Central Catholic, Turlock football release loaded 2026 schedules
While we are in the midst of monitoring the hardwood, seeing which local teams fight for league and section titles, football is always in season.
Coaches and athletic directors spend the winter months finalizing schedules for next fall, and Stanislaus District’s top teams have started their rollouts. Downey scheduling Grant was the highlight of its schedule drop in early January, along with the Central California Athletic League schedule, where the Knights will defend their league title.
Central Catholic and Turlock also finalized their nonleague schedules, with both playing top teams in and around California to provide key experience before they start league play in the Valley Oak League and CCAL, respectively.
The Raiders take on a pair of state champions in a packed four-game sprint through the first four weeks of 2026. They open the season with back-to-back games against state champions. They start an out-of-state trip to Idaho to Homedale High. The Homedale Trojans went 11-1 and won the 2025 Division 4A state championship and are projected to return their leading receiver, who recorded 939 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The next week, Central Catholic hosts St. Mary’s in the Holy Bowl. The Rams are fresh off the first football state title in school history. They went 13-2 and beat Bakersfield Christian 27-24 for the Division 2-AA state crown. They also beat Granite Bay for the D-II section title. In December, the Stockton City Council honored the high school for its accomplishment.
A home game against St. Bonaventure of Ventura, a Southern Section D-IV qualifier, and a road trip to Chico to face Northern Section D-II semifinalist Pleasant Valley round out Central Catholic’s nonleague schedule. The Raiders start VOL play in Week 5 against Mountain House. Their bye is Oct. 16.
Central Catholic 2026 Full Schedule
All games at 7 p.m.
Aug. 28 at Homedale (Idaho)
Sept. 4 vs St. Mary’s
Sept. 11 vs St. Bonaventure
Sept. 18 at Pleasant Valley
Sept. 25 at Mountain House
Oct. 2 at East Union
Oct. 9 at Manteca (time TBA)
Oct. 16 BYE
Oct. 23 vs Sierra
Oct. 30 at Patterson
Nov. 6 vs Oakdale
The Bulldogs’ schedule continues to feature a good mix of Sac-Joaquin Section and Central Section opponents through the first five weeks. Turlock opens the season against CIF-SJS Division II semifinalist Rocklin before traveling to Clovis East the next week for a Thursday night matchup in the first of three straight games against Central Section schools. They then host Central East and travel to Clovis West before playing at Tracy in their nonleague finale Sept. 25.
Turlock 2026 Full Schedule
All games at 7 p.m.
Aug. 28 vs Rocklin
Sept. 3 at Clovis East (Thursday)
Sept. 11 vs Central of Fresno
Sept. 18 at Clovis West
Sept. 25 at Tracy
Oct. 2 BYE
Oct. 9 vs Enochs
Oct. 16 vs Gregori
Oct. 23 at Pitman
Oct. 30 vs Downey
Nov. 6 at Modesto
Mana Itete transfers to Arkansas school
Former Modesto Christian and Central Catholic lineman Mana Itete spent his first two years of college football at Florida State before hitting the transfer portal in January after the 2025 season. After a few months fielding offers, Itete found a new home, announcing on social media that he committed to Arkansas State. The Red Wolves are five-time Sun Belt Conference champions and are coming off a 34-28 win over Missouri State in the Xbox Bowl.
Itete is one of nine offensive linemen in the Red Wolves’ 26 offensive-signee class. He is one of 32 transfers available to participate in Arkansas State’s upcoming 2026 spring camp. In total, head football coach Butch Jones signed 59 players to the Red Wolves’ 2026 signing class.
Itete redshirted as a true freshman at Florida State in 2024 and made his collegiate debut in 2025 for the Seminoles against East Texas A&M.
Gavin Gleason transfers to Division I level
Gleason is one of a number of Modesto JC football players who found a home at the Division I level after the 2025 campaign ended. The offensive lineman on Dec. 9 announced his commitment to Utah Tech and signed Feb. 4 as a midyear transfer. After honing his skills and technique as a lineman at Oakdale, he went first to Arizona Christian as a freshman in 2024 but left after a year, returning home and going to MJC for his sophomore season. As a Pirate, he was named an All-Valley Conference first-team player and an all-state selection.
Modesto Christian hires football coach
Modesto Christian on Jan. 7 announced via social media that Sefa Peleki has been hired as head football coach. Peleki is a San Francisco native who was a four-year starter at Novato High School in Marin County, where he played offense and defense.
Peleki will look to stabilize a program that had two coaches during the 2025 campaign. Michael McFadden, who went 0-8 in his first season in 2024, was let go in early September 2025 and replaced by interim head coach Joseph Yanez. Yanez coached the Crusaders to their only win of the season, on Sept. 13 against Millennium. It was the Crusaders’ first victory since Sept. 9, 2023.
Since Jerry Grimshaw left after the 2022 season, Kurt Bryan coached the team in 2023, McFadden coached the Crusaders in 2024 and the first three weeks of 2025, and Yanez took over for the rest of 2025.
Ceres hires football coach
Ceres High announced Debin Cowell as the team’s new head football coach, replacing Brett Johnson, who led the program for two separate stints, the most recent starting in 2022. The Ceres Courier reported prior to the 2025 campaign that this year would be Johnson’s last. He also spent 25 years as an assistant coach, all with Ceres High.
Cowell is a Ceres native who played receiver for the Bulldogs and San Jose State. After he finished playing, Cowell coached at Ceres and Central Valley high schools and two seasons ago, took over as the Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator.
Cowell explained his philosophy in the announcement on social media: “My goal is to take it to new heights and build something special that the entire school and community can be proud of. As a staff, we want to bring the energy and excitement back to campus, and we will do that through hard work, daily dedication, and a standard of excellence that carries onto the field.”
Turlock tight end signs to play Division I, Durkee to continue football career in Oregon
Turlock two-way football player Wynn Brazil saw a dream come true on the most recent football national signing day, committing to Division I Valparaiso University on Feb. 3 and signing Feb. 4. He is one of 43 newcomers to the second recruiting class of head coach Andy Waddle. He is one of four Californians to sign with the Beacons. A three-year varsity player, Brazil was an all-CCAL First Team Offense selection after helping the Bulldogs finish second in the league standings in 2025. He will play tight end after switching from playing on the line.
Turlock’s all-CCAL First Team offensive lineman Braxten Durkee will play football at the next level, leaving California to continue his career at Southern Oregon University. Durkee committed to the Raiders on Jan. 19 via social media, and the signing was made official on the Feb. 4 national signing day. Durkee will be one of 44 newcomers and 37 incoming freshmen who put pen to paper for head coach Berk Brown. It is Brown’s largest recruiting class.
