East All-Stars rumble through West squad

Agoura's Arias named MVP


WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers ALONG FOR THE RIDE—Oak Park High senior wide receiver Max Fahn, left, drags defenders Doug Nelson and Michael Davis during last Saturday's Ventura County High School All-Star Football Game.

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers ALONG FOR THE RIDE—Oak Park High senior wide receiver Max Fahn, left, drags defenders Doug Nelson and Michael Davis during last Saturday’s Ventura County High School All-Star Football Game.


Next month, Grace Brethren senior wide receiver Travis Sproat is scheduled to enter boot camp at Camp Pendleton as a member of the United States Marine Corps.

The diminutive playmaker, listed at 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds, has already requested a rapid deploy and expects to be stationed overseas later this year.

Before setting out to serve his country—a dream he’s maintained since he was 7—Sproat had one final high school football game left to play and, as always, he was going to give it everything he had.

“I tried to leave it all on the field one last time,” Sproat said.

“It’s fun to play football, but, for me, serving in the military has always been my ultimate dream.”

Sproat pulled down a gamehigh five receptions for a teamleading 77 yards to help guide the East squad to a 29-16 victory over the West during last Saturday’s 36th annual Ventura County High School All-Star Football Game at Moorpark High.

For his effort, Sproat earned the East’s Joe Howell Offensive Player of the Game award.

The wide receiver’s heroic performance was matched by his East teammate, Agoura quarterback Justin Arias, who was named Most Valuable Player after staking his team to a 14-0 first-quarter lead.

In the two early scoring drives, Arias had an 8-yard touchdown pass to Royal’s Sean Miller and a 4-yard scamper to pay dirt.

While clutching his massive MVP trophy after the game, Arias was quick to credit others for the success he enjoyed.

“I had all day to throw,” Arias said. “The offensive line blocked great. Sproat was catching a ton of balls. And you can’t really ask for much more from your receivers than what the guys did.”

After West field-goal kicker Moises Barrera of Pacifica connected on a 33yard attempt before halftime to make the score 14-3 in favor of the East, West head coach Cliff Farrar evoked the little-know 9-Point Rule, which allowed his team to retain possession of the ball on the ensuing kickoff.

The rule is designed to help keep the game competitive by allowing a team down by nine or more points to get the ball back after scoring. Many on the East sideline and in the stands, however, considered it a bushleague tactic.

“We did not like that rule at all,” Moorpark linebacker Brenden Daley said. “First of all, it makes (the defense) tired because we have to stay on the field forever.

“But whatever rule they had, it wasn’t good enough.”

West running back Cierre Wood of Santa Clara found the end zone from 5 yards out to make it a 14-9 ballgame with 1:27 remaining in the second quarter. The West’s two-point conversion failed.

Wood, who will play at Notre Dame, was named top offensive player for the West squad after rushing for 45 yards and catching four passes for 28 yards.

Led by Grace Brethren quarterback Kevin Ramay, the East put together another long scoring drive in the third quarter.

To cap the drive, Royal running back Matt Rulon marched into the end zone from 5 yards out, and the East converted its two-point try for a commanding 22-9 advantage.

“It was one of the few plays when I got the ball,” Rulon said. “I saw the hole open, and I just knew I had to power it in there.”

With 4:10 remaining in the fourth quarter, West quarterback Drew Rodriguez of Nordhoff connected with St Bonaventure wideout Nolan Rodarte on a 34yard scoring strike to make it a 22-16 contest.

And that’s when East head coach Lance Martin decided to continually feed his bulldozing ball-carrier, Thousand Oaks’ John Lister, to grind the clock down.

The Hawaii-bound Lister ended the game with 92 yards on 11 carries, including a 7-yard touchdown run on a fourth-down play with less than a minute to go in the game that put the East well out in front, 29-16.

Said Martin, the Calabasas coach: “During the last timeout I said to them, ‘Well, if they stack the box we can check into a quick throw and get Lister out in the flat.’ He goes, ‘No, coach, just give me the ball’. . . .

“Then he goes and takes it in for the score,” Martin said of Lister. “That was awesome.”

With the win, Martin improved to 4-0 all-time in county All-Star games. He was on the winning sideline once as a player and twice as an assistant coach.

“I’ve been very fortunate with a lot of great guys,” Martin said.

Defensive back Josh Baynard, the only member of the Calabasas team to play Saturday, said it was a thrill to work with the Coyote coaches and get a victory for the East.

“This was huge,” Baynard said. “It was great to be able to represent my school.”

Handing out hardware

The Joe Zeno Defensive Player of the Game award went to Connor Saucier of the East and Patrick Peterson from the West. Saucier attends Newbury Park. Peterson is from Ventura.

Claiming the Joel Gershon Sportsmanship awards were St. Bonaventure’s Marcus Langklide and Royal’s Tyler Genovese.

During halftime, coaching staff honors were dolled out.

For small schools, Santa Paula and Fillmore shared the varsity award. Fillmore’s coaches were named tops in the junior varsity division, while Nordhoff took home freshman staff honors.

In the large schools division, Moorpark’s coaching staff earned the varsity award. St. Bonaventure was honored for its junior varsity coaches, and Westlake had the top freshman staff.

Lee Morris of Royal and St. Bonaventure’s Andy Gibson were given Tony Lopez Walk-on Coach of the Year awards.

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