The Modesto Bee’s 2025 All-District Football Team — Defense
How the teams were selected: The Bee’s All-District teams were picked through observation and coach nominations with an emphasis on team playoff success. Players not on these lists were not nominated.
Defensive Player of the Year: Antwain Harper, Senior, Downey
Harper’s senior season was the best of his career. The Downey defensive back and 2025 CCAL co-Outstanding Defensive Back/Linebacker started on varsity as a sophomore and continued to improve for three seasons. This season, he recorded career highs in solo tackles (79), tackles per game (9.1) and total tackles and tied a career high in tackles for loss.
He didn’t record an interception, but he also wasn’t challenged much. He did find other ways to be impactful on the defensive end, finishing with a team-high 100 tackles and adding a pair of tackles for loss. He had five passes defensed and recovered a pair of fumbles. And he had an impact on special teams, blocking a pair of field goals.
Harper finished with more than 10 tackles four times this season and recorded 17 tackles against Elk Grove and 16 against Merced in back-to-back outings. Despite a loss in the Division I quarterfinals against eventual state champion Folsom, he recorded 11 tackles. He also found the end zone once this season, returning a fumble 45 yards for a score against Gregori.
He was one of the main reasons why Downey’s defense was so dominant during CCAL play. The Knights allowed an average of just 11 points in league play and did not allow more than 26 points to a league opponent. They shut out Pitman and gave up just eight and seven points to Gregori and Enochs, respectively.
2025 All-District Defense
DL — Zane Gerbo, Senior, Davis
Gerbo bounced back from an injury during his junior year to have his best season in 2025. He was named to the WAC First Team Defense as a defensive lineman after tallying 43 tackles, nine tackles for loss, four sacks, one interception, four fumble recoveries and one forced fumble in nine games. He also accepted an invitation to join the Fresno State football team as a preferred walk-on during the football early signing period.
DL — John Hinchey, Senior, Downey
Hinchey earned All-CCAL First Team Defense honors as a defensive lineman, helping lead the Knights to a league title. His 4.5 sacks were a team high and he added 40 total tackles with six tackles for loss. In his three-year varsity career, Hinchey tallied 97 total tackles and 19 tackles for loss.
DL — Nathan Mockey, Sophomore, Downey
Being an underclassman didn’t matter to Mockey, he made an immediate impact for the CCAL champion Knights, whose defense was one of the best in the Stanislaus District. He was named the league’s Outstanding Defensive Lineman and tallied 31 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. The Knights will welcome him back next season as they chase back-to-back league titles.
DL — Tip Paini, Senior, Ripon
The defensive leader of a team at Ripon that made the playoffs out of the competitive TVL, Paini entered his third full varsity season at Ripon with expectations. After being named the TVL Outstanding Defensive Lineman, it is safe to say he lived up to expectations on that side of the ball. But he did more than that. Serving on the offensive line l, he also blocked for the Indians’ run-heavy offense and was named to the All-TVL team as an offensive lineman as well.
DL — Valente Soria, Senior, Hughson
Soria always found himself in opposing backfields, making plays to take down the other team’s quarterback or running back behind the line of scrimmage. The senior was named an All-TVL Linebacker/Defensive End after battling through injuries and posting 57 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks to go with a fumble recovery and a forced fumble. He also played tight end in one of the area’s best tight end rooms, tallying 97 receiving yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns.
LB — Lincoln Brooks, Senior, Davis
Brooks was named an All-WAC First Team linebacker after putting up some eye-popping stats. He finished with 64 tackles, a team-high 18.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks, good for 22nd in the Sac-Joaquin Section. He also added an interception and a fumble recovery. A two-way player, finishing second in receptions (17), receiving yards (278) and touchdowns (4).
LB — Hayden Droogsma, Senior, Patterson
Droogsma tallied career highs across the board on defense as a senior, leading to All-VOL First Team honors at inside linebacker. He finished his final high school season with a team-high 104 total tackles, nine tackles for loss. His five sacks were second on the team and he picked off two passes and recovered a fumble.
LB — Aaron Van Hofwegen, Senior, Ripon Christian
A First Team All-TVL selection at linebacker/defensive end, Van Hofwegen posted a career-high 113 tackles during his senior season, helping hold three TVL opponents to under 30 points in wins. His 18 tackles in his second game this season against Le Grand was a season high. He also added seven tackles for loss along with an interception and a postseason fumble recovery.
LB — Donovan Muirbrook, Senior, Turlock
Named the CCAL Defensive Player of the Year, Muirbrook finished his senior season atop Turlock’s single-season tackles list. He earned the record-setting 113th tackle in a win over Modesto, passing Johnny Padilla.
