Central California Conference coaches select Merced football star as MVP
Merced High running back Chase Smith made his way to the top of the scouting report for Bears opponents this season.
The Bears junior was electric this season, rushing for over 1,400 yards and 19 touchdowns. Smith was also a shutdown defensive back on defense.
Smith’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed as the Central California Conference coaches selected him as the conference’s Most Valuable Player.
“It’s definitely a confidence booster,” Smith said. “I didn’t really know how good I was until this season.”
Smith torched CCC teams, rushing for 930 yards and 14 touchdowns against all six CCC opponents.
Fellow Merced junior Jalonn Booth was named the Defensive Player of the Year, following his older brother Jaylen Thao-Booth, who in 2021 was named the top defensive player of the year for Merced.
“It’s a milestone for me,” Jalonn said. “I want to be a great player and that’s something that shows I’m on the path to being a great player.”
The Bears junior was dominant on both sides of the ball for Merced this season.
Golden Valley senior quarterback Eleazar Garza was named the Best Offensive Player in the CCC. Garza threw for 999 yards and 14 touchdowns and also rushed for 697 yards and 11 touchdowns despite missing his final two regular season games after breaking a bone in his leg against Patterson.
“With me only playing seven weeks, it means a lot that the coaches still had me in mind,” Garza said.
Garza said it was a special senior season with the Cougars starting off 7-0 for the first time in school history.
“I was a special season up until the injury,” Garza said. “We were making history at our school and it was nice to see the community and school getting excited for our team.”
CCC champions Patterson took home the other top awards with Quincey Simien being named Lineman of the Year, Christian Casillas earning Kicker/Specialists of the Year and Rob Cozart named Coach of the Year.
The all-CCC first team selections on offense were linemen Isaac Haro (Merced), Booth (Merced), Alex Duran (GV), Nathaniel Lozano (Patterson) and Cornell Gilkey (Buhach Colony). The running backs were Smith (Merced), Jaxson Percoats (BC) and Lolo Mataele (Patterson). Quarterbacks were Garza (GV) and Median (Patterson) and receivers Colton Dukes and Jonah White, and tight end Elijah Jackson (Central Valley).
The first-team defensive selections were linemen Booth (Merced), Simien (Patterson), Jack Dunbar (Merced), Tresor Mulumba (Patterson) and Gilkey (BC), defensive end/outside linebackers Jonathan Delgadillo (Patterson) and Malaki Leach (Merced). The inside linebackers were Mataele (Patterson) and Josiah Gonzales Martin (GV) and defensive backs Noah Cozart (Patterson), Percoats (BC), Ethain Vang (GV) and Leo Refil (Patterson). The kicker was Casillas and the punter was Joseph Alanzo (GV).
The second-team offensive players included linemen Trytin Gastelum (GV), Max Coleman (Atwater), Elijah Saucedo (Patterson), Anthony Nixon (Merced) and Cielo Henderson (BC). The running backs were Jahkylle Smith (GV) and Patterson’s Sean Hansen (Patterson), quarterback Tyler Parr (Atwater) and receivers Jack Collins (Merced) and Cozart (Patterson) and tight end Roberto Soto (GV).
The second team defensive players were linemen Jacob Coronado (GV), Jesus Ortega-Jabalara (GV), Coleman (GV), defensive end/outside linebackers Anthony Delgadillo (Patterson), Jeremiah Folau (Merced), inside linebackers Marcel Partida (Merced) and BJ Austin (Merced).
The second-team defensive backs were Jonah White (GV), Nicolas Mendoza (Atwater), David Lewis (Central Valley) and Kailin Frade (BC).
The sportsmanship award winners were Parr, Percoats, Amari O’Bryant (Central Valley), Ceaser Manzo (El Capitan), Angel Ceja (GV), Ryker Munson (Merced) and Austin Lucas (Patterson).
