They may have misspelled the last name, but you can tell by the pictures who it is…
Sean & Justin
Football in June
Local players take field for All-Star game’s first practice
By Dan Nied/Vallejo Times-Herald sports writer
June 27, 2007Tuesday afternoon, Richard Eaton scanned the roster, then looked over to the players.
“The first day, you never know who is going to show up,” Eaton said.
It didn’t help that Eaton, normally the coach of North Hills High, currently serving as the head coach of the West team in the East-West Charity All-Star Football Classic couldn’t recognize most of his players.
But Eaton and his team made due with what they had Tuesday, which was the best 2006 senior football players from the West region in the first day of a three-week practice session for the 35th annual game which will take place July 14 at Napa Memorial Stadium.
There were only a few no shows at Morton Field on Mare Island, and the team went through myriad drills in the two-hour session.
“I think the primary objective is to come in and have fun,” Eaton said. “This is just an honor and a privilege to come in and coach all these kids. The caliber of kid is what you dream of as a high school coach.”
The West roster is mostly made up of players from the Vallejo-Benicia area. That includes North Coast Section Class A title winners St. Patrick-St. Vincent.
Before practice, now former Bruins quarterback Max Schulz stretched in his