Wes Burford: State Athlete of Year

Oakdale’s Wes Burford topped them all for the 2025-26 school year for breaking CIF Sac-Joaquin Section rushing records in football, for going all the way to a CIF state final in his weight class in wrestling and for shining as a hurdler in track. The Air Force Academy cadet is the first three-sport winner of the state’s top athlete honor since 2010-11 and he’s just the fourth winner from the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section since 1980-81.

For a look at all of the other boys from the 2025-26 school year to be selected as a winner from each category plus lists of other top overall athletes, CLICK HERE.

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By the time Wes Burford finished his senior year at Oakdale High in Stanislaus County, he had put together an athletic resume only a few in California or the nation could match. He broke the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section career rushing record in football, reached the championship match at the CIF State Wrestling Championships and qualified for the section Masters Finals in the hurdles.

Burford just could not be denied being named the Cal-Hi Sports 2026 State Athlete of the Year. He is Oakdale’s first-ever overall State Athlete of the Year, but the school is shown in the all-time athlete archives for having the medium schools winner for 1945-46. That was when future all-time football great Eddie LeBaron was playing for the Mustangs.

The CIF Sac-Joaquin Section also has only had three other winners as Boys State Athlete of the Year since the 1980-81 school year. The last one was track/cross country runner German Fernandez of Riverbank for 2007-08. The only other two have been future MLB Hall of Famer C.C. Sabathia of Vallejo for 1997-98 and sprinter/football star Kevin Willhite from Cordova of Rancho Cordova for 1980-81.

We admit we’ve probably been shying away too much from the three-sport athlete in recent years, but Wes got through it. The last one to get the top honor was Marqise Lee from Serra of Gardena (football, basketball, track) for 2010-11. Sabathia’s Yankees’ teammate, Giancarlo “Mike” Stanton from Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, was a three-sport state athlete of the year a few years earlier. He played football, basketball and baseball.

As a junior, Wes had already shown what kind of all-around athlete he was when he was selected as the Cal-Hi Sports State Medium Schools Athlete of the Year. Choosing a junior for that honor was rare, but his accomplishments made him impossible to overlook. Burford’s senior year made the decision just as clear.

The senior football season was one of the best in the state. The 6-foot, 215-pound running back rushed for 2,867 yards and 42 touchdowns while averaging 9.2 yards per carry. He helped Oakdale finish 11-3 and advance to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D3 championship game. The Mustangs lost 58-52 to Woodcreek of Roseville, but Burford worked his hardest to keep them in the game by carrying the ball 41 times for 176 yards and five touchdowns. His biggest moment of the season came during a 60-46 victory over Valley Oak League rival Central Catholic of Modesto. Burford rushed for 290 yards and five touchdowns while becoming the Sac-Joaquin Section’s all-time leading rusher. The previous record belonged to former Rio Linda standout Cam Skattebo, who rushed for 6,192 yards before playing at Sacramento State and Arizona State. Skattebo was later selected 105th overall by the New York Giants in the 2025 NFL Draft. According to KCRA 3, Burford modeled much of his offensive game after Skattebo.

By the end of his senior season, Burford had pushed the section record to 7,364 yards. He rushed for 1,819 yards as a sophomore, 2,678 as a junior and 2,867 as a senior. Burford’s rise to the top of the section record book began when Oakdale head coach Garrett Martin gave him an opportunity at running back during his sophomore season.

“Martin explained to me, it’s like, imagine there’s a brick wall in front of you. Run straight at it and it’s going to move for you,” Burford told KCRA 3.

The plan clearly worked. Burford averaged 8.0 yards per carry across 916 career rushing attempts and scored 106 total touchdowns. That touchdown total ranks third in Sac-Joaquin Section history and among the top 20 in California history. Of those scores, 101 came on rushing attempts, three on receptions, one on a fumble recovery and one on a kickoff return. Burford also finished his senior year as California’s reported scoring leader with 295 points. He scored 42 touchdowns, ran for 20 two-point conversions and made three extra-point kicks. The most impressive part was his impact was not limited to offense, he would stay on the field as one of Oakdale’s top defensive players, recording 77 tackles, 30 tackles for loss, seven sacks, 29 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one interception during his senior season.

Playing that much on offense and defense would have been enough for most athletes. Burford’s school year, however, was just getting started. Once football ended, he moved into wrestling and started the season ranked No. 1 in California and No. 3 nationally in the 215-pound weight class. Burford won a Sac-Joaquin Section Masters championship and advanced to the title match at the CIF State Wrestling Championships. He finished as the state runner-up, improving on the third-place medal he earned as a junior.

