The top male athletes from area schools were part of historic fall seasons for their respective programs.

Lathrop junior Pablo Peña is the Manteca Bulletin All-Area Football MVP after leading the Spartans to their first-ever league championship and their deepest postseason run.

Brody Biedermann spearheaded Ripon’s water polo team to its first California Interscholastic Federation title after playing a key role in the Indians winning Sac-Joaquin Section crowns during each of his first three years.

In cross country, Valley Oak League individual titlist Oscar Angel will leave Manteca with several record times and two CIF State Championship appearances.

Peña shouldered the load for Lathrop’s Wing-T offense in some of the team’s biggest games and was a force in the middle of the formidable defensive front.

The burly fullback/linebacker set a new single-season program record with 148 points scored and 24 total touchdowns. He rushed for a team-high 1,043 yards (5.7 per carry) and compiled 100 tackles (14 for losses), one interception and a fumble recovery on defense.

Lathrop (10-2) spread the wealth among its loaded backfield throughout the season, as the Spartans went undefeated in seven Western Athletic Conference games. They leaned on the 6-foot, 215-pound Peña in the postseason, as he he had season-highs in carries in both of his team’s SJS Division V playoff games.

Lathrop steamrolled small-school power Hilmar 35-14 in the quarterfinal round, with Peña amassing 189 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. He also recorded eight tackles and a pass break-up defensively.

A week later, the Spartans again went toe-to-toe with another tradition-rich program in Sutter, falling short on the rain-soaked Yuba College field, 21-19. Peña did all he could with his 22 rushes, grinding out 92 yards and two touchdowns. Lathrop managed to stay in the fight after two botched snaps on special teams led to touchdowns for the host Huskies, but Peña and the Spartans were ultimately stopped short on a late two-point conversion attempt to tie it.

Peña had his best defensive efforts in big games. He collected 10 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery to help Lathrop escape Sierra 28-24 in a zero-week revenge win. He then racked up 13, 11 and 17 tackles against Pacheco, Johansen and Livingston, the Spartans’ chief rivals in the WAC. His 17-tackle effort at Livingston helped the Spartans clinch their first conference title.

Here’s the rest of the All-Area Football Team:

Offensive Player of the Year

Nikko Juarez, Manteca, So.: The Buffaloes’ talented tailback was one of the top rushers (1,508 yards, 9.5 per carry, 23 total TDs) in the SJS despite playing parts of two games and missing one entirely with a shoulder injury. Juarez was named to the MaxPreps All-SJS second-team offense.

Defensive Player of the Year

Casyn Hopping, Lathrop, Sr.: After an injury-shortened junior season, this 6-7, 235-pound defensive end broke through in a big way. He led Lathrop with 101 tackles, 35 for losses and was among SJS leaders with 12 sacks. Hopping is the All-WAC Defensive Player of the Year.

Lineman of the Year

Tipeti Paini, Ripon, Jr.: At 5-11, 248 pounds, the starting guard on Ripon’s powerful offensive line managed to stand out in the rough-and-tumble Trans-Valley League. Paini was recognized as the TVL’s Outstanding Offensive Lineman, and he made the all-league first-team defense with 42 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.

Utility Player of the Year

Quinn Martinez, Manteca, Jr.: A big-play threat in all three phases, Martinez earned All-VOL Co-MVP honors and a spot on the MaxPreps All-SJS second-team defense. He flashed all of his tools in a win at Sierra, scoring touchdowns in a competitive first half in four different ways — rushing, receiving, interception return, kickoff return.

Offense: QB — Zak Willson, Sierra, Sr. RB — Brock Felt, Sierra, Sr.; Alex Henry III, River Islands, So. WR — Jackson Fay, East Union, Jr.; Blake Mount, East Union, Sr.; Tali Vaipuna, Sierra, Sr. TE — Josh Miller, Ripon Christian, Sr. OL — Gavin Goodwin, Manteca, Sr.; Jimmy Heida, Ripon Christian, Sr.; Ivan Navarro, Lathrop, Sr.; Josiah Sagapolu, Manteca, Sr.; Ratu Tomasi, Manteca, Sr. K — Trevor Sutton, Sierra, Sr.

Defense: DL — Josh Mellion, Manteca, Sr.; Logan Spear, Ripon, Sr.; Sean Teu, Lathrop, Sr.; Isaiah White, Manteca, Sr. LB — Hoku Ap’e, East Union, Jr.; Kyrin Barajas, Manteca, Jr.; Aaron Hofwegen, Ripon Christian, Jr.; Nazir Jones, Lathrop, Sr.; Logan Lefebvre, Ripon, Sr.; Ruben Moreno, Manteca, Sr. DB — Eddie Anthony, Manteca, Sr.; Amos Cady, Ripon Christian, Jr.; Eliseo Lopez, Lathrop, Jr.

WATER POLO

Brody Biedermann, Ripon, Sr.: Biedermann and his fellow senior Indians narrowly missed out on a fourth consecutive SJS championship, but the heartbreaking 14-13 overtime loss to Rocklin in the Division II final turned out to be a blessing.

That’s because Ripon (29-6) was dropped to Division III for the CIF Northern Regionals and even received the No. 1 seed.

Biedermann signed with the University of the Pacific during the Indians’ postseason run. His end-to-end contributions keyed the NorCal campaign, as he racked up 13 goals, 11 steals and 10 assists in three games. He scored on five of six shot attempts to go with six steals and five assists in the 16-10 NorCal championship win over Los Altos.

Named the VOL MVP, Biedermann amassed 124 goals, 63 assists, 68 steals and 43 blocks for the season.

All-Area Team: Bayan Ballew, Sierra, Jr.; McKeane Beier, Ripon, Sr.; Matt Lee, Ripon, Jr.; Collins Schluer, Sierra, Sr.; Ben Svoboda, Ripon, Sr.; Noah Valdivia, Sierra, Sr.; Teo West, Ripon, Sr.

CROSS COUNTRY

Oscar Angel, Manteca, Sr.: A once-aspiring baseball player, Angel developed a passion for running during his time at Manteca.

He is now the program record holder with the fastest times on 5-kilometer, 4-kilometer and 3-mile courses. Angel also owns his school’s fastest time recorded at the CIF State Championships at Woodward Park, where he placed 26th out of 204 Division II runners in 15 minutes, 38.0 seconds.

Angel qualified for his second state meet by placing sixth in the SJS Championships. He earlier won the SJS Sub-Section Division II race and took first in the VOL Championships.

Angel capped off his cross country season at the Foot Locker West Regionals, placing 179th with a time of 17:47.0 in the competitive Championship division at Mt. San Antonio College.

All-Area Team: Riley Gier, Lathrop, Jr.; Christian Gonzalez, Sierra, Jr.; Rishabh Gopal, Sierra, Sr.; Isaiah Green, Ripon, Sr.; Ernesto Pacheco, Sierra, Sr.