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| Rivals unite in All-Star classic |
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| Written by Marc Aceves | Patterson Irrigator | |
| Wednesday, 25 June 2008 | |
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STOCKTON — Players who spent four years butting heads found themselves working together last week.  Recent Patterson High graduate Keith Yamamoto (left), closes in on a tackle during Saturday's 35th annual Lion's All-Star Football Classic at University of the Pacific's Stagg Memorial Stadium. Marc Aceves/Patterson Irrigator And everyone says they got along famously. “This week was awesome,” Yamamoto said. “I had the chance to play with a lot of the guys that I read about in the papers. (My teammates) are just like me. We’re a bunch of 18-year-old guys just trying to have fun, and that’s what it’s all about.” Neither South team coach Doug Severe nor North coach Mark Stroup could have dreamed up Saturday’s game as a display of ball control, measured passes and pancake blocks. While these elements all have a place in football, they are typically not in a summer high school All-Star game. Yet that’s the recipe both teams used in a physical showdown before a crowd of 2,500 at University of Pacific’s Stagg Memorial Stadium. And it worked better than anyone could have expected. “This was a lot of fun,” Severe said. “These are some really neat kids that have meant a lot to local football. We had this chance to come out here tonight and play together one more time.” “They’re a good group,” added Stroup. “It really helps with all the coaches from all the schools here. It helps to transcend that rivalry type stuff.” Still, the South team may have felt that it had something to prove. North teams have posted a collective win-loss record of 20-13-1 against their Southern rivals over the years. And, for the sixth year in a row, the North came away with the victory. The North came out blazing — taking a 19-0 lead in the first half — but the South kept things interesting, rallying with a handful of late offensive outbursts. In the end, Stroup’s North squad had just enough bravado, holding on for a 27-21 win.  Yamamoto (4) and Central Catholic grad Matt Lawrence (64) met on the field of the University of the Pacific once again, this time on the same team as members of the All-Star South squad. Marc Aceves/Patterson Irrigator Evans was named the game’s offensive MVP, finishing the evening with 138 yards passing and 36 yards on the ground. The North upped its lead with 10 minutes, 48 seconds to go in the second quarter. Lincoln High’s Anthony Dials hauled in a seven-yard strike from Evans, pushing the lead to 13-0. Things continued to look grim for the South, when Edison High’s Trumaine Johnson caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Weston Ranch’s Josh Bowen with 1:16 left in the half. Johnson — named the game’s MVP — snared eight passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns. He also picked off a pass. The South rebounded behind the arm of Torkelson, who finished the game with 222 passing yards. Downey High’s Cody Ball put the South on the scoreboard just before halftime, breaking free down the right sideline for a 55-yard touchdown run. Torkelson continued to breathe life into his team in the second half, connecting with Beyer High’s Frankie Pineda on a 20-yard touchdown pass. Pineda’s score loosened the North’s stranglehold on the lead, cutting the South’s deficit to 19-14 with 9:35 remaining. The South’s defense — bolstered by Yamamoto and Lawrence — forced a punt, but a lapse by the team’s kick-return specialist handed the ball right back to the North. Evans found Johnson sprinting down the right sideline for a 28-yard score, pushing the North’s lead to 28-14. The South managed to threaten one final time, when Torkelson found Davis High teammate Trevor Schardijn from 5 yards out with less than five minutes to play. But in its final two possessions, the South hurled an interception and went 4-and-out, surrendering the ball to the North on downs. “It was a great opportunity to have played in this game,” Lawrence said. “I made a whole bunch of new friends. I couldn’t have asked for a better game to play in. We are all just family here.” “I’m really impressed,” Johnson added. “If you had asked me back in November if these kids would work well together, I would have probably said ‘no.’ But we all pretty much know each other, and there’s really no hard feelings left over (from the season).” To reach Marc Aceves at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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