Merced High standout named Sun-Star Football Player of the Year after championship, MVP season

Jalonn Booth grew up going to Merced High School football games. When he finally got to wear the black and orange in high school, it meant something special to him.

So capping off his high school career by helping the Bears win the Central California Conference championship and being named the conference MVP was important.

“I’ve been playing football for Merced since I was six years old,” Booth said. “It’s been a long run in the Bears uniform with a jersey that says ‘Merced.’ It’s small-town football. All I ever wanted to do was play for the orange and black.”

After his stellar senior year Booth is the Merced Sun-Star Football Player of the Year.

How much does the orange and black run through Booth?

He’s having a hard time when certain college recruiters are calling. Good luck if your school colors are red or blue or you have the wrong mascot.

“I grew up hating the color red,” Booth said. “I hate the color blue. It’s weird if a college with a mascot of a Cougar or any bird calls. It’s something I got to get used to, it’s part of my personality.”

Booth became the first four-year varsity player under longtime Merced coach Rob Scheidt. Booth’s size, speed and strength catapulted him up to the varsity level as a freshman.

“It would have been a disservice for him and for us to play him down as a freshman,” Scheidt said. “When we initially started evaluating him it was during the COVID season. But the way he moved, how big he was — he weighed over 250 pounds — it was best for him to play with us at the varsity level.”

“He’s never not been voted first team on both sides of the ball,” Scheidt added.

Scheidt says Booth jumps off the video when you watch Merced games.

He’s rarely blocked and plays sideline to sideline.

“There’s not a play out of his reach,” Scheidt said. “We moved him around a lot but we wanted to move him more. Wherever we played him he made an impact on the game.”

Booth bought into Scheidt’s coaching tenets early on: love, trust and commitment.

Booth has never focused on postseason accolades. His focus was becoming the best player he could and helping his team win.

“I tried to be great,” Booth said. “Coach Scheidt talks about how great players make their teammates around them better and that’s what I wanted to do.”

Winning a CCC championship in his final season made his final year special.

“After every summer work out I would think we’re doing this for a reason,” Booth said. “I don’t want to be the guy who loses to Patterson again.”

Water Polo

Blake Slocum, Merced

Blake Slocum grew up in the water. The Merced High School junior was born into a water polo family.

His mother Katie played water polo at UCLA and his father Steve was part of a Sac-Joaquin Section championship team at Merced High and played at Merced College.

“My family is a massive water polo family,” said Blake Slocum. “My three other siblings all play water polo.”

So it’s no surprise Blake Slocum excels in the pool. The Bears star was named the Central California Conference MVP after scoring 92 goals in 30 games this season to help lead Merced to the playoffs.

Slocum is also the Merced Sun-Star Boys Water Polo Player of the Year.

“I would like to take credit for some of this, but his pedigree, with Katie Slocum (Tenebaum) and Steve Slocum as parents, is really where this young man has learned to do things the right way both in and out of the water,” said Merced coach Stephen Eccles. “Both parents swam and/or played polo for me as seniors in high school, both went to section finals and were All-Americans, and then went on to achieve much more in college.”

Eccles credits Blake Slocum’s tireless work ethic and character for his success.

“He is strong, fast, and in great shape,” Eccles said. “He has an excellent water polo IQ, but is humble, coachable and willing to learn.”

Slocum averaged over three goals per game despite being at the top of every team’s scouting report. He drew the top defender every game and still found a way to dominate.

“As our center he takes the most punishment and draws the most attention, often being dropped on and double teamed,” Eccles said. “He is long, strong, and mobile which makes him a tough guard.”

The Bears won the CCC championship after a perfect 12-0 run through conference place. Merced outscored their conference opponents 178 to 69. The Bears scored 10 or more goals in every CCC game.

The Bears did all of this with a young team that should be even better next season.

Merced will have Slocum back leading the way.

“It was a great season,” Slocum said. “I give major props to my teammates and my coach. Water polo is a team sport and without them we wouldn’t have had the great season that we had.”

