Santa Barbara High football’s 9-3 season and appearance in the CIF Division 4 Quarterfinals was rewarded with plenty of recognition on the All-Channel League teams, including four Players of the Year.
After winning Offensive Player of the Year last season, Abel Renteria was named the Co-QB of the Year alongside Pacifica’s Dom Duran.
Renteria got it done through the air and on the ground, throwing for 16 touchdowns and rushing for 10 while accumulating 2,337 yards of offense.
His weapons were given their flowers as well, as Koa Herrera was honored as the league’s Running Back of the Year and Kai Mault received the title of Utility Player of the Year.
Herrera led the league with 927 rushing yards and totaled 11 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Mault was a big play waiting to happen all season long, ending the year with 53 catches for 722 yards and six total touchdowns.
In the trenches, Malachi Johnston rounded out the Dons honorees after being named the Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year for the Channel League. He shared the award with Aufaga Peapea of Pacifica.
As for the other individual awards, Pacifica earned six, including Duran and Peapea. The league’s MVP was given to Josh Joyner, Isaiah Dillon won Wide Receiver of the Year, DayDay Aupiu earned Defensive MVP and Linebacker of the Year went to Budder Aina.
Rio Mesa registered a pair of individual awards as JJ Bittner was the league’s Offensive MVP and Chance Harrison was the Defensive Back of the Year.
Ventura’s Bronson Seiler rounded out the individual awards as the Defensive Lineman of the Year.
Channel League Champion Pacifica was named the Coaching Staff of the Year after a perfect league season of 8-0, defeating opponents by an average of 31 points per game.
While the Dons highlighted the individual awards, every local team was well-represented in the All-Channel League teams.
First-Team Offense
Santa Barbara: QB Abel Renteria, RB Koa Herrera, WR Kai Mault, WR Winston Bartley, OL Malachi Johnston
San Marcos: WR Luke Crawford
Dos Pueblos: RB Kaleb Williams
First-Team Defense
Santa Barbara: DB Jacobo Nevarez, LB Michael Cabral, DB DJ Wilson, LB Bode Fauskee, DB Monty Lopez
San Marcos: LB Brody Branstetter
Dos Pueblos: LB Nathaniel Huerta
Second-Team Offense
Santa Barbara: OL AJ Gomez, WR Tomas Gil, WR Jack Holdren
San Marcos: RB Nathan Jones, OL Dante Bruice
Dos Pueblos: WR Micah Barnhart, OL Juan Carlos Contreras
Second-Team Defense
Santa Barbara: LB Sammy Perez, DB Jordan Mitchum
San Marcos: LB Kyle Rivas, DL Manny Verdugo
Dos Pueblos: DB Zac Gesswein, DB Matthew Welch
Honorable Mentions
Santa Barbara: DL Damian Stehno, OL Adrian Chavez
San Marcos: RB/DB Joseph Herrera, LB Diego Hernandez
Dos Pueblos: LB/TE Roman Alonzo, DL/TE Iyad Ahman-Reda
