Perhaps the best photo we’ve used in the 50 years of the Lions All-Star was this one from 2014 when Brian Pascual of the North team came up with this interception on the first pass of the night. Photo: Stu Jossey Photography.
The Stockton-Modesto area local all-star football game, which we provide support for as a way of giving back to the community in which we live, will be celebrating its 50th year on Saturday night at Wayne Schneider Stadium in Tracy. And this year, for the first time, girls flag football all-stars will get to play in a game before the boys. The North team will include the leading rushers for three different teams that won CIF state titles last season. The South team will be looking to win under head coach Frank Marques of Hilmar, who retired from coaching the Yellowjackets after last season.
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Practices for the two boys tackle and two girls flag football teams that will be playing on Saturday in the 50th annual Central California Lions All-Star Football Game began on Monday and have continued all week at the high schools of each team’s head coach.
The girls game is slated for a 5 p.m. start at Tracy High’s Wayne Schneider Stadium on Saturday, June 20 with the boys game to immediately follow. One ticket for admission covers both games. Tickets for $15 are available at GoFan.com and also via scanner on the lionsallstarfootball.com website. Full rosters also are available on the site and through the Lions’ social media pages.
The girls are playing in their first-ever local all-star flag game. The boys will be resuming a tradition that first began in 1974 and would have reached 50 years before 2026 if it were not for the COVID 19 pandemic.
If the girls game comes close to what the boys have been doing in recent years, then the final score is going to be close with the outcome not decided until the final seconds. That was the case last year with the North beating the South, 42-37, and the year before that when the South edged the North, 18-15, on a TD pass with four seconds left.
The first ever girls flag football head coaches for the Lions All-Star Football Classic this week will be David Rios Jr. from Kimball of Tracy (center) who is flanked by the co-head coaches from Atwater, Nathan Ramirez & Capri Abbasi. Photo: Mark Tennis.
The head coaches for the two boys teams and the two girls teams have been directing practices this week. The North head football coach is Andrew Beam of Escalon and South head football coach is Frank Marques of Hilmar, who retired at the end of last season as one of the winningest coaches in CIF Sac-Joaquin Section history. The girls from the North (head coach David Rios Jr.) have been practicing at Kimball High of Tracy. The girls from the South (co-coaches Nathan Ramirez and Capri Abbasi) have been at Atwater High.
After the practices, players and coaches from all teams have been fed dinner by local Lions Clubs.
The event, which matches top graduated high school football players primarily from the Stockton area against those primarily from the Modesto area, is going into its fourth year of being at Tracy since the pandemic. It has been played at Lincoln High in Stockton (2019), Tracy (2013-2018 & 2023-25), Modesto Junior College (2012) and at University of the Pacific’s Memorial Stadium.
After last year’s game, the North won after falling in five of the previous six all-star games and took a 27-19-2 edge in the series.
Before focusing in on baseball, Linden’s Aaron Judge was one of the state’s top grid-hoop athletes. Photo: Cal-Hi Sports archives.
THANKS TO ALL RISE FOUNDATION
For the first time in many years, the Lions All-Star Football Game has a presenting sponsor and it will be the ALLRISE Foundation, which is the charity funded by New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge. The Linden High grad was once selected to participate in the Lions game after his senior season, but respectfully declined to play via letter as he was getting ready to start playing collegiate baseball at Fresno State. Judge is still regarded as one of the best multi-sport high school athletes (football, basketball, baseball) in CIF Sac-Joaquin Sectin history.
The Lions All-Star Football Committee is extremely grateful for this help. Specifically, the donation will go toward paying for all of the jerseys for all players (boys & girls) in this year’s all-star games. Because of that, a jersey was prepared for Judge himself to recognize the year he would have played in the game. That jersey will be presented to the foundation at halftime.
NORTH PLAYERS TO WATCH
For a small region of schools from San Joaquin, Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, to have three end the 2025 season as CIF state champions is quite a remarkable feat. That’s what happened as St. Mary’s of Stockton won the D2-AA state title in the final seconds, Sonora took the D2-A crown with a dominating effort against another opponent that also was undefeated, and Calaveras of San Andreas captured the D5-A title also with a dominant performance.