Going from football to wrestling made sense for an athlete with Burford’s strength and physical style. What he did in the spring was more unusual. Rather than moving into throwing events where his strength would have naturally helped him, Burford decided to race in the 110 and 300-meter hurdles for Oakdale’s track and field team. He placed first or second in six of his first seven races in the 110 hurdles. Burford then finished second at both the Valley Oak League Championships and Sac-Joaquin Section D3 finals before placing sixth at the San-Joaquin Section Masters Finals. He recorded a personal-best time of 14.55 seconds in the 110 hurdles. His best time in the 300 hurdles was 40.75 seconds.

Football called for him to carry the ball more than 300 times, run through defenders and remain on the field to play defense. Wrestling required him to compete against some of the best 215-pound athletes in the nation. The hurdles tested his speed, timing and ability to move his 215-pound frame over barriers.

Burford handled his work away from sports as well. He finished with a 4.17 GPA and earned an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy. He’s already in Colorado preparing for the next part of his academic and football career.

With the future looking bright, Wes leaves Oakdale as the section’s career rushing leader, a two-time state wrestling medalist and a Masters finalist in the hurdles. He accomplished all of that while earning a 4.17 GPA and preparing to attend one of the nation’s service academies. Football was his best sport, but it was what Burford accomplished across all three sports and away from competition that separated him from the rest.

ALL-TIME CAL-HI SPORTS
STATE BOYS ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
(Selected by Cal-Hi Sports)

