Last man standing: Bee’s football MVP award will likely be determined by district’s best team

Kane Rodgers took the handoff and sprinted around the corner on a sweep.

Almost immediately, the Sonora High School sophomore was met with resistance. A Bear River defender hugged the sideline, cutting off Rodgers’ running lane.

No sweat. Instinctively, Rodgers changed direction. He went up, up and away, hurdling the defender with Gummy Bear bounce.

Sonora was penalized because hurdling is illegal in high school football, but it served as a reminder to all those watching of Rodgers’ special ability. Though he’s one of the youngest players in the Stanislaus District, Rodgers is clearly one of its most gifted and exciting.

And his MVP stock? On the rise.

With a school-record 11 interceptions and more than 1,000 all-purpose yards, Rodgers has inserted himself into the conversation for The Bee’s All-District Player of the Year award.

He’s not alone. From two-way dynamos such as Orestimba’s Austin Martins and Downey’s Tyran Daniels to superior athletes such as Michael Lawson of Patterson and Danny Velasquez of Turlock, MVP-caliber candidates across the Stanislaus District have captured our interest and applause.

But as the field of teams still competing narrows, it’s very likely the award will be decided by those still wearing pads in December.

The greatest concentration of candidates will be on display Friday evening at Lincoln High in the Division III final between No. 1 Central Catholic and No. 2 Oakdale.

The game won’t just determine a Sac-Joaquin Section champion, but likely The Bee’s top individual award, too.

But first, the list of Player of the Year candidates reduced to spectators:

▪  Lawson: The speedy senior had more than 1,400 total yards in Patterson’s “Spread ’em and Shred ’em” offense, a hybrid of the triple option and spread. His numbers seem tame compared to others on this list, but the Tiger was one of the district’s true game-breakers. His 188 points (touchdowns and conversions) more than doubled the next Patterson player (Jamal Broussard with 72).

▪  Jay Green: The senior running back stands alone in the Beyer record book. Green became the Patriots’ all-time leading rusher with more than 1,600 yards, fueling Beyer’s run to a Modesto Metro Conference tri-championship. Along the way, he earned the respect of conference coaches and was named league MVP.

▪  Daniels: Downey’s best defensive player evolved into its best offensive player by season’s end. With sprinter’s speed and indomitable will, Daniels leaves the Knights’ program with a goofy stat line: 808 rushing yards, netting nearly 10 yards at a time; 1,863 all-purpose yards; 96 tackles; 19 touchdowns; and five interceptions.

If not the Player of the Year, Daniels certainly delivered one of the plays of the year when he chased down and denied Green a 99-yard touchdown.

▪  Martins: The running back/safety was the dashing protagonist in Orestimba’s storybook season. He rushed for a school-record 2,081 yards and had 115 tackles, eight interceptions and 6.0sacks in guiding the Warriors to a perfect regular season and Southern League title. As his star grew brighter, Martins never lost sight of the big picture. In the postgame huddle after the Warriors’ victory in the Battle for the Chief – Orestimba’s longstanding rivalry with Gustine – Martins was reduced to tears as he spoke about their collective bonds.

▪  Velasquez: He led Turlock in rushing (780 yards, 10 touchdowns) and receiving (270 yards, three touchdowns) before stepping under center for the final three games. Velasquez replaced injured quarterback Peyton Dunseth and engineered a Harvest Bowl victory over Pitman. The junior’s versatility was honored with a share of the Central California Conference MVP award.

The Player of the Year favorites, however, will have the stage to themselves Friday at Lincoln High.

Central Catholic and Oakdale have been The Bee’s top large-school teams all season because of their coaching, discipline, depth and, above all else, outstanding talent.

Using that as the measuring stick, is there anyone more dynamic than Raiders running back Justin Rice? Oakdale coach Trent Merzon has called the Fresno State-bound senior one of the best backs in California, and it’s hard to argue his point.

The Bee’s reigning Player of the Year is set to become the first player in district history to post back-to-back 2,000-yard seasons. Rice rushed for 304 yards and five touchdowns in last week’s 48-14 victory over Placer. He has 1,989 rushing yards after being slowed at the start of the season by an ankle sprain.

As impressive as Rice and his offensive cohorts have been, Central Catholic’s run to the D-III final has been orchestrated by the defense, led by middle linebacker Kekupa’a Freehauf. The Raiders blanked their first two playoff opponents – El Camino and Christian Brothers – and then limited Placer to 14, seven of which came on the final play in a running-clock fourth quarter. The Hillmen went into the game with the second-most productive offense in the section.

Freehauf is a 6-foot-1, 245-pound slab of granite. He’s been compared to some of the best to ever wear the uniform, a fraternity that includes Byron Storer (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Craig Jones (Stanford), Louis Bland (Washington State) and a host of others.

While he’s been used as a fullback from time to time (18 carries, 145 yards), Freehauf’s candidacy is built on tackling bigger issues. He has a team-best 123 stops.

The last defensive player named All-District Player of the Year was Robby Valenzuela of Grace Davis, who went on to play at Oregon.

Oakdale has its own horses, each worthy of consideration.

Fullback Brad Aquino is scoring touchdowns in bunches and hasn’t slowed against the best of the D-III bracket. The senior has nine touchdowns in the last two games. Not bad for a first-year varsity starter.

And then there is the Eagle Scout – quarterback Adam Olsen. A four-year varsity player, Olsen has spent the past two seasons steering one of the fastest wing-T offenses in Northern California. The Mustangs try to average a play every four to five seconds – and that includes a huddle.

Like Lawson of Patterson, Olsen’s numbers are hampered by the system in which he plays. But when given the chance to air it out, Olsen has produced. He threw for more than 400 yards and five touchdowns in a blowout win over Sierra, the D-IV champion. In the season opener against D-V champion Sonora, Olsen keyed a 40-15 victory with 310 yards and four touchdowns on 13-of-15 passing. Sierra and Sonora await word on who they could meet in the NorCal Regional playoffs.

He was good then, and like many of the favorites in the race for The Bee Player of the Year, his candidacy continues.

This story was originally published November 30, 2015 at 5:18 PM with the headline "Last man standing: Bee’s football MVP award will likely be determined by district’s best team."