Senior RB proud to be part of football’s 100th year

Manteca High senior Nikko Juarez carries the ball downfield during the Green and White scrimmage on Aug. 14, 2026. (Kal Ochoa/The Tower)

By KAL OCHOA 
The Tower 

Manteca High School football is celebrating its 100th anniversary this season, giving current players the chance to be part of a milestone that connects them to generations of athletes who came before them. 

For one senior on this year's team, the anniversary has an ever more personal meaning. Nikko Juarez’s father played on the 2001 team that won a Sac-Joaquin Section championship, making this season another part of his family’s history with Manteca football. 

“Being a part of the 100th anniversary...is a pretty cool opportunity for me,” Juarez said. “My dad was a part of the ‘01 team when they won the first section championship.” 

His connection to the program started long before his senior year. He earned a spot on varsity as a freshman after Bryson Davis went down with an injury. Although moving up to varsity at such a young age could have been difficult and is for most, he was already used to playing against older players. 

“I always played up with older kids, even when I was younger,” he said. “So, me playing on varsity as a freshman, it was kind of natural to me.” 

That experience helped him grow as a player and prepared him for his final season. Now, he wants to make the most of his senior year and continue contributing to the team’s success. 

“Now that it’s my senior year, I’m ready to put some numbers up and show everybody what I can do,” he said. 

Being part of the 100th century team is something he knows he will remember long after his playing days are over. He said there is something special about knowing his name will be connected to such an important year in the program’s history. 

Since joining the varsity football team as a freshman, Nikko Juarez has grown into much more than the player he was when he first stepped onto the field. Four years later, Coach Varnum watched him mature physically, emotionally,and as a leader. 

“His maturity, physically and emotionally, keeps getting bigger every year,” Varnum said. “His legs are like tree trunks, and he’s flirting with 200 pounds this year. He’s got his man body for sure.” 

Nikko’s biggest growth hasn’t just been physical. Varnum said he has learned how to handle the ups and downs that come with football while still keeping the same love for the game he had as a freshman. 

Nikko Juarez has already built an impressive career, and this season, he has a chance to make his mark in the record books. He currently sits No. 3 on Manteca’s all-time rushing list with 3,733 career rushing yards. He has also earned an all-VOL selection, adding to his accomplishments throughout his high school career.  

On MaxPreps, Nikko ranks No. 3 among Manteca’s career rushing leaders. He needs just346 more yards to become the modern era all-time rushing leader. With his senior season ahead of him, that record is well within reach. In the 100th year of Buffalo football, reaching No. 1 would be another way for Nikko to leave his mark on Manteca football history. 

“He’s still a kid that loves playing football and has fun doing it,” Varnum said. “But he’s able to handle the ups and downs better and has really taken on a leadership role this year.” 

Manteca High coach Mark Varnum addresses the team following the scrimmage on August 14, 2026. (Kal Ochoa/The Tower)

That growth is part of what makes Juarez stand out to Varnum, who sees him as a player who embodies the identity of the Buffaloes. 

“He’s a Buffalo through and through,” Varnum said. “He’s a hard-nosed, tough kid, tough as nails, and that’s what we’re all about.” 

After four years in the program, Juarez now has the opportunity to leave his own mark before moving on. 

“He represents his family, he represents the Buffaloes, and I’m excited to see the stamp he puts on this year,” Varnum said. 

Juarez’s senior season also comes during a year unlike any other. The Buffaloes are celebrating 100 years of football, bringing a century of players, coaches and memories together. 

“There’s a lot of ghosts and a lot of legends on that field and in that locker room,” Varnum said. 

Despite all the changes football has gone through over the past 100 years, Varnum believes the identity of Buffalo football has stayed consistent. 

“From year 100 all the way back to year one, we have the same expectations,” Varnum said. “We’re going to play hard, we’re going to hit people, and we play to win. We play for championships.” 

That physical, hard-nosed style has become part of what the program is known for. At the 100-year celebration, former coaches reflected on that same mentality and the importance of keeping it alive. 

“We’ve been known for the whole time that we’re physical, hard-nosed, tough, hard-hitting,” Varnum said. “We want to represent that as well.” 

For Varnum, being part of the 100th year is more than an honor. It is a responsibility to protect the legacy that has been built over the past century. 

“It’s a century of Manteca football,” Varnum said. “I’m lucky to be the caretaker for that right now. So, we want to do it right.” 

And as Juarez finishes his four-year journey, he gets to do something few players get the chance to do, finish his high school career while helping write the next chapter of a 100-year-old story.