2025-26 – Wes Burford,
Oakdale (football, wrestling, track)
2024-25 – McKay Madsen,
Fresno Clovis North (football, track)
2023-24 – Ryder Dodd,
SJ Capistrano JSerra (water polo)
2022-23 – Rodrick Pleasant,
Gardena Serra (football, track)
2021-22 – Colin Sahlman,
Newbury Park (cross country, track)
2020-21 – Domani Jackson,
Santa Ana Mater Dei (football, track)
2019-20 – Nico Young,
Newbury Park (cross country, track)
2018-19 – Kenan Christon,
San Diego Madison (football, track)
2017-18 – Kazmeir Allen, Tulare (football, track)
2016-17 – Javelin Guidry,
Murrieta Vista Murrieta (football, track)
2015-16 – Michael Norman,
Murrieta Vista Murrieta (track)
2014-15 – T.J. DeFalco, Huntington Beach (volleyball)
2013-14 – Nick Nevills, Clovis (football, wrestling)
2012-13 – Khalfani Muhammad, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (football, track)
2011-12 – Khalfani Muhammad, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (football, track)
2010-11 – Marqise Lee, Gardena Serra (football, basketball, track)
2009-10 – Robert Woods, Gardena Serra (football, track)
2008-09 – Tyler Gaffney, San Diego Cathedral Catholic (football, baseball)
2007-08 – German Fernandez, Riverbank (cross country, track)
2006-07 – Mike (Giancarlo) Stanton, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (footb, bb, baseball)
2005-06 – Chase Budinger, Carlsbad La Costa Canyon (basketball, volleyball)
2004-05 – Drew Shiller, Burlingame (football, basketball, baseball)
2003-04 – Kenny O’Neal, Oakland Skyline (football, track)
2002-03 – Steve Smith, Woodland Hills Taft (football, basketball, track)
2001-02 – Aaron Piersol, Newport Beach Newport Harbor (swimming)
2000-01 – Antwon Guidry, San Jose Leigh (football, basketball, track)
1999-00 – D.J. Williams, Concord De La Salle (football, track)
1998-99 – Chris Lewis, Long Beach Poly (football, volleyball)
1997-98 – C.C. Sabathia, Vallejo (football, basketball, baseball)
1996-97 – Ken-Yon Rambo, Long Beach Poly (football, track)
1995-96 – Chris Claiborne, Riverside J.W. North (football, basketball)
1994-95 – Eric Guerrero, San Jose Independence (wrestling)
1993-94 – McKay Christensen, Fresno Clovis West (football, baseball)
1992-93 – Calvin Harrison, Salinas North Salinas (track, basketball)
1991-92 – Jason Kidd, Alameda St. Joseph (basketball, baseball)
1990-91 – Rob Johnson, El Toro (football, basketball, baseball)
1989-90 – Ryan Hancock, Cupertino Monta Vista (football, baseball)
1988-89 – Lorenzo Neal, Lemoore (football, wrestling)
1987-88 – Adam Keefe, Irvine Woodbridge (basketball, volleyball)
1986-87 – LeRon Ellis, Santa Ana Mater Dei (water polo, basketball, track)
1985-86 – Brian Johnson, Oakland Skyline (football, baseball)
1984-85 – George Porter, Lompoc Cabrillo (basketball, track)
1983-84 – John Williams, L.A. Crenshaw (basketball)
1982-83 – Mike Smith, Hacienda Heights Los Altos (football, basketball, volleyball)
1981-82 – Jim McCullough, Hemet (football, wrestling)
1980-81 – Kevin Willhite, Rancho Cordova (football, track)
1979-80 – Darryl Strawberry, L.A. Crenshaw (basketball, baseball)
1978-79 – John Elway, Granada Hills (football, baseball)
1977-78 – Jesse Vasallo, Mission Viejo (swimming)
1976-77 – Brian Goodell, Mission Viejo (swimming)
1975-76 – Greg Louganis, El Cajon Valhalla & Santa Ana (diving)
1974-75 – Bill Cartwright, Elk Grove (basketball)
1973-74 – Tim Shaw, Long Beach Wilson (water polo, swimming)
1972-73 – Lonnie Shelton, Bakersfield Foothill (football, track)
1971-72 – Scott McGregor, El Segundo (baseball)
1970-71 – Anthony Davis, San Fernando (football, baseball)
1969-70 – James McAlister, Pasadena Blair (football, track)
1968-69 – Jeff Burroughs, Long Beach Wilson (football, baseball)
1967-68 – Mark Spitz, Santa Clara (water polo, swimming)
1966-67 – Mickey Cureton, Compton Centennial (football)
1965-66 – Tim Danielson, Chula Vista (track)
1964-65 – Paul Wilson, Downey Warren (track)
1963-64 – Don Schollander, Santa Clara (water polo, swimming)
1962-63 – Tommie Smith, Lemoore (football, basketball, track)
1961-62 – Forrest Beaty, Glendale Hoover (track)
1960-61 – Ulis Williams, Compton (track)
1959-60 – Dennis Ralston, Bakersfield (tennis)
1958-59 – Dale Story, Orange (track)
1957-58 – Willie Davis, L. A. Roosevelt (basketball, baseball, track)
1956-57 – Bill Kilmer, Azusa Citrus (football, basketball, baseball)
1955-56 – Fred Lacour, S.F. St. Ignatius (basketball)
1954-55 – Dick Bass, Vallejo (football)
1953-54 – Don Bowden, San Jose Lincoln (track)
1952-53 – Ronnie Knox, Santa Monica (football)
1951-52 – Marty Keough, Pomona (football, basketball, baseball)
1950-51 – Charlie Powell, San Diego (football, baseball)
1949-50 – Lang Stanley, L.A. Jefferson (track)
1948-49 – John Henry Johnson, Pittsburg (football, basketball, track)
1947-48 – Bob Mathias, Tulare (football, track)
1946-47 – Bill McColl, San Diego Hoover (football, basketball, baseball)
1945-46 – George Stanich, Sacramento (basketball, baseball, track)
1944-45 – Jackie Jensen, Oakland (football, baseball)
1943-44 – Bill Sharman, Porterville (football, basketball, baseball)
1942-43 – Glenn Davis, La Verne Bonita (football, baseball)
1941-42 – Irv Noren, Pasadena (basketball, baseball)
1940-41 – Tommie Fears, Los Angeles Manual Arts (football)
1939-40 – Howie Dallmar, San Francisco Lowell (basketball, baseball)
1938-39 – Jim Jurkovich, Fresno (football, track)
1937-38 – Frankie Albert, Glendale (football, baseball, tennis)
1936-37 – Jackie Robinson, Pasadena Muir (football, basketball, baseball)
1935-36 – Bobby Doerr, Los Angeles Fremont (pro baseball)
1934-35 – Ted Williams, San Diego Hoover (baseball)
1933-34 – Hank Luisetti, San Francisco Galileo (basketball)
1932-33 – Don Budge, Oakland University (tennis)
1931-32 – Corney Johnson, Los Angeles (track)
1930-31 – Frank Sobrero, Oakland (football, basketball, baseball)

Note: List continues back to 1890-91 in the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book & Almanac. All selections prior to 1978-79 done retroactively through research by our founder, the late Nelson Tennis.
Note: All selections prior to 1978-79 done retroactively through research by our founder, the late Nelson Tennis.

Isai Gutierrez started an internship at CalHiSports.com in January of 2025 and is a student studying communications at Cal State Stanislaus. He graduated from Modesto Junior College in May. He graduated in 2024 from Sierra High in Manteca.

Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports