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MODESTO JUNIOR COLLEGE PIRATES
Jalonn Booth Named Valley Conference Defensive MVP as MJC Heads Into NorCal Semifinal
November 26, 2025

Jalonn Booth Named Valley Conference Defensive MVP as MJC Heads Into NorCal Semifinal

Modesto Junior College's defensive anchor, Jalonn Booth, is stacking awards almost as quickly as he stacks tackles. The sophomore defensive lineman has been officially crowned the Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year, earning the league's Defensive MVP title and a well-deserved spot on the First Team All-Conference roster for the 2025 season.

And the season isn't done—not even close.

Booth and the Pirates are surging into the Northern California Semifinal this week, where they'll square off against Diablo Valley College with a state playoff berth on the line. It's the kind of stage built for players like Booth: loud, high-stakes, and begging for someone to tilt the field.

A Season of Disruption

Booth has been the engine of MJC's defense all fall, and his stat line reads like a defensive coordinator's wish list:

  • 41 total tackles

  • 16.5 sacks — leading the Valley Conference

  • 123 sack yards — also conference leader

His dominance reached its loudest pitch in Week 9, when Booth earned NCFC National Division Defensive Player of the Week, fueled by a monstrous performance:

  • 8 tackles

  • 6.5 sacks

  • 1 forced fumble

  • 1 quarterback hurry

That single afternoon felt like Booth pressed his thumb on the scale of the entire game.

The Road to the Semifinal

With the Pirates climbing into the postseason, Booth's presence becomes even more valuable. His burst off the line, his ability to collapse pockets, and the gravitational pull he creates on every snap have turned him into the heartbeat of the MJC defense.

This week's matchup against Diablo Valley College promises all the ingredients of a heavyweight postseason battle. And if MJC is going to punch its ticket to the NorCal Championship, Booth will almost certainly have a hand—likely a very forceful one—in shaping the outcome.

A Season Still Being Written

His accolades already place him among the elite defenders in Northern California, but Booth's story hasn't reached its final chapter. With the season still rolling and the biggest games ahead, he'll step into the semifinal not just as an award winner, but as a player capable of redefining the arc of MJC's playoff run.