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PAGMETER TEAM OF THE YEAR

LIBERTY PATRIOTS
The Central Section Champions proved they were the best team and taking care of business by beating the section best in the playoffs, with Clovis, Buchanan and Central. The Patriots finished with a 11-3 record winning the SWYL for the 5th straight year and winning 23 straight SWYL games. The Patriots were so good on both sides of the ball including special teams and the Patriots will be the team to beat again in 2022.

PAGMETER SMALL SCHOOL TEAMS OF THE YEAR

WASCO TIGERS, STRATHMORE SPARTANS, MISSION OAK HAWKS, DOS PALOS BRONCOS & MISSION PREP ROYALS
All these small schools never got a chance to finish their journey because of the silly playoff format where it penalized the overachieving small schools. These schools all should have been in the same playoff bracket and played for a small school championship. DUH.

PAGMETER PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JAEDEN MOORE-Junior-CENTRAL VALLEY CHRISTIAN CAVALIERS
Moore is one of the best players in the state and so dominating on both sides of the ball. On defense, he was impossible to slow down rushing from the edge. Moore finished with 155 tackles with 17 ½ sacks and that was with teams running the other way. On offense, Moore was double teamed on almost every play and still caught 60 passes for 975 yards and scored 13 TDs in helping the Cavaliers win the Division 3 Section Championship. The 6’4, 235lb CalHi All State star is being offered by so many including Oregon State, Nevada, Arizona, Washington and Colorado. Moore’s senior year will be off the charts and has the makings to be an All American.

PAGMETER BEST TWO-WAY PLAYER OF THE YEAR

BRANDON RAMIREZ-Junior-MEMORIAL PANTHERS
One of the best players in the state on both sides of the ball. When the Panthers played in the big games and needed to take care of business, Brandon was the big guy who carried the ball. On defense Brandon was one of the best middle linebackers that stuffed everything from sideline to sideline. Brandon was the runner up for PAGMETER Player of the year and will be the leader in the clubhouse in 2022. Brandon rushed for 1,113 yards, scored 14 TD’s, averaging 9.7 yards per carry, and made 75 tackles. Brandon is being recruited by many including Texas and Colorado.

PAGMETER SMALL SCHOOL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

DANNY OLIVERA-Senior-FIREBAUGH EAGLES
Danny led the Central Section in rushing with 2,144 yards and led the Section in TDs with 39. 22 eyes were on Olivera on every play, and he still dominated the line of scrimmage. Danny never came off the field making 56 tackles at linebacker. A multisport athlete in wrestling & track also gets it done in the classroom with a 3.9 GPA.

PAGMETER COACH OF THE YEAR

BRYAN NIXON-LIBERTY PATRIOTS
Nixon and his staff are one of the best coaching staffs in the state. Every year the Patriots are so well coached on both sides of the ball. This year the Patriots got better and better every week winning their 2nd Central Section Championship in school history.

PAGMETER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

TYBO RODGERS-Junior-BAKERSFIELD DRILLERS
Meet the best running back in the Central Section and one of the best in the state. Tybo has plenty of heart, loves to play the game of football, a speedster, great hands, can block, and will run you over with power. Tybo played the last 5 games of the year with high ankle sprain and still dominated. Tybo never came off the field rushing for 1,246 yards, scored 10 TDs, caught 31 passes with 6 TDs and was one of the most dangerous kickoff returners in the state. Tybo was one of the top recruited player in the Central Section by far with plenty of offers already including UCLA, Cal, Arizona, Stanford, Utah, Colorado, San Diego State, Oregon State, USC, Nevada, Utah State, Whittier, Fresno State, Washington State, San Jose State, Arizona, Boston College, and Wyoming and Tybo has made the call and has verbally committed to play for the Washington Huskies.

PAGMETER QUARTERBACK OF THE YEAR

ROLAND RUSSO-Senior-BULLARD KNIGHTS
Russo led the Bullard Knights to the division 1/division 2 Section Championship. I call it D1/D2 because there were plenty of division 1 teams that the Knights beat in the playoffs. Russo broke plenty of school records including the single season record throwing for 3,590 yards, completed 206 passes and threw 7 TDs in a single game. Russo finished with 38 TD passes. PAGMETER knows plenty about being a QB at Bullard and it was great to see Russo getting better and better every week after a Bullard 0-2 start. Russo was also the first QB in Bullard history with throwing a TD pass, rushing for a TD, and catching a TD pass in a single game.

PAGMETER RUNNING BACK OF THE YEAR
This one was a tough call so it’s a tie!

RYAN WARKENTIN-Senior-REEDLEY PIRATES
Warkentin never came off the field and finished rushing for 2,026 yards, scoring 25 TDs. Ryan will go down as the best Pirate in school history which is amazing since Head Coach Tony Gates recruited Ryan off the Water Polo team his sophomore year to play football. Great story!

TRISTIN RISLEY-Senior-CLOVIS COUGARS

Tristin broke 7 school records including career rushing yards & TDs. Tristin rushed for a career 4,028 yards and scored 56 TDs. This year he rushed for 1,897 yards and scored 27 TDs. With the great tradition the Clovis Cougars have, Risley will go down as the best in school history.

PAGMETER WIDE RECEIVER OF THE YEAR

MIKEY OLVERA-Senior-DINUBA EMPERORS
Mikey was one of the most dangerous wide receivers in the Central Section catching 65 passes for 1,154 yards and scored 19 TDs. He set a single-game school-record catching 10 footballs for 277 yards, scored 3 TDs in the win over Tulare Western. Every defense did what they could to slow down Olvera, but nothing worked, and it made the Emperors the top scoring offense in the Central Section.

