The votes are in, and the 209 has made its choice. The Jan. 26-31 Martin Dentistry Boys Basketball Athlete of the Week is River Island guard Charles Mapanao.
From the jump, Mapanao let it fly. He buried the competition with 23,705 votes — nearly 57% of the total. Delta Charter forward Jaylen West pushed the pace but finished second with 16,112 votes.
Some players create space. Charles Mapanao turns it into points.
The River Islands guard has been a central piece of the team’s eight-game winning streak, stretching defenses with his range and making teams pay when they lose track of him.
Mapanao’s shooting has arrived at the right moment. As River Islands has gained momentum, his confidence from deep has followed, turning spacing into scoring and runs into separation.
That rhythm peaked Jan. 27 in a 65-52 win over Ben Holt College Prep Academy. Mapanao delivered his sharpest shooting night of the stretch, scoring 20 points while knocking down six 3-pointers on 10 attempts.
The performance wasn’t an outlier. It came after earlier outings of 15 points with three made 3s and 16 points with five more, part of a steady scoring pattern that defenses have struggled to disrupt.
He stayed hot again Jan. 30. In a 54-33 win over ALHA, Mapanao scored 15 points, connecting on five 3-pointers and helping River Islands maintain control from the perimeter.
What makes his shooting so valuable is how it shapes the floor. Defenders can’t sag, rotations arrive late, and openings appear elsewhere — all because Mapanao commands attention beyond the arc.
Over the course of the season, the production has added up. Mapanao now has 65 made 3-pointers through 23 games, averaging 2.8 per contest.
His efficiency has remained steady as well. He’s shooting 39.6% from deep, a mark that reflects both volume and reliability.
For River Islands, that consistency has been crucial. When possessions matter and spacing becomes tight, Mapanao’s shot has provided release — and during this winning streak, it’s helped define the difference between control and chaos.
Here’s a look at the past winners:
Original story: All season long in 2025-26, The Record will shine a weekly spotlight on one standout through the Martin Dentistry Boys Basketball Athlete of the Week award.
We’ll lay out the stats and performances. You pick the player who owned the week and deserves the crown.
The Martin Dentistry Athlete of the Week award is all about the best boys performances from 209-area schools, and this week’s debut ballot features six nominees from Stockton, Tracy, Lathrop, Ripon and Lodi.
Have a player you think belongs on next week’s list? Send nominations to dackermann@gannett.com.
Scroll to the poll at the bottom of this page and cast your vote before noon Thursday, Feb. 5. There are no limits, so vote now — and vote often.
Here are the boys basketball nominees for Jan. 26-31 (Athletes listed in alphabetical order by last name):
Romello Bruhn, guard, Weston Ranch
When the ball finds a near-3,000-point scorer late, everyone else knows what to do — step back.
Weston Ranch leaned into that reality on Jan. 30 against Edison, a win that all but secured the SJAA title, trusting its star when the pressure peaked.
Romello Bruhn took over, ripping off 13 straight points in the fourth quarter on his way to a 38-point night.
It was his third-highest scoring night of the season, trailing only a 51-point eruption against McNair on Jan. 21 and a 40-point performance versus Stagg on Jan. 23.
Just three days earlier, Bruhn had scored 34 points in a 118-38 win over Franklin. Averaging 29.8 points per game, Bruhn continues to separate himself as one of the greatest scorers the Sac-Joaquin Section has seen — and he’s only getting better with each game.
Charles Mapanao, guard, River Island
Shooters shoot, and Charles Mapanao does exactly that.
The River Islands guard has been a key piece of the team’s eight-game winning streak, stretching defenses and punishing teams that lose track of him.
His shooting has peaked at the right time, turning spacing into points and momentum into wins.
In a 65-52 win over BHCPA on Jan. 27, Mapanao delivered his best shooting night of the stretch, scoring 20 points on six made 3-pointers in 10 attempts. That came after earlier outings of 15 points with three 3s and 16 points with five more. He stayed hot Jan. 30, scoring 15 points on five made 3s in a 54-33 win over ALHA.
For the season, Mapanao now has 65 made 3-pointers in 23 games, averaging 2.8 per contest while shooting 39.6% from deep.
James Lappe, guard, Elliot Christian
Ten made 3-pointers. Read it again. Ten made 3-pointers.
James Lappe caught absolute fire Jan. 27, burying 10 3-pointers and scoring 32 points in a 75-62 loss to Tioga, refusing to let Elliot Christian go quietly.
The junior guard has been doing that all year for the discipleship school in Lodi, carrying the offense possession after possession.
The record may sit at 4-12, but the numbers are loud. Lappe is averaging 17.6 points per game and has knocked down 58 threes in just 16 games.
He already had three games with six threes and one with seven, but this was different. Ten made 3-pointers is a number rarely seen — and likely unmatched — anywhere in the county this season.
Damarion McDonald, center, Chavez
Some stat lines don’t need explanation — they demand attention.
Twenty against West on Dec. 9. Twenty-four against Gonzales on Dec. 12. Twenty-four more against Franklin on Dec. 18. Twenty-three against Foothill on Jan. 9. Then 28 against Stagg on Jan. 12.
This week didn’t reach those peaks, but it was still dominant by any normal standard.
In a 50-48 win over Tokay on Jan. 28, McDonald hauled in 16 rebounds to go with six points, once again tilting the game with effort and positioning.
What makes the run even more impressive is that basketball isn’t his main sport. McDonald was named the SJAA Defensive Player of the Year just a month ago, and he’s now averaging 16 rebounds per game — a total that ranks 15th in the country, according to MaxPreps.
Jake Vander Veen, guard, Ripon Christian
Everything Ripon Christian does starts with Jake Vander Veen.
The senior point guard dictates pace, finds shooters in rhythm and knows exactly when it’s time to look for his own offense — never rushed, never forced.
That balance showed again Jan. 28 in a 76-49 win, when Vander Veen posted 19 points, five rebounds and seven assists.
Two days later, he delivered nearly the same performance, finishing with 18 points, five rebounds and seven assists as Ripon Christian kept rolling.
The consistency is striking. Vander Veen is averaging 19.8 points per game, has scored in double figures in all 23 games this season and has been held under 15 points just four times. Ripon Christian is now 8-0 in league play, and with four games left, Vander Veen has them positioned for what seems to be no worse than a share of the TVL championship.
Jaylen West, forward, Delta Charter
Who is Delta Charter?
Beyond being a charter school located in Tracy, it’s where Jaylen West walks around stacking double-doubles and swatting shots like it’s routine.
Even in losses, West’s impact is unmistakable. In a 60-27 loss to Stockton Christian on Jan. 26, he posted 10 points, six rebounds, five assists and five blocks.
Three days later, he delivered one of his strongest all-around performances, finishing with 18 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists and two blocks in a 72-53 loss to Tioga.
Delta Charter sits at 1-8, but West hasn’t wavered, averaging 14.9 points, 14.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 4.2 blocks while continuing to lift his team with relentless effort.
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This article originally appeared on The Record: Meet the Martin Dentistry Basketball Athlete of the Week for Jan. 26-31
Reporting by Dylan Ackermann, The Stockton Record / The Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
