The votes are in, and the 209 has made its choice. The Martin Dentistry Football Athlete of the Week for Week 10 is Chavez running back Joel Donnell.
Donnell jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, winning with 3,404 votes — nearly 58% of the total. East Union running back Brayden Camara finished close behind with 1,556 votes.
When Joel Donnell transferred to Chavez from McNair, expectations were high. He was already one of the area’s top backs — talented, experienced, proven. Many players in his position might have made that known.
Instead, he arrived levelheaded, focused on helping a team that already knew how to win. Donnell didn’t come in trying to take over. He came in to belong. No ego. No sense of entitlement. Just a senior who bought into what the Titans were building.
That mindset has helped turn Chavez’s offense into something different. The Titans were great last season — but with Donnell, they’ve become complete. He gives them power between the tackles, speed on the edges and a threat in the passing game that defenses haven’t figured out how to stop.
Chavez coach Derek Graves called him not only the best running back in Stockton, but in Northern California back in Week 2 — and somehow, he’s only gotten better since.
In what came to be the league championship game against Stagg, Donnell rushed for 225 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries and added another score through the air. Chavez rolled to a 42-0 win, securing back-to-back rivalry victories and another league title.
It was a statement night, but also a reflection of how Donnell approaches every week — steady, confident and consistent. His play hasn’t just changed games; it’s reshaped expectations for what Chavez football can be.
That standard has drawn attention beyond Stockton, too. Weber State recently extended a Division I offer, the first of what could be many for a player who’s proven he has both the talent and the mindset to succeed anywhere.
After the win, Donnell finally let himself look at the trophy sitting behind the bench — the same one that wasn’t his to celebrate a year ago. This time, it was. Because without him, it’s hard to imagine Chavez being exactly where it is now.
“I’m so happy I made the change,” Donnell said. “It’s a real amped-up energy inside of me. It makes me so happy — my last year, going out with a bang.”
He added, “It is like a dream come true.”
Here’s a look at the past winners:
Original story: Each week during the 2025 San Joaquin County high school football season, The Record will honor one standout player with the Martin Dentistry Football Athlete of the Week award.
The winner is decided by you, the readers.
The Martin Dentistry award highlights the top performances from 209-area schools. This week’s ballot features seven nominees from Stockton, Manteca, Tracy and Lathrop.
Everyone is encouraged to submit nominations for the upcoming week to dackermann@gannett.com.
The poll at the bottom of this page closes at noon on Thursday. There are no voting restrictions, so vote now and vote often.
Here are Week 10’s nominees (Athletes listed in alphabetical order by last name).
Christian Balderrama, Wide Receiver/Cornerback, Merrill West
Good luck catching him. Good luck beating him.
Merrill West senior Christian Balderrama did it all in a 41-6 rout of Franklin — five catches, 191 yards, two touchdowns, and a lockdown performance on defense.
He torched Franklin’s secondary, then flipped the script and shut down its best receiver.
Every route he ran created space; every route he covered closed it.
Speed is one thing. IQ is another. Balderrama has both.
Brayden Camara, Running Back, East Union
The crowd knew it. His teammates knew it. Even Mountain House knew it — Brayden Camara wasn’t slowing down.
The East Union senior running back saved his best for last, tearing through the Mustangs for 249 yards and five touchdowns on 18 carries in a 55-21 win.
Camara needed 30 yards to hit 1,000 for the season. He got that before the end of the first quarter, and by the time the scoreboard hit zero, he’d added another line to the school record book.
His first 200-yard game came in the Lancers’ third season ever with more than seven wins — and with it, a program record 23 rushing touchdowns.
For a team in the middle of one of its best seasons ever, Camara’s dominance was the perfect finishing touch.
Daryl Carpenter, Quarterback, River Island
Every young program needs a player who believes before the results come. For River Island, that’s Daryl Carpenter.
In just River Island’s second varsity season, the junior quarterback has become the face of its rise. He’s steady, confident and dangerous anywhere on the field — what coaches call a true dual threat.
Against Riverbank, Carpenter showed why, rushing for 120 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing for 149 yards and another score.
He’s posted 291 passing yards and three touchdowns in a game, three rushing touchdowns in another and back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances.
Four wins may not tell the full story, but with Carpenter under center, the Riptide already look like a program built to last.
Joel Donnell, Running Back, Chavez
On Chavez’s sideline, a gray bench sat just behind the players. Resting on it was the “Chavez vs. Stagg” rivalry trophy.
The Titans reclaimed it last year, ending a five-year stretch of watching it sit across the field.
Donnell walked right by, eyes forward — no look, no nod. That was someone else’s story, someone else’s celebration.
This year, in a game that would decide the league champion once again, it became his. The McNair transfer rushed for 225 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries and added a receiving score.
Up 28-0 and on their way to a 42-0 win, he finally glanced at it.
“It is like a dream come true,” Donnell said.
David Grisham, Running Back, Tracy
The math was simple. Win, and the season continued into the section tournament. Lose, and it was off to a bowl game.
David Grisham felt the weight of it all. Last year, he watched from junior varsity as Tracy struggled through two wins and a season that ended too soon.
With the Bulldogs’ fate on the line, he took control.
Grisham ran through Kimball’s defense for 202 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, adding a 35-yard reception to cap his best game yet — his first 200-yard performance.
When the final horn sounded, Tracy was moving on — and Grisham had done what he’s done all year: change the game.
Diego Hernandez, Running Back, St. Mary’s
Lincoln week. Rivalry week. Diego Hernandez week.
The St. Mary’s senior running back tore through the Trojans for 231 yards and five touchdowns on 27 carries, leading the Rams to a 54-41 win — and their 20th straight over Lincoln.
It’s becoming a tradition: his best game last season came against Lincoln, and this year, he topped it again.
Each carry hit with more force. Each cut looked sharper. Each drive built louder. He met the moment with power and precision, setting career highs across the board.
Maybe it’s the air. Maybe it’s the sight of red and black. Either way, Lincoln week always brings out Hernandez’s best.
Devin Rasmussen, Quarterback, Edison
Not one. Not two. Not three. Not four. Not five. Not six. Seven.
In his final game at Magnasco Stadium, Edison quarterback Devin Rasmussen made sure it would be one to remember.
The senior needed only 11 throws to rack up 393 yards and seven touchdowns in a 56-17 win over Lodi. He had thrown five touchdowns three times before, but seven was a first.
Each throw seemed to travel farther than the last, drawing gasps and smiles from the stands with every score.
By sunrise, Rasmussen’s phone buzzed with a scholarship offer from Langston University, an NAIA program in Oklahoma.
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This article originally appeared on The Record: Meet the winner of the Martin Dentistry Football Athlete of the Week for Week 10
Reporting by Dylan Ackermann, The Stockton Record / The Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