All three CIF state title teams will have players on the North squad for this year’s Lions All-Star Game. Sonora’s leading rusher, Cash Byington, who also was later named the State Small Schools Player of the Year since he also starred on defense, will be joined by teammates Steven Morfoot (DB), Sam Alderman (OL/DL) and Channce Davis (OL). St. Mary’s running back Diego Hernandez, who rushed for 1,423 yards and 23 TDs last season, and Calaveras’ Enrique Hernandez, who rushed for 1,134 yards and 12 TDs, are also on the North roster.
One North player, athletic quarterback Brad Blankenheim from Amador of Sutter Creek, is coming into the football game after enjoying a record-breaking baseball season. He batted .535 for the 25-6-1 Buffaloes with 61 hits and 52 runs scored. His 61 hits for one season is the most ever for a player from the southern part of the Sac-Joaquin Section and will go into the top 25 in state history. Brad’s 52 runs also will gain an entry into the Cal-Hi Sports state records.
For the girls, Tracy Kimball’s Emma Coronado of the North all-stars was one of the most prolific QBs in the state last season. She led Northern California and was second in the state for reported passing yards (according to MaxPreps) with 8,079 yards. She also had 93 TD passes.
SOUTH PLAYERS TO WATCH
While no teams from South boundaries of the Lions All-Star Game were able to win a CIF state title last season, Central Catholic of Modesto still remains among the state leaders with four all-time CIF crowns. The Raiders always have players in the Lions Game and this year will be represented by RB/DB Isaiah Faagata and DL Leo Morfin.
Perhaps the top overall player from the entire North-South region from last season was Oakdale’s multi-talented Wes Burford, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards. Wes is currently getting ready to report to the Air Force Academy in Colorado and we wish him well. His partner in crime, so speak, for the Mustangs’ offense, running back Richard Flores, will be on the South team. Flores rushed for 1,155 yards and 20 TDs.
For the girls, it doesn’t look like the Atwater coaches were able to get their quarterback from last season as Madison Hiler also plays softball, but they do have top receivers Saige Harcksen and Riley Leonardo. Merced (25-4 last season) will be represented by Amiya Brown.
Merced’s Jalonn Booth was the Defensive MVP at the 48th annual Lions All-Star Game. Photo: Mark Tennis.
MVP Awards Are Named In Honor
Of Lions Game Three Founders;
Girls Will Get Same
Starting at the conclusion of the game three years ago and continuing for this year, the MVP will be honored with the Wayne Schneider MVP Award. The Defensive MVP will be honored with the Bob Mattos Defensive MVP Award while the Offensive MVP will be honored with the Les Ratzlaff Offensive MVP Award. Schneider (former Tracy High head coach), the late Mattos (formerly of Stockton Stagg) and the late Ratzlaff (formerly of Turlock) were the three coaches who primarily worked to start the Lions All-Star Game in 1974. They took it to the Lions District 4A-1 where it was approved and has been supported every year since.
This girls flag awards also are named and will be named for people who have been helping make the Lions game possible for many years. It starts with the Elizabeth Gibbs MVP Award, the longtime director of the game. There also will be the Jane Williford Offensive MVP Award and the Francis and Norma Bognuda Defensive MVP Award.
TOP LIONS ALL-STAR ALUMS OVER THE 50 YEARS OF THE GAME
North: Lonzell Hill (Stagg) WR, Webster Slaughter (Franklin) WR, Derek Kennard (Edison) OL, Greg Ennis (Tracy) QB, Aaron Jenkins (Edison) RB, Dennis Edwards (Edison), Mike Serpa (Tracy) LB, Josh Parry (Sonora) LB, Don Morgan (Manteca) DB, Neil Parry (Sonora) DB, Latief Grim (Franklin) WR/KR, Dell Hawkins (Tracy) DL/FB, Trumaine Johnson (Edison) DB.
South: Logan Mankins (Mariposa) TE, Tony Graziani (Downey) QB, Raymond Lankford (Grace Davis) RB, Cody Wichmann (Mariposa) TE/LB, Imani Percoats (Los Banos) WR/TE, Dave Porath (Atwater) DL, Tony Slaton (Merced) OL, Ray Valladao (Atwater) DL.
In recent years, it’s been difficult to get even some players heading to some JC programs to be able to play in this all-star game, but the game can still provide a way for a player to get a last look into possibly playing more. The best example of that is 2024 Defensive MVP Jalonn Booth of Merced, who had four sacks in the all-star game. He decided to play at Modesto Junior College and will be playing in the 2026 season on scholarship at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
