Buhach Colony star is Sun-Star Football Player of the year after record-breaking season
Jaxson Percoats had the loftiest of goals when he arrived at Buhach Colony High School. He wanted to become the best football player to wear a Thunder uniform.
Percoats went on to have a stellar career, rewriting the Buhach Colony records books.
The Thunder star finished this season breaking or tying seven school records, including the single-season rushing record and finishing as the all-time leading rusher in BC history.
Percoats is the Merced Sun-Star Football Player of the Year.
“It was very special senior year,” Percoats said. “I got to do a lot of things. I give all glory to God and my teammates because I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Percoats rushed for 1,992 yards, which set the single-season record and 24 touchdowns, which tied the single-season record.
He finished as the Thunder all-time career rushing leader with 3,070 yards and the all-time career leader in all-purpose yards with 4,272.
“I wanted to become the best player to come out of Buhach Colony,” Percoats said. “I knew I was going to put in the work and do everything I could to reach that goal.”
Buhach Colony coach Jerry Dietz said Percoats’ focus was always on the team and not personal goals.
“Coaching him was an awesome experience,” Dietz said. “He’s a total team player, unselfish, worried about the team more than himself. It was never about him which is something I appreciated.”
Dietz said sometimes he would even catch himself watching Percoats this season.
“Especially this year, he would make some unbelievable runs,” Dietz said. “He made an awesome tackle against Patterson, your perfect form tackle. Some of his returns were electrifying. He would make some plays out of nothing.”
Percoats rarely came off the field, finishing with 75 tackles, two forced fumbles and three interceptions on defense this season.
Percoats also set the single-game rushing record with a 353-yard performance in a 64-48 playoff win at Los Banos where his father was a star receiver.
“I credit my O-line,” Percoats said. “They made the holes, I just ran through them. I did what I was always taught to do, run hard.”
Playing one final season with his teammates and advancing to the playoffs made Percoats’ senior season special.
“I’m glad I could set an example for the up-and-coming freshmen, sophomores and juniors,” he said. “I tried to set an example of how things should be done and if you put in the work you can do what I did.”
Next for Percoats is an opportunity to play at Southern Utah University. Percoats will sign his national letter of intent on Dec. 21.
“I’m pretty excited,” Percoats said. “I can’t wait to get up there. I’m going to be little fish in a big pond. I’m sure I’ll adjust and do what I need to do to succeed.”
Water Polo
Ryan Smith, El Capitan
Despite a third different coach in four years the El Capitan boys water polo team continued their winning ways, capturing their fourth consecutive Central California Conference championship.
Leading the way was senior captain Ryan Smith, who earned CCC Most Valuable Players along the way.
Smith is also the Merced Sun-Star Boys Water Polo Player of the Year.
“This year was extremely special because all four years we won titles,” Smith said. “To make it four years in a row was big for us.”
Smith and the Gauchos didn’t just win a league championship, they went a perfect 12-0. El Capitan outscored their opponents 165 to 46 in CCC contests.
Smith finished the season with 103 goals, 50 steals and 52 steals. He also drew 30 ejections on defensive players this year.
“This year I had to step up as a senior and a captain,” Smith said. “That meant I had to be a leader.”
It was a tough ending for the Gauchos and they finished one win shy of playing for a section championship with an 18-17 loss to Woodcreek in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II semifinals.
“It was really tough because it was the second year in a row we lost in the semifinals,” Smith said. “We really wanted a chance to play for a section championship.”
However, a fourth consecutive CCC championship will give the Gauchos fond memories of this season.
“I think it’s amazing because we continued our program legacy,” Smith said. “We want El Capitan to be known as a water polo power.”
Cross County
Phillip Logan, Merced
A wrestling teammate finally convinced Phillip Logan he should run cross country.
Logan is grateful she did.
Cross country helped Logan improve as an athlete and he became the top runner in the Central California Conference, earning MVP honors this season.
Logan is the Merced Sun-Star Boys Cross Country Athlete of the Year.
“Running helped me out a lot, especially mind-set wise,” Logan said. “I know I can push through anything now. That’s what running teaches you.”
It was former Bears cross country and wrestling star Isabel Perez-Zoghbi that talked Logan he should run cross country. She told him how much it helped her with wrestling and track.
“Once I started running more often it got into my head what running could do for me,” Logan said. “There could be opportunities for me in college. I plan to continue running.”
Logan saw success early as his times continued to improve throughout the season.
He won the first two CCC meets at Golden Valley and Patterson with times of 17 minutes, 26.7 seconds and 16:27.2, respectively.
Logan was at his best late in the season, finishing third in the Division II race at the Sac-Joaquin Sub-Section meet.
He surprised himself at the section meet in Folsom, finishing sixth with a time of 16:25.3 to qualify for the state meet in Clovis.
“Once I found out I made it to state I was shocked,” he said. “I thought I had no hope, it was a hard race. When I found out I made it. I was pumped and ready to go. That was my best race of the year.”
Once Logan decided to run his senior season he was all in and his hard work paid off.
“I enjoyed this season,” Logan said. “Every race I set a (personal best). I had my teammates and coaches pushing me on. I noticed how much faster I was running. I was getting better every week.”
All-Area Teams
Football
QB — Eleazar Garza, Golden Valley
QB — David Herrera, Los Banos
RB — Jaxson Percoats, Buhach Colony
RB — Chase Smith, Merced
RB — Jahkylle Smith, Golden Valley
RB — Luis Vargas, Hilmar
WR — Colton Dukes, Atwater
WR — Jonah White, Golden Valley
TE — Max Friedman, Stone Ridge Christian
OL — Fermin Villegas, Le Grand
OL — Isaac Haro, Merced
OL — Alex Duran, Golden Valley
OL — Cornell Gilkey, Buhach Colony
OL — Michael Vander Woude, Stone Ridge Christian
OL — Adam Echevarria, Dos Palos
DL — Jalonn Booth, Merced
DL — Jet Lindeman, Los Banos
DL — Manvir Gakhal, Pacheco
DL — Jack Dunbar, Merced
DL — Landon Gomes, Hilmar
LB — Jerardo Ponce, Hilmar
LB — Malaki Leach, Merced
LB — Josiah Gonzales, Golden Valley
DB — Nicolas Mendoza, Atwater
DB — Kailin Frade, Buhach Colony
DB — Ethain Vang, Golden Valley
DB — George Garcia, Los Banos
Utility — Derek Taylor, Hilmar
Utility — Reyes Diaz, Le Grand
Water Polo
Grayson Groth, Buhach Colony
Drew Palumbo, Buhach Colony
Michael Brown, El Capitan
Kaleb Rogers, Atwater
Blake Slocum, Merced
Andrew Wendel, Buhach Colony
Joaquin Barragan, Buhach Colony
Kaden Duyutte, El Capitan
Rob Carpenter, El Capitan
Chris Bettencourt, Livingston
Cross Country
Cristian Ledezma-Perez, Golden Valley
Joseph Davis, Atwater
Micah Caballero, Buhach Colony
Anthony Aguilar, Livingston
Jeffrey Mendonca, Hilmar
Daniel Sorci, Atwater
Cristian Lucatero, Livingston
