Local seniors selected for Lions All-star Game
Seventeen Mid-valley players will buckle their chinstraps and represent their high schools one last time in the 41st annual Lions All-star Football Game on Saturday, June 16, at Shasta College’s Memorial Stadium in Redding. The annual contest matches some of the best graduated seniors from as far south as Winters, up to the Oregon border. Players must be nominated by their high school coaches, and South coach the rosters for both the South and North teams were unveiled at a player selection banquet at Butte College on March 10.
Local seniors selected to play in this year’s game for the South are: Biggs High’s Brian Caro (RB/LB), Colusa’s Sam Stocks (OL/DL), East Nicolaus’ Corey Taylor (RB/DB), Lindhurst’s Manny Landa (OL/DL), Marysville’s Thomas Higgins (OL/ DL), Maxwell’s Angel Velazquez (OL/DL), Pierce’s Hector Rodriguez (TE/DE), River Valley’s Nick Barnes (WR/DB) and Erick Sandoval (LB), Sutter’s Trever Facey (RB/DB), Tyler Gillming (TE/DE), (RB/LB) and Tyler Reynolds (QB/P), Wheatland’s Joseph Fullmer (OL/ DL), Williams’ Jorge Rodriguez (RB/ LB) and Yuba City’s Este Menendez (OL/LB) and Josh Penning (OL/DL).
Gridley quarterback Jace Villapania was originally selected to the team, but declined because the game coincided with the school’s senior trip.
The South team will be coached by Sutter High’s Ryan Reynolds, who led the Huskies to their fourth straight Northern Section Division III championship last fall. The North will be coached by Anderson’s Don Trotter.
To be eligible for election, a head varsity coach must have won or shared a league title or won section championship. Reynolds coached the South squad in 2016 when the North blitzed heavily and came away with a 48-6 win for its eighth straight win in the series.
He said he learned a lot from that game and is hopeful this year’s game will be different.
“I don’t think were were aggressive enough on defense last time. I think we took it for granted,” Reynolds said. “Last time, I talked to some parents after the game and they said some of the kids were a little shy because they were playing out of position.