PAGMETER TIGHT END OF THE YEAR

KOLBY HOWARD-Senior-REDWOOD RANGERS
What is it about Redwood and outstanding Tight Ends! It just seems like every year the Rangers have a good one and you can add Howard to the list. The senior captain didn’t get to play football his junior year thanks to the VUSD not understanding that they are in the kid business and the 6’3 star still worked his butt off. The WYL All Star was a tremendous blocker in the run game along with having very good hands with catching 32 passes for 490 yards and scored 5 TDs. When you have a good tight end, it makes your offense extra special.

PAGMETER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR

MAKAI SAT-Junior-ST JOSEPH KNIGHTS
Sat gets better and better with every game he plays and next year, he will have every college recruiter checking the big man out. The 6-foot-4, 310-pound junior will come into 2022 as one of the best offensive linemen in the state.

PAGMETER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

KEANU KUMA-Senior-WASHINGTON UNION PANTHERS
We all know that the linebacker position is where the best of the studs plays, and Keanu Kuma was the best of the best. Keanu was pretty much impossible to block, and every team said the same thing, “how are we going to slow this guy down”? Not only was Keanu fast at stuffing the run, he also was a hard-nose hitter that wanted to rip your face off. Kuma was very intimating, was double/triple teamed on many plays and still made 141 tackles. The first thing that QBs did before the play, was to find out where the monster No 9 is lined up at and please somebody block him! Kuma is looking at some late offers coming in from Arizona State, Sacramento State, and Nevada along with Fresno City before he makes up his mind. Somebody is going to get a hard-hitting star and the captain of their defense.

PAGMETER DEFENSIVE LINEMEN OF THE YEAR

GRANT BUCKEY-Junior-LIBERTY PATRIOTS
Grant is a man-beast and made the Patriots one of the best defenses in the Central Section and so tough to run against. The 6’5 270lb DE/OT also has a 4.2 GPA along with being one of the best offensive linemen in the state. Grant is fast, physical and is being recruited by so many including Stanford, USC, Michigan, UCLA, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon State, Oregon, and Cal. Grant will be a big-time college player and I’m thinking Stanford is the leader in the clubhouse since Pops played at Stanford and big brother is at Stanford now.

PAGMETER LINEBACKER OF THE YEAR

LOGAN BOWERS-Senior-GARCES RAMS
The Rams defense was very good with the SWYL Defensive Player of the year roaming the middle. The Rams played a tough schedule and the team leader with a 3.5 GPA, also played running back. The quick & physical linebacker stuffed everything in the middle making 106 tackles, including 27 for losses, with 9 sacks. Next stop, Logan will be playing at Weber State and the Wildcats are getting one of the most athletic linebackers in the state.

PAGMETER DEFENSIVE BACK OF THE YEAR

JERRY RANGEL-Senior-BUCHANAN Bears
Jerry had one heck of a football career with the Bears who loved moving closer to the line of scrimmage and making tackles. The TRAC Defensive Player of the year finished with 119 tackles and that’s crazy coming from a safety. Rangel has a gift of always being around the ball and that is so tough to teach. The athletic safety also has a 3.8 GPA and was the Bears leader on and off the field. Next stop will be playing for the University of San Diego and the Toreros are getting a good one.

PAGMETER SPECIALIST PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JASON OLIVER-Senior-LIBERTY PATRIOTS
Jason was the most dangerous player in the Central Section that every team tried to keep the ball away from. The game plan was simple, but very difficult to do, and that was do not kick the ball anywhere close to Oliver and double team him at wide receiver. Oliver never came off the field and was also one of the best defensive backs in the state. The Patriots found ways to get their star the ball on offense along with returning punts and kickoffs. Next stop will be playing for the University of Colorado.

PAGMETER KICKER/PUNTER OF THE YEAR

DARWIN MELGER-Senior-CENTRAL GRIZZLIES
Darwin was a huge weapon for the Grizzlies who led the Central Section with 8 field goals along with nailing 48 extra points. Any time you have a kicker with a strong leg, it makes your kickoff team even better.

PAGMETER UNDERCLASSMEN OF THE YEAR

TANNER WILSON-Freshman-SUNNYSIDE WILDCATS
The state’s top freshman QB played in only 10 games and threw for 3,260 yards and 31 TDs. Tanner threw for more yards than any freshman in Central Section history and on pace to break plenty of Central Section passing records by the time he graduates. Tanner already plays like a season veteran, exciting to watch and so tough to contain. The Wildcats offense is wide open and tough to slow down with Wilson stepping up in the pocket or throwing on the run. The next 3 years, the Wildcats will be the team to beat with Wilson doing his thing.

PAGMETER HEART AWARD

HECTOR DAVILA III-Senior-IMMANUEL EAGLES
Hector was one of the best dual threat Quarterbacks in the state who has a fantastic arm and can run with tremendous speed. Every defensive game plan was to try to contain Hector and keep him in the pocket but this year, a new coaching staff took over the Eagles and turned Hector into a fullback/QB with the Wing T. The Eagles Wing T offense is not good for an outstanding athlete like Hector and Hector never complained. Spring ball last year was tough with the Eagles trying to find games, but Hector stuck it out and battle through it. Most teams would cater around the talent of the QB, but the Eagles put in a new Wing T offense overnight. Hector would have made a spread attack team a Section Championship contender. Hector didn’t put up any stats worth talking about, but he became the leader of the Eagles with plenty of heart. In today’s world, most would have transferred out, but Hector is old school and put his team first.