson is back for his sophomore season. He rushed for a team high 508 yards on a team-high 123 carries and had three rushing touchdowns.
NEW: MODESTO BEE ANONYMOUS COACHES POLL
The Bee introduces its anonymous preseason high school football coach’s poll for the 2025 season. In leagues with four or more schools in The Bee’s coverage area, coaches were asked to vote on how they think the league standings will play out. They listed their order and we tallied the results from six of the seven coaches. Because it is a seven-school league, if a VOL coach voted a team to finish in first place, that school received seven points, second place received six and so on with the last team on each coach’s list receiving one point. We listed the total points based on how each coach voted and here’s how it came out:
1. Manteca (37 points)
2. Central Catholic (35)
3. Oakdale (33)
4. Patterson (27)
5. East Union (17)
6. Sierra (13)
7. Mountain House (6)
This story was originally published August 21, 2025 at 8:42 AM.
