STOCKTON — They may be all-stars, but they still have something left to prove.
For some of the North squad, which competes in the 43rd annual District 4-A1 Lions football game at 7 p.m. today at Tracy High’s Wayne Schneider Stadium, that means proving they’re worthy of playing for a four-year university program.
For some, it’s showing off their football prowess one last time before they focus on school, work or the rest of their lives.
St. Mary’s offensive lineman Tony Harper was selected one of four North captains along with Calaveras’ Dylan Byrd, Stagg’s Lavante Bushnell and Tokay’s Nick Arnaiz, by their teammates.
He’s blown away by not just the size and capability, but the mental fortitude of his brothers in the trenches.
“At St. Mary’s, it was younger, more juniors,” said Harper, a first-team All-Area lineman for The Record. His fellow Rams linemen were “amazing. But these guys are more mature and know what they want. They’re driven to get to college.
“Not a lot of us have offers or are going Division I.”
And while the North is sure of its motivation and cohesion entering today, its opponent – as always in an all-star game – is a bit of a mystery. The South is coached by Patterson’s Rob Cozart, so North coach Don Norton and company have studied Patterson’s tendencies on film, but not much else.
They’ll look to stymie Oakdale quarterback Adam Olsen, for one, and keep him in the pocket, Norton said.
“We’re going to threw a few coverages at him and see if he can figure out what we’re doing in the secondary,” said Norton, the Stagg coach of 11 years.
The South also features Modesto-Beyer running back Jay Green, who delivered 1,420 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns and an average of 8 yards per carry last autumn.
Norton has complete faith in the North’s stacked secondary, and has also been dazzled by the football IQ and aggressiveness of his linebackers.
“They know what they’re doing. Just everything about them is solid,” Norton said.
Arnaiz, a safety, missed time earlier in the week with an injury, but roared back to earn a captain’s spot.
“I’m honored to be chosen by all of these guys,” said Arnaiz, a first-team All-Area defensive back. “To be picked by the best, it feels good.”
Despite just five days of practice together, and coming off the highest-scoring game in this region’s Lions history (89 points combined), Arnaiz is still confident that his crew can make stops.
“Everyone comes here pretty much equipped with the talent we need. Putting it all together, our defense, the whole week from Day 1, we’ve flowed together,” he said. “I don’t think that should be a problem.”
— Contact reporter Thomas Lawrence at (20