WO-S' Francis, teammates ready for All-Star Game

[KFDM COOP]

WO-S' Francis, teammates ready for All-Star Game

Van Wade Orange Leader

ORANGE — The first ever Southeast Texas Ford Dealers All-Star Classic football game is coming up Saturday. In preparation for the contest, players reported for their first practice on Tuesday.

One of those players getting to represent their high school one last time is West Orange-Stark receiver Justin Francis.

“It’s exciting to be part of something and be part of the group that will be involved in the first All-Star Game held in our area,” said Francis. “Knowing that I was fortunate enough to play in this game has really kept me in shape and focused, just like I was going into a normal regular season.”

Francis, who hauled in 18 catches for 211 yards and three TDs for the Mustangs last season is anxious to play with fellow All-Stars from across Southeast Texas.

“A lot of us all know each other already and we’ll have plenty of stories to tell from our old district games,” said Francis. “It’s really going to be fun but the main goal is helping the East Team win.”

It’s going to special for Francis, who plans to try and walk on to play football at Blinn Junior College, to don the Mustang helmet one more time.

“We’ll all be in the same style and uniforms but we all get to wear our high school helmets,” said Francis. “I live West Orange-Stark and to represent the school one more time is really a special feeling and I’m glad my coaches have allowed me to have this opportunity.”

The East All-Stars have practiced at Silsbee High School, while the West (coached by Newton's Curtis Barbay) will workout at Hardin High School.

West Orange-Stark boss and East coach Dan Hooks said practices will run from around 4-6 p.m. and are open to the public. Workouts will continue on Wednesday and Thursday. The game is scheduled for a  7 p.m. kick off at the Reservation in Port Neches.

Tickets are set at $5 for adults and $2 for students. Fox Channel 4 will air the game live.

There are a total of 76 players involved with 38 on each squad. All players are seniors.

In effort to avoid injuries, the All-Star game rules will not allow for linebacker stunts or blitzes.

All the players were chosen by a panel of 12-committee members. Coaches from area schools submitted their school's top three players and the committee chose from that list. Along with WO-S, Nederland, PN-G, Memorial and Silsbee, the participating schools from the East are Orangefield, Hamshire-Fannett, Vidor, Beaumont Central, Hardin-Jefferson, Jasper, Kirbyville, Woodville, Buna, Warren, and Deweyville.

The West includes Newton, Beaumont Kelly, West Brook, Ozen, East Chambers, Lumberton, Anahuac, Barbers Hill, Crosby, Evadale, Hardin, Cleveland, Coldspring, Liberty, and Tarkington.

Mark Foreman, a WO-S assistant coach and vice president of the Southeast Texas Coaches Association, worked extremely hard to get the contest started up.

Foreman is the spokesman for the 12-member all-star game committee that is made up of coaches from area high schools.

Foreman said he has been striving to get an all-star game in Southeast Texas for more than 12 years but could never get enough interest from capable sponsors until Texas Ford Dealers stepped up to the plate in December, which is when the serious planning began.

The all-star game committee sent out invitations to 47 schools all across Southeast Texas and received interest from 32 teams. The committee divided those schools by classification and geographic location (East and West).

"It's going to be hot," explained Hooks. "There is not enough time to prepare for a whole lot (of plays) so it's important the kids come out ready to go — not for the sake of coach Barbay or for me but for their own sake.”

  "This is all about the kids. Southeast Texas is enriched with talent and it's about time we get our own all-star game so we can showcase that talent. I think it's very appropriate that we have one. If we can get two or three of the kids a scholarship from even a (JC), I think it will have been more than worth it."

  At the game's conclusion, an offensive and defensive MVP will be chosen from each team and will be awarded with $500 of scholarship money.

[w]

Cool.  Nice that MVP's get scholarship money!