VOTE: SJ County Martin Dentistry's Football Week 2 Athlete of the Week

Friday nights are back, and so is The Record's weekly search for the top high school football performance in San Joaquin County.

Each week during the 2026 season, one standout player will be voted the Martin Dentistry Football Athlete of the Week.

The choice belongs to you, the readers.

This week's ballot features 10 nominees from Stockton, Manteca, Tracy, Linden, Ripon and Lodi after their Week 2 performances.

Everyone is encouraged to submit nominations for the upcoming week by emailing dackermann@gannett.com.

The poll at the bottom of this page closes at noon Thursday, Sept. 17. There are no voting restrictions, so vote now and vote often.

Here are the Week 2 nominees (athletes listed in alphabetical order by last name):

Case Borges, linebacker, Tracy

Edison’s Devin Rasmussen, right, is tackled by Tracy’s Case Borges during a varsity football game at Edison’s Magnasco Stadium in Stockton on Oct. 3 2025.

Fifty-six points will grab the headlines, but the zero mattered just as much. Case Borges was all over the field in Tracy's 56-0 win over Lathrop, with the senior linebacker recording 16 tackles, one sack, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery, a quarterback hit and a forced fumble.

Daryl Carpenter, quarterback, River Island

A year ago, Daryl Carpenter started at quarterback for a three-win River Island team. What a difference a season has made. The senior went 23-of-28 for 423 yards and four touchdowns in a 46-20 win over Modesto Christian, pushing the third-year program to 3-0 and his season totals to 1,089 yards, 13 touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Darien East, wide receiver, River Island

Maybe Darien East is simply destined for 1,000 yards, regardless of how he gets them. After rushing for 1,032 yards at Sierra last year, the junior transferred to River Island, moved to receiver and hasn't had a game below 120 yards since. His latest brought six catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns in a 46-20 win over Modesto Christian, pushing him to 431 receiving yards.

Gunnar Fay, wide reciever, East Union

Following an older brother who became one of East Union’s all-time greats comes with quite the expectations. Gunnar Fay is starting to show he can be special, too. After making his mark with a 75-yard punt return in a game East Union didn't complete a pass, the junior wide receiver broke loose for nine receptions, 170 yards and two touchdowns in a 36-6 win over Johansen.

Nikko Juarez, running back, Manteca

Manteca’s Nikko Juarez runs his way to a touchdown during a varsity football game at Oakdale High School in Oakdale on Oct. 31, 2025. Manteca won 40-26.

Greatest of all time. It's a statement that doesn't get thrown around often, but for Nikko Juarez, it's now fitting. The Manteca senior rushed 14 times for 129 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-7 win over Chavez, surpassing 4,000 career rushing yards and 2023 graduate Blake Nichelson’s program record of 4,078.

Lincoln Ly, tight end/linebacker, Linden

Finding Lincoln Ly on the field wasn't difficult. Just follow the ball. The Linden senior linebacker piled up 16 tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss and an interception in a 28-14 win over Golden Valley, while a blocked punt and blocked field goal resulted in two caused fumbles. Then, at tight end, he added four receptions for 62 yards.

Kael Rangel, fullback, Ripon

Ripon’s Kael Rangel, left, finds some open field running during a varsity football game at against Ripon Christian at Ripon High’s West Stouffer Field in Ripon on Oct. 10. 2025. Ripon Christian won 35-21.

The first two games looked nothing like the season Kael Rangel was coming off. After totaling minus-1 yard on four carries following a 595-yard, eight-touchdown season, the Ripon fullback broke loose with 140 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries in a 49-10 win over Ripon.

Joseph Riggins, running back, McNair

McNair’s Joseph Riggins, center, is tackled by West’s Christian Balderrama, left, and Kingston Sanders during a varsity football game at McNair High in Stockton on Sept. 26, 2025. McNair won 40-21.

So much for waiting on that first 100-yard game. Joseph Riggins blew past the mark with 126 yards and two touchdowns on only 10 carries in McNair’s 47-14 win over Ceres. The senior had never reached triple digits before and finished all of last season with 235 yards and one touchdown on 33 carries across nine games.

Dante Tafoya, quarterback, East Union

One week ago, East Union didn't complete a pass in a 49-0 rout of Modesto. The next, Dante Tafoya threw four touchdowns. Making his first varsity appearance under center, the sophomore completed 11 of 15 passes for 220 yards with one interception as the Lancers rolled past Johansen 36-6.

Mason Zeer, running back/linebacker, Tokay

Tokay’s Mason Zeer, right, runs the ball during a varsity football game at Lodi’s Grape Bowl Stadium in Lodi on Aug. 28, 2026. Tokay won 48-23.

Three games into his varsity career, Mason Zeer hardly looks inexperienced. The Tokay junior rushed 13 times for 85 yards and a touchdown in a 22-19 win over Pleasant Grove, while the first two catches of his career went for 54 yards and another score. Through Tokay's 3-0 start, Zeer has 264 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns and 20 tackles.

Martin Dentistry Athlete of the Week file photo.