LB — Aron Olvera De Anda, Senior, Davis
Named the WAC Defensive Player of the Year, De Anda had a breakout senior campaign. He had a team-high 103 total tackles, added 11 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. He had just one interception, but he scored off it as one of two Spartans this season to record a pick-six. He also had 151 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns.
LB — Royale Tago, Senior, Patterson
A three-year varsity starter, Tago battled through injuries as a senior, but still posted a career high 12 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. He finished ninth in the section in sacks. He also added 62 tackles, a fumble recovery and three forced fumbles and was named an All-VOL First Team Outside Linebacker.
LB — Gavin Wyatt, Senior, Oakdale
Wyatt was one of the leaders of an Oakdale defense that powered the Mustangs to back-to-back Sac-Joaquin Section title appearances. In his senior season, he was named an All-VOL First Team Outside Linebacker. He tallied 71 tackles and was one of three Mustangs with at least 15 tackles for loss . He also added one interception, five passes defensed and a fumble recovery.
DB — Amos Cady, Senior, Ripon Christian
Cady did some of everything for the Knights, leading them to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI title game against eventual state champion Sonora. He was named the TVL Outstanding Defensive Back and also earned First Team receiver honors. Cady had 79 tackles, three tackles for loss, two interceptions, three passes defensed and a pair of forced fumbles. Offensively, he caught 41 passes for 783 yards, team highs in both categories, and added 259 rushing yards. He was also dangerous on special teams, finishing 10th in California in average punt return yards (27.7) and 12th in the section in total return yards (526). He finished with a team-high 17 total touchdowns, tallying 12 receiving and two rushing scores offensively and adding three special teams touchdowns (2 punt return, 1 kickoff return).
DB — Carter Meeks, Senior, Central Catholic
Meeks battled through a hamstring injury for the first few games of the season, but still found ways to contribute on defense at cornerback. In nine games, he finished with 37 tackles, one interception and eight passes defensed. For his defensive efforts, he was named to the All-VOL First Team Defense as a defensive back. He also found the end zone three times on the ground on offense and had 398 rushing yards on 60 carries and had a receiving touchdown.
DB — Jeydan Saing, Junior, Johansen
Saing was named to the WAC All-League Offense and Defense as a receiver and defensive back, respectively. As the Vikings’ go-to playmaker, the team won eight games for the first time since 2008. He finished with 50 catches for 809 yards and 10 touchdowns, all team highs, on offense and on defense finished with 75 tackles, three tackles for loss, a team-high four interceptions and a fumble recovery, which he returned for a touchdown. He finished with a team-high 14 total touchdowns.
DB — Peyton Wallace, Junior, Oakdale
The junior in his second varsity season was one of the top ball-hawks in the Sac-Joaquin Section. He finished with six interceptions on the season, tied for seventh in the section. He opened the 2025 campaign with a season-high 10 tackles against Sonora and in the 2025 postseason had the best coverage game of the season, coming away with three interceptions in a win over Vanden. On the season, the VOL Honorable Mention selection finished with 76 tackles, four passes defensed, one fumble recovery and two forced fumbles.
P — Mikey Oshana, Sophomore, Gregori
The Gregori sophomore was named the CCAL Special Teams Player of the Year in 2025. He finished 11th in the Sac-Joaquin Section in average yards per punt (36.59) and 30th in the section in kickoff yards (1,139).
All-Purpose — Titus Beers, Junior, Hughson
Beers sat the first few weeks of the season after transferring to Hughson but when he took the field, he made an immediate impact on both sides of the ball. He was a TVL Second Team Receiver, catching 15 passes for 474 yards and seven touchdowns in six games. Defensively, he was a handful, recording 56 total tackles, six tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. He finished with two interceptions, three passes defensed, one forced fumble and a blocked punt.
All-Purpose — Chauncy Conley, Senior, Johansen
Conley did not make an All-WAC team, but arguably had the play of the year and that deserves recognition. In overtime of the bowl game against Gregori, Conley secured an interception and returned it 90 yards for a walk-off pick six. The defensive back did more than just that though, playing in all 11 games for the Vikings and tallying 30 total tackles, two tackles for loss, three total interceptions and five passes defensed.
All-Purpose — Gabe Ibanez, Senior, Johansen
Like Saing, Ibanez was Viking also named to the WAC All-League Offense and Defense. His impact at receiver and linebacker earned him the nod on both sides of the ball. He also finished with 10 receiving touchdowns and added 48 catches for 748 yards. On defense, he led the team with 92 total tackles and 22 tackles for loss. He added six sacks, three interceptions, seven passes defensed and a forced fumble.
All-Purpose — Mark Sanchez, Sophomore, Downey
Sanchez was named to the All-CCAL Second Team but recorded a Knights team-high 22 tackles for loss in an impressive sophomore season. He also added 47 tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles. Sanchez also contributed on the offensive end, rushing for 145 yards on 37 carries and adding seven touchdowns, good for second on the team.
