Tracy Press

Prep football's finest from the SJAA and TCAL will face off Saturday in the annual Lions All-Star game.

Tim Celestine, a leading scorer and rusher for the 2007 Tracy High Bulldogs, will suit up for the North in Saturday's Lions All-Star Football Classic. Six local players and several coaches will participate. Press file photo.

Tracy Bulldogs head coach Mark Stroup and his coaching staff are in charge of the North team, which includes four of their own players and two of West High’s senior standouts.

Stroup said the twice-daily practice sessions let him and the other coaches get to know the individuals who were his players’ toughest competition during the 2007 football season.

“They’ve got a lot of personality and a lot of speed,” he said. “It’s real fun so far.”

They also worked on agility drills, passing, blocking and backfield plays during practice sessions at the University of the Pacific.

It will all come together at the game on Saturday at UOP’s Stagg Memorial Stadium. The game is one of the oldest All-Star high school games in California. The North team, which includes players from San Joaquin County and Foothill schools, has won the past five years and squeaked by with a 16-12 win in 2007. Overall, North has won the most games in the series, with a 20-13-1 record against the South team, which includes players from Stanislaus and Merced counties.

The Tracy High representatives are running back and defensive back Tim Celestine, quarterback Justin Evans, wide receiver Andrew Diaz and ironman lineman Stephen Perriera.

Celestine led the San Joaquin Athletic Association in scoring and rushing during Tracy’s 2007 season, when the Bulldogs went 4-1 in league play and 7-4 overall. Evans was second in the league in passing.

West High is represented by running back and linebacker Tyler Kenton, along with two-way lineman Scott Carillo. Kenton was the Tri-City Athletic league’s top rusher and also the fourth-highest scorer in the league as West went 4-1 in league and 6-5 overall in the fall.

At a glance
• WHAT: 35th annual Lions District 4-A1 All-Star Football
• WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday
• WHERE: University of the Pacific’s Stagg Memorial Stadium
• TiCKETS: $10 general admission, free for children age 6 and younger; $35 stadium club, includes all-you-can-eat dinner
• INFO: www.lionsallstarfootball.com

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/Hide comments