Cross Country

Jeffery Mendonca, Hilmar

Eight seconds kept Hilmar High School junior Jeffery Mendonca from reaching his goal of qualifying for the CIF State Cross Country Championships.

Those eight seconds are going serve as motivation for Mendonca to train for his senior year.

“I want to be the best in my league,” Mendonca said. “I want to make it to state. Missing out by eight seconds this year was really hard.”

Mendonca was one of the top athletes in the Trans-Valley League and Merced County. Mendonca is the Merced Sun-Star Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year.

“Jeff is already back on it,” said Hilmar coach Howard Tremble. “He has been running workouts with fellow teammates since he missed State by one place in a very difficult division at sections this year. So everyone better be prepared. He has the taste of success, and he’s hungry for more.”

Mendonca turned it on toward the end of the season, posting his top times when it mattered most.

The Yellowjackets junior finished third at the Trans-Valley League championships with a time of 17 minutes, 15.44 seconds.

Mendonca finished seventh at the Sac-Joaquin Section Sub-Section and Section championships with times of 16:56.8 and 17:08.6, respectively.

“The plan in Hilmar (cross country) is to always finish strong with heart and passion,” Tremble said. “His late season surge was based on his work ethic and determination that he could run with the best runners in our section.”

Mendonca started running cross country in middle school to try another sport besides baseball.

After some success as a freshman he started working harder at conditioning and improving his times.

“After that first year I kind of realized I can do this pretty well,” Mendonca said. “I started running five miles a day during the summer. I dropped my times and it became a serious thing.”

Mendonca is determined to become the best runner he can and wants to become one of the top runners in the TVL and ultimately the section.

“Jeff’s success, as always, came down to his hard work, and being able to push himself to new limits,” Tremble said. “He has forged great relationships with his teammates, and they have worked collectively to keep progressing to our schools best-ever season. What sets Jeff apart is that he’s not afraid to push to his limit, and fail for growth and this year is a showcase of his resolve to being a top runner in high school.”

All-Area Teams

Football

QB — Quintell Dupree, Merced

QB — David Herrera, Los Banos

QB — Peyton Van Worth, Dos Palos

RB — Chase Smith, Merced

RB — Andre Flores, Dos Palos

RB — Alexis Granados, Le Grand

RB — Logan Cardoso, Hilmar

WR — Jonah White, Golden Valley

WR — Reyes Diaz, Le Grand

WR — Jeremy Garcia, Merced

TE — Jiovanni Perez, Golden Valley

OL — Alejandro Duran, Golden Valley

OL — Maxwell Coleman, Atwater

OL — Jackson Silva, Los Banos

OL — Alex Cardenas, Hilmar

OL — Nayen Lua, Le Grand

Utility — Caden Bailey, Hilmar

Utility — Davian Stephenson, Chowchilla

Defense

DL — Anthony Nixon, Merced

DL — Jett Lindeman, Los Banos

DL — Jacob Coronado, Golden Valley

DL — Jalonn Booth, Merced

LB — Anthony Mendoza, Merced

LB — Cole Ramos, Los Banos

LB —Devin Colston, Hilmar

DB — Diego Ultreras, El Capitan

DB — Adarias Morales-Saetern, Merced

DB — Grayson Soto, Atwater

DB — Cade Torres, Los Banos

Utility — Daijon O’Neil, Stone Ridge Christian

K — Jesus Bon, Dos Palos

Water Polo

Grayson Groth, Buhach Colony

Cooper Thomas, El Capitan

Reid McCall, Merced

Andrew Wendel, Buhach Colony

Drew Palumbo, Buhach Colony

Michael Brown, El Capitan

Andrew Major, Golden Valley

Eli Hamm, Merced

Matthew King, Merced

Cross Country

Nathan Trejo, Atwater

Jesse Deniz, Merced

Adrian Quezada, Atwater

Kirolios Kozman, Buhach Colony

Cristian Lucatero, Livingston

Anthony Aguilar, Livingston

Jace Campos, Pacheco