Seven stalwart standouts from area schools will look to provide the North team with toughness in the box for the 50th Lions All-Star Football Game.
Included are four linemen, two linebackers who double as fullbacks and one of the top between-the-tackles running backs in the Sac-Joaquin Section.
Additionally, this year’s event, set for June 20 at Tracy High, will feature its inaugural all-star game for flag football. Four area standouts have been picked for the North.
All-star coaches and players will be honored at a banquet this Saturday at St. Joseph’s Church in Modesto. Former San Francisco 49er and Stagg High alumnus George Visger will serve as guest speaker.
The North teams are made up of senior standouts from San-Joaquin, Amador and Tuolumne counties. South all-stars hail from Stanislaus and Merced counties.
Coaches from two small-school powerhouses will lead the way for the football all-stars — Escalon’s Andrew Beam for the North, and Frank Marques of Hilmar for the South.
Beam selected two members of Manteca’s Valley Oak League championship team in defensive lineman Xyloh Kuresa (72 tackles, 15 TFLs, 11 sacks, pick-six) and Maava Tialavea, a fullback who doubled as a versatile linebacker for one of the top defenses in the SJS.
Joining the two Buffaloes from cross-town rival East Union is physical running back Brayden Camara, who finished as the third-leading rusher in the SJS with 1,849 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also set multiple single-season rushing records for the Lancers, who reached their first section final since 1989.
Two-time Western Athletic Conference MVP Pablo Peña is the lone representative for Lathrop. He led the Spartans to their first two league championships and appearances in the section finals. The top two-way producer in the Manteca area ground out 1,432 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns, while compiling 118 tackles on defense. He owns multiple single-season and career program records on both sides of scrimmage.
Jaiveer Grewal is the first Lions All-Star to come out of second-year River Islands. The 6-foot-1, 280-pound defensive lineman made the All-Mother Lode League second team.
Ripon has two standout linemen on the North team in reigning Trans Valley League Outstanding Defensive Lineman Tipeti Paini (75 tackles, 11 TFLs, 9.5 sacks) and 6-3, 270-pound tackle Walker Leamer.
The North leads 27-19-2 all-time and won last year’s game, 42-37. Former Sierra quarterback Zak Wilson was named MVP.
Heading the North flag football all-stars is Kimball coach David Rios. Atwater co-coaches Capri Abbasi and Nathan Ramirez lead the South.
VOL MVP Larissa Harries is part of the North. The East Union center/linebacker tallied 1,062 receiving yards, 15 TDs, 101 flag pulls and nine interceptions for the first-time league champion Lancers.
Joining her is fellow Lancer Caliyah Lopez, who led EU with 10 interceptions, 1380 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns.
Manteca receiver/linebacker Keira McCulley (856 yards, four TDs; nine INTs) and linebacker Angelique Gonzalez (132 FPs, 11 sacks) of first-time WAC champ Lathrop were also selected to the North team.
Tickets to the all-star event can be purchased on GoFan for $15 each. Presale tickets and t-shirts will be available at the banquet Saturday.
Gates at Tracy High’s Wayne Schneider Stadium will open at 4 p.m. the day of the event. The flag football game begins at 5, while the boys game kicks off at 7:15.
For more information, visit www.lionsallstarfootball.com.
