|
 |
The Acorn Camarillo Acorn Moorpark Acorn Simi Valley Acorn Thousand Oaks Acorn |
 |
|
|||||
|
Two great football minds to coach in Shriners’ game
Successful local coaches Jim Benkert and Bill Redell will face off on the sidelines for a good cause
By Kyle Jorrey
fingers (years CIF rings won) Bill Redell—1986, 2003, 2004 Jim Benkert—1986, 1999, 2003 Local sports fans might not get to see a battle between Westlake Vil lage football powerhouses Westlake and Oaks Christian anytime soon, but this Saturday, they’ll get the next best thing. Head coaches Bill Redell and Jim Benkert (six CIF title rings between them) will match wits in the Al Malaikah Shriners All-Star High School football game. The 54th edition of the Shriners’ game will be played at Mt. San An tonio College in Walnut, and for the third straight year will feature a pub lic vs. private school format. Redell will be coaching the private team and Benkert the public. Benkert, who coached under Redell for seven years (1982-88) as the offensive coordinator at Crespi High School, said the opportunity to coach against Redell, and former Westlake defensive coordinator Troy Thomas, now of Servite, was a big reason he accepted his second invi tation to coach the Shriners’ game. “It’s given us a lot of opportunity to spend time together and catch up on old times,” Benkert said. “I spent seven years under coach Redell be fore coming to Westlake. I learned a lot from him and I like to think he learned a little from me as well.” According to Redell, the relation ship between himself and Benkert is one based on mutual admiration, not competition. “Jim’s a fabulous guy and an incredible football coach,” Redell said. “Westlake is very fortunate to have someone of his caliber and talent. There are not many better high school coaches in the country.” Benkert said it is a credit to both schools that two such successful programs exist so close to one another. “The two schools have a mutual friendship,” Benkert said. “They both coexist in the same community and they are good for one another.” In Saturday’s game, Benkert will coach a number of recognizable local faces including wide receiver Jon Hall of Thousand Oaks, quarterback Cory Smits of Agoura and running back Danny Mosier of Royal. He said the opportunity to get to coach the players he once spent hours figuring out how to stop is something he particularly enjoys. “You find out how good they really are when you see their personalities, and how they react to the coaching staff,” Benkert said. “Getting to coach young men like these is something I really love about this game.” Both Benkert and Redell also mentioned the satisfaction they get from coaching in a game like this that’s for a good cause. As always, all the money earned from this year’s contest will go to benefit the Shriners’ Hospital for Children, where underpriveleged kids get medical at tention at no cost to their families. “We want to help raise funds for those kids, so it’s more about giv ing the fans a good game than about who wins,” Redell said. “I hope the score is 35-34.” Benkert said the all-stars gain a heightened awareness of who they are representing in a pre-game visit to the Shriners’ Hospital. “They see the kids they are sup porting by playing football, and it means something to them,” Benkert said. “They realize they’re making a difference and it makes them feel very good.” The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The public school team has won the two games prior in this format. |
 |
||||
