The South All-Stars have won five consecutive Brea Lions Orange County All-Star Games. Last season, defense did the trick as it held the North to three points.
Led by its defensive line, the South will look to duplicate that performance in Thursday’s All-Star Game at Orange Coast College.
At practice last week, the front four was producing constant pressure and causing havoc in the backfield.
“Jack Bares and Taylor Prenovost are just good. They’re really good football players,” South coach Eric Lo said. “Then the tackles, (Nick) Leduc played really well, made some plays. David Siliuta and Will Martin are just big, strong, tough guys …”
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BREA LIONS O.C. ALL-STAR GAME
Where/when: Thursday, 7:30 p.m., at Orange Coast College
Fan info: Tickets can be purchased in advance ($10, at oc-allstarfootball.com) or at a ticket booth on game day ($12). … The stadium gates open at 6 p.m. … The game will be preceded by a Fan Fest, which starts at 4:30 p.m.
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Leading the way is Tesoro’s undersized Bares, who says he checks in at 5-foot-9, 175 pounds.
What Bares lacks in size, he makes up for in speed, which he utilizes to blow by offensive linemen who he catches off guard.
“99 percent of the time, I’m underestimated, unless people know me,” Bares said.
He has high expectations for Thursday.
“(I’m) trying to get at least four sacks,” Bares said. “We’ll see what happens … (I’ll) just be flying around.”
TEMPORARY GOODBYE
Some all-stars might be playing in their final football game Thursday. For North receiver and Servite alum Neill Pau’u, it’ll be his last game … for the time being.
Pau’u, a BYU commit, is headed on his two-year Mormon mission later this month.
“I leave July 23,” Pau’u said. “I got called to Salt Lake City Central Mission, so I’ll be out there for two years and it’ll be pretty fun.”
Pau’u played receiver this past season after previously playing quarterback, and he’ll be one of the main offensive threats on the North, which features Mater Dei running back Justin Allen, Katella running back TJ Ashmeade and Fullerton quarterback Scott Lloyd.
CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREES
The South team will be led by two CIF championship quarterbacks – Corona del Mar’s Luke Napolitano and Huntington Beach’s Kai Ross.
Ross was the Register’s Offensive Player of the Year as he led the Oilers to a CIF-SS Southwest Division title by passing for 2,291 yards and 31 touchdowns while running for 810 yards.
Napolitano quarterbacked the Sea Kings to a 16-0 record, a CIF-SS Southern championship and a State Division 3 championship.
Those two will lead an offense with first-team All-County offensive performers such as Tesoro running Jon Rivera, Newport Harbor receiver Quest Truxton, El Toro receiver Dominic Collins and Corona del Mar lineman Giovanni Gentosi.
Contact the writer: amorales@ocregister.com
