The California Interscholastic Federation, CIF, Sac-Joaquin Section recently announced its A. Dale Lacky Scholar-Athlete Award winners for outstanding athletic performance, community service and academic success during their four years of high school.

Among the recipients was Ben Ferreira, an Escalon High School senior.

The award, named after former Section and State CIF President, A. Dale Lacky, recognizes the top male and female student-athletes within the Section. Each league is able to send two winners, one male and one female, to be honored. The scholarship committee has selected four male and four female students as the recipients of a $2,000 scholarship. The remaining nominees are awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Section.

Ferreira was selected as one of the $1,000 award winners.

In addition, the Clarke Coover Award is given to two of the top honorees. This award is named in honor of former Section Commissioner Clarke Coover. The 2026 winners of the Clarke Coover Award were Placer’s Cooper Barr and Liberty Ranch’s Haley Smith. They received $3,000 each.

All schools were allowed to play one extra boys and girls volleyball match, an extra flag football game, and an extra boys and girls basketball game; the proceeds from these games went directly to the foundation for the scholarships. These games are called the Peter J. Saco Foundation Games, named after the former commissioner. Saco served as the Sac-Joaquin Section leader from 1993-2014. More than $60,000 was generated through the foundation games.

All of the winners were recognized at the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Breakfast Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at District 56 in Elk Grove. The Section was also slated to honor three male and three female model coach winners at the breakfast as well.

Escalon award winner, Ben Ferreira, played football and basketball for four years, volleyball twice and tennis once, hitting the tennis court this year as a senior. In football, he was team captain three times and won the Most Inspirational Award once. In basketball, he was team captain twice. In volleyball, he was team captain twice and all-league twice. He won the Campus Legacy Award and is a member of Leadership, CSF, FCA and the Friends Helping Friends Club. He volunteers with the Escalon Park Fete, Color Run and is on the District Wellness Committee. Ben has a 3.98 GPA and plans to move on to college after graduation, where he will major in business administration with the future goal of going into medical device sales.

The CIF Sac-Joaquin Section oversees high school athletics for 208 schools and 225,000 students. Its geographic boundaries stretch from Merced in the south, Grass Valley in the North, Vallejo to the west and the Nevada state line to the east. The Section is the second largest of California’s 10 athletic sections.