The Fresno Bee’s Best: 2020-21 All-Area football, including Coaches and Player of the Year
There was more than a bit of uncertainty entering the 2020-21 high school football season. The biggest question of all: Would the season even be played as the coronavirus pandemic raged into the winter months?
Players and coaches certainly wanted to play, even after a regular start in the fall was called off. Many parents felt the same way.
Even a shortened season was OK by most.
Finally, teams got the go-ahead for an abbreviated schedule that kicked off in March.
And it was a success.
Seniors got the send-offs they deserved and an exciting season unfolded, with Buchanan High emerging atop The Bee’s final Central Section rankings, highlighted by a streak-busting Week 2 win over Central.
But there was so much more, as teams throughout the section gave it their all.
Here is The Fresno Bee’s salute to the best of the best with our annual All-Area Football Team, including the Player and co-Coaches of the Year and the full offensive and defensive teams.
Selections were made with the help of nominations submitted by Fresno-area coaches.
Player of the Year
The best team also had the top player, as two-way star Hayden Petersen is The Bee’s All-Area Player of the Year after helping the Bears roll to their first Tri-River Athletic Conference title since 2009.
“We really got close all summer while we were waiting for a season,” Petersen said of the champs’ tight bond, perhaps only strengthened by the COVID-forced delay. “I hate saying, ‘Oh yeah, I had a great season,’ (because) I wouldn’t be able to do it without my teammates.
“It felt good beating Central and getting over that hump, just getting that feeling if we beat them that we have a good shot at winning the TRAC championship.”
The 6-foot, 190-pound safety and wide receiver was instrumental in the Bears’ 5-0 finish, with all of the games against conference foes.
Petersen had three touchdown catches and 51 total tackles, 30 of which were unassisted.
He was the TRAC Most Valuable Player.
“Made an impact on defense, special teams and on offense,” Bears coach Matt Giordano said. “Tough young man who plays the game the way it is supposed to be played. Amazing football player and a great young man.”
Co-Coaches of the Year
Giordano’s team rolled from start to finish, even if it had to survive a couple of close calls. It took Sanger and Jorge Pena a week to find their groove.
With each leading their teams to titles in the area’s two toughest leagues, they share The Bee’s Coach of the Year award.
Giordano led his Bears to the TRAC crown and an undefeated season, including the late-game win over then-No. 1 Central at Deran Koligan Stadium and a 45-38 victory over Clovis that wasn’t secured until the final 2 minutes.
Rival coaches were left impressed.
“What they did this year — probably on paper, seemingly not having that marquee guy even though they’re still talented —they were able to pull out those close wins,” Clovis North’s Mike Jacot said.
“Couple years ago they went the other way, whether it’s De La Salle or Central. This year, they pulled those (games) out. Given the year that we had with so much down time and seniors going sideways, he was able to get that group to rally together and compete well. They did a really good job.”
Giordano said it was because he was “blessed with amazing players and coaches.”
“I was also blessed with amazing parents and a community that wanted those senior boys to play and our team to play. They never questioned practice times or anything that we did to turn it around when it comes to our (coronavirus) pod protocols. Every single time we told them we had to go get tested, they responded in a positive way.
“I’m very fortunate enough to coach an amazing team and amazing group of boys and to be part of an amazing community. If I’m getting this award, it’s not because of what I did. It’s because of what the players, coaches around me and the community did.”
Pena nearly matched Giordano’s perfection, but instead had to persevere through a setback to start the season.
The Apaches opened with a nonleague loss to Kingsburg but quickly refocused on their top goal: winning the County/Metro Athletic Conference.
Sanger finished 4-1, including a 28-21 win at San Joaquin Memorial to clinch the outright CMAC title.
“We were looking forward to winning the CMAC,” Pena said. “To their credit, they bounced back. We had Bullard and we bounced back emotionally and (that) said a lot about the team. We talked about CMAC and what we had in front of us.
“We knew we were a good football team. They did a good job. It was a long journey for us. It was from bottom of the bottom, to the top of the top. This is going to be a team remembered for a long time. Really showed the true character of our team after the win against Memorial.”
Bullard coach Don Arax’s Knights lost to Sanger 14-6.
“They had a nice run,” Arax said. “They lost their first game and they won all the rest. They don’t beat us all that often. Physically, they took it to us a little bit.”
Fans vote
In The Bee’s Spring Football Player of the Year fan vote, Central QB D.J. Stevenson won with 49.1%. He finished ahead of Clovis East kicker Bryant Thao who finished with 40.8%.
Others: Hanford DE Mason Brosseau (3.3%), San Joaquin Memorial QB/DB T.J. Hall (1.8%), Clovis RB Tristan Risley (1.5%), Reedley WR Mike Rios (1.1%), Buchanan RB Caden Rodgers (0.5%), Sanger DE Gabriel Olmos (0.4%), SJM RB Jordan Hornbeak (0.3%), Buchanan S Hayden Petersen (0.3%), Hanford CB/WR Noah Noyola (0.7%), Sanger LB Alan Pelayo (0.1%).
.png "Screenshot (139).png")
The All-Area team
After reaching out to Fresno-area coaches, here are The Bee’s All-Area Offensive and Defensive teams. (Players are listed at only one position, even though most were standouts on both sides of the ball):
Quarterbacks: Nate Johnson, Clovis, Jr.; D.J. Stevenson, Central, Sr.; Lawrence Stell, Washington Union, Jr.; John Pena, Sanger, Sr.; Trent Calvert, Dos Palos, Jr.; Cayden Muir, Hanford, So.; Jett Jackson, Kingsburg, Sr.; Jayden Mandal, Buchanan, So.; Joey Ramirez, Selma, Sr.; Juan Cejia, Mendota, So.; Evan Lara, Orosi, Sr.. Trenten Babb, Caruthers, Sr.; Herman Luna III, Corcoran, Sr.; Michael Iriye, Mission Oak, Jr.; Ty Chambers, Lemoore, So.; Junior Cervantes, Woodlake, Jr.; Hector Davila, Immanuel, Jr.
Running backs: Jordan Hornbeak, San Joaquin Memorial, Sr.; Tristan Risley, Clovis, Jr.; Blake Spomer, Kingsburg, Sr.; Lutrell Young, Hanford, Sr.; Dominic Martinez, Orosi, Sr.; Ryan Warkentin, Reedley, Jr.; Caden Rodgers, Buchanan, Jr.; Aaron Oliveras, Selma, Sr.; Aaron Moreno, Selma, Sr.; Nick Anselmo, Liberty-Madera Ranchos, Sr.; Isaac Romero, Riverdale, So.; Rasheed Norman, Edison, Jr.; Rolando Holmes, Tulare Western, Sr.; Herman Alvarado-Zamora, McLane, Sr.; Andrew Lopez, Chowchilla, Sr.; Danny Ferrer, Coalinga, Sr.; Josiah Reyes, Dinuba, Sr.; Calvin Ervin, Washington Union, Sr.
Wide receivers: Austin Arroyo, Buchanan, Sr.; Aaron Blancas, Selma, Sr.; Isaiah Howard, Clovis West, Sr.; Mike Rios, Reedley, Sr.; Joe Theus, Roosevelt, Sr.; Luke Dillon, Sanger, Sr.; Tyrece Fairly, Edison, Jr.; Willie James, Tulare Union, Sr.; Raul Medrano, Madera, Sr.; Daizon Allen, Bullard, Jr.; Nahzae Cox, Fresno, Jr.; Devon Murphy, Mendota, Jr.; Aidan Rodriguez, Orosi, Sr.; Gage Armbruster, Corcoran, So.; Anthony Ledesma, Mission Oak, Jr.; Demel Turner, Lemoore, So.; Anthony Salinas, Farmersville, Jr.; Jayden Green, Washington Union, Sr.; Noah Noyola, Hanford
Tight ends: Kaden Tate, Kingsburg, Sr.; Josiah Flores, Selma, Sr.; Cade Griggs, Riverdale, Sr.; Waleed Escheik, Chowchilla, Sr.
Offensive linemen: Ben Torres, Caruthers, Sr.; Manuel Hernandez, Madera, Jr.; Kevin Cisneros, San Joaquin Memorial, Sr.; Hector Cisneros, San Joaquin Memorial, Sr.; Brayden Hall, San Joaquin Memorial, So.; Bohdi Gonsalves, Kingsburg, Sr.; Kasen James, Central, Sr.; Jaden Munoz, Sanger, Sr.; Nathan Bohlken, Reedley; Javier Torro, Kerman, Sr.; Thomas Crawford, Chowchilla, Jr.; Devin Delgado, Madera South, Sr.; OL Andrew Weins, Clovis North, Sr.; Isaiah Torres, Dinuba, Sr.
Defensive linemen: Mason Brosseau, Hanford, Sr.; Jordan Guzman, Corcoran, Sr.; Jaedon Moore, Central Valley Christian, So.; Ricky Garcia, Madera, Sr.; Juan Sanchez, Reedley; Aric Eades, San Joaquin Memorial, Sr.; Marcel Sanders, Clovis West, Sr.; Derek Moreland, Clovis West, Sr.; Todd Weaver, Selma, Sr.; Gabriel Olmos, Sanger, Sr.; Richard Garcia, Clovis East, Sr.; Jeff Armstrong, Central, Sr.; Todd Weaver, Selma, Sr.; T’ky Posey, Bullard, Sr.; Michael Machado, Tulare Western, Sr.; Jordan Lopez, Fowler, Sr.; Isaiah Morales, Lemoore, So.; Malachi Vasquez, Sierra, Sr.; Matthew McGee, Sierra, Sr.
Linebackers: Keanu Kuma, Washington Union, Jr.; David Contreras, Roosevelt, Jr.; Zack Lampa, Reedley; Jaiden Young, Tulare Union, So.; Jon Ambrose, Selma, Sr.; Alan Pelayo, Sanger, Jr.; Jeremiah Shelton, Central, Jr.; Tavion Walker, Bullard, Sr.; Noah Barajas, Sunnyside, Sr.; Danny Olivera, Firebaugh, Jr.; Deegan Brookes, Coalinga, Fr.; Erik Gomez, Coalinga, Jr.; Luis Lopez, Corcoran, Sr.; Michael Kawagoe, Immanuel, Sr.
Defensive backs: Imari Conley, Central, So.; Logan Wattenbarger, Madera, Jr.; Andrew Lopez, Roosevelt, Jr.; Steven Perez, Roosevelt, So.; Brandon Ramirez, San Joaquin Memorial, So.; Carlos Mack, Edison, Jr.; Camryn Bracha, Buchanan, Sr.; Isaiah Becerril, Sanger, Sr.; Jacob Tafoya, Clovis East, Sr.; Jordan Guzman, Corcoran, Sr.; Richie Diaz, Lindsay, Jr.; Jaekown Haynie-Merza, Firebaugh, Jr.; Estevan Rodriguez, Fowler, Sr.; Noah Conner, Sierra, Sr.; Eddie Stokes, Sierra, Sr.; Mason Bell, Chowchilla, Jr.; Alberto Torres, Madera South, Sr.; Jaiden Davis, Bullard
Athlete/Specialists: Dominic Castaneda, Liberty-Madera Ranchos, Jr.; Austin Arroyo, Buchanan, Sr.; Bryant Thao, Clovis East, Sr.; TJ Hall, San Joaquin Memorial; Michael Jacot, Clovis North, Sr.
This story was originally published June 20, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
