From individual performances that left jaws dropped to epic victories by usual and not-so-usual suspects, the 2025 high school football season had a bit of everything.

The Bay Area News Group captured the moments through the fall and is now celebrating them with its all-area team.

The news organization published its special honors in Thursday’s Mercury News and East Bay Times as Archbishop Riordan’s Stanford-bound quarterback Michael Mitchell Jr. was named Bay Area News Group player of the year and Acalanes’ Joel Isaac was selected coach of the year.

The special tributes also included players of the year for Santa Clara County (Lincoln’s Kyan Phillips), Contra Costa County (Pittsburg’s RJ Mosley), Alameda County (McClymonds’ Berell Staples) and the Peninsula (Serra’s Malakai Taufoou).

Now we’re recognizing all the players — well over 100 – from our vast coverage area whom our high school staff chose for first-team, second-team and honorable mention distinction.

The list of honorees stretches from the southern end of Santa Clara County, up the Peninsula and across the Bay to Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

The All-BANG team puts a bow on a season that included three state champions from the news organization’s coverage area (St. Ignatius, El Cerrito and Bishop O’Dowd) and three state runners-up (De La Salle, McClymonds and Lincoln).