Andy Jennings of Turlock and Jason Foglia from Pitman High will be competing in the 42nd annual Central California Lions All-Star Football Game set for today.
After an impressive 2014 season where both Jennings and Foglia helped their respective teams reach the playoffs, both will be playing one final time in a high school football contest before they leave for college.
“It's good being out here with some of the best of the best and everyone out here is great to be around and I feel like we're on a good team right now,” Foglia said during a practice held at California State University, Stanislaus.
“This is a great opportunity to play with some of the best players out here and it's a great experience for me to get ready for college because I know I will be around better athletes in college,” said Jennings.
Jennings is looking to earn a spot on the Fresno State football team as a preferred walk-on.
“It's an opportunity, which is huge. Obviously, I wanted a scholarship but it's just an opportunity to play with some of the best players in the country,” said Jennings. “I am given an opportunity that millions of people would dream of and I am blessed enough to get that opportunity to play ball at Fresno.”
Foglia will be attending Sterling College in Kansas along with schoolmate Donovan Bravo.
The Lions game is the fourth oldest high school football all-star game in the state and in most of the years the game has been highly competitive, including last year when the contest ended in a tie.
Turlock and Pitman will be representing the South team which will be headed by Downey High's Jeremy Plaa ,who comes off a 10-2 overall record in 2014.
“It's fun because we have great kids and we spoke about how they get along very well and we are coaching these guys wherever they are and it's been a good experience,” said Plaa.
Plaa also implemented the pass-first offense to the squad, although many of the players are not familiar with it. According to Plaa, the team has responded well and the players have picked up the scheme on both sides of the ball after just the first practice.
“We have a complicated scheme and these kids had it down right away," said Plaa.
Joining Jennings and Foglia on the South side are Dante Berggren of Waterford, Damarrio Hammonds from Patterson, and Alec Barcellos from Los Banos to name a few.
“Also the Oakdale kids are consistent, they are all very good. I mean everyone of these kids are all-stars,” Plaa said. “I am looking forward to starting the game already.”
This year’s game is being played at Wayne Schneider Stadium in Tracy and the game kicks off at 7 p.m. today, with pre-game festivities starting at 6 p.m.
