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Alex Spanos Senior All-Star Classic
Alex Spanos Senior Grossmont Conference |
Prep football stars get one last chance to shine
Posted Aug. 2, 2007
The college football season is right around the corner, with training camps starting in early August. A select group of recent East and South County high school graduates are headed off to programs like SDSU, Colorado State, Hawaii, Idaho State, UCLA, Tennessee Tech, Dakota-Wesleyan, Graceland and Missouri Valley, while others will play at area community colleges such as Grossmont, San Diego Mesa and Southwestern before making the transition to the major collegiate ranks.
For one last time, however, they had the opportunity to showcase their talents on the gridiron as graduated high school seniors in the 17th annual Alex Spanos All-Star Classic July 13 at Mesa College. The game served to place a punctuation mark on standout high school careers as well as offer a preview of their upcoming college careers.
Nineteen East County players received invitations to play in this year’s game as members of the South All-Star team. They included West Hills’ Trevor Kolocheski (San Diego Mesa), Matt Roblas (Grossmont) and Nick Armstrong (Grossmont); Helix’s Derrick Perrault (Southwestern). Jerad Ruiz (Southwestern), Steven Bryan (Colorado State) and Matt Cobb (SDSU); El Capitan’s Mike Holz (Grossmont), Ben Noy (Hawaii), Taelor Worrell (Southwestern), Ryan Lindley (SDSU), Tommy Towns (Grossmont), Cody Furr (Grossmont) and Tommie Draheim (SDSU); Christian’s Kyler Dwyer (SDSU) and Scot Allen (Idaho State); Steele Canyon’s Luis Guerra (Williamette) and Richard Wick (Missouri Valley); and Mt. Miguel’s Juan Bolanos (SDSU).
Ten South County players received invitations to play in this year’s game as members of the South All-Star team. They included Bonita Vista’s Beto Padilla (Southwestern) and Terry Love (SDSU), Castle Park’s Boogie Blossom (Dakota-Wesleyan), Frank Rodriguez (Southwestern) and Tim Cruz (San Diego Mesa), Otay Ranch’s Robert McCurdy (UCLA) and Brian Lewis (Grossmont), Eastlake’s Jorge Covarrubias (Graceland) and Jose Baez (Tennessee Tech) and Chula Vista’s Brandon Taylor (Southwestern).
Lindley was the San Diego Section Player of the Year for 2006 after passing for 3,521 passing yards and 35 touchdowns, rewriting many school and conference records en route to leading the Vaqueros to a perfect 10-0 regular season finish.
El Capitan’s Towns and Helix’s Ruiz were named the Defensive Player of the Year for the Grossmont North League and Grossmont South League, respectively.
Blossom, who rushed for 1,119 yards and scored 10 offensive touchdowns in 10 regular season games, earned honors as the 2006 South Bay League Offensive Player of the Year while Rodriguez was recognized as the 2006 South Bay League Defensive Player of the Year.
A near-capacity crowd took in this year’s 14-0 South victory over the North to mark the second consecutive year that the South (players from the Metro Conference, Grossmont Conference and City Conference) had defeated its North County rivals.
Kolocheski helped spark the South victory with four catches for 112 yards and a one-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to earn Most Valuable Player honors in the game.
Kolocheski’s score came with just under three minutes to play in the game to essentially seal the outcome in the South’s favor. Lindley had set up Kolocheski’s TD with a pass to the Wolfpack standout at the one-yard line.
Earlier in the contest, Lindley (169 passing yards on 12 completions in 18 attempts) hit Kolocheski on a 66-yard bomb to set up a one-yard run by Point Loma’s Lester Arnold (61 rushing yards on eight carries) to give the South a 7-0 lead. That score came with just under five minutes left in the third quarter as both teams played to a scoreless halftime stalemate
Otay Ranch’s Brian Lewis added the point-after touchdown conversion on both South scores.
Impressively, the South defense shut down the prolific passing combo of Poway’s Donnie McKillop (3,031 passing yards, 24 touchdowns) and Oceanside’s Steve Carroll (2,518 passing yards, 22 touchdowns), holding the North to just more than 50 yards in total offense. The South recorded five sacks, including two by La Jolla’s Richard Moore (Grossmont) and one each by Holz, St. Augustine’s Bobby Erskine (Choate Rosemary) and Otay Ranch’s McCurdy.
But defense was highlighted throughout the contest by both sides. Rancho Buena Vista’s Mike Reid earned MVP honors for the North team with two sacks. Nick Witzman (La Costa Canyon) also registered two sacks for the North.
Point Loma’s Mike Hastings served as the South coach while El Camino’s Trace Deneke served as the North coach.
Alex Spanos All-Star Classic set July 13
The top high school football players in San Diego County will play their final prep game on Friday, July 13, when they take the field for the 17th annual Alex Spanos All-Star Classic. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. at Mesa College. Chargers Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd will serve as the honorary captains.
The High School Sports Association of San Diego has gathered the best high school seniors from San Diego County to play in the game. The contest will give these prep all-stars an opportunity to perform one last time before they continue their careers on the collegiate level.
“The Spanos All-Star Classic is special because it gives kids their last chance to play in an all-star game,” said Bruce Ward, director of physical education for the office of instructional support. “Sometimes they remember the classic more than highlights during their four years of high school.”
Point Loma High School coach Mike Hastings will guide the South squad, while Trace Deneke of El Camino High will coach the North. Among the players scheduled to play in the classic are Otay Ranch linebacker Robert McCurdy (UCLA), Hoover wide receiver Todd Doxey (Oregon), running back Rusty Leedy from La Costa Canyon (Brown) and tackle Garrett McPerry from El Camino (UCLA).
Many NFL players have seen their final high school action in the Spanos Classic. Chiefs linebacker Donnie Edwards (Chula Vista), Denver’s John Lynch (Torrey Pines), and St. Louis’ La’ Roi Glover (Point Loma) are just a few of the Alex Spanos All-Star Classic alums in the NFL.
Tickets for the game are $8 for adults and $5 for children. Admission is free for kids 4-years-old and under. Call Bruce Ward at 725-7126 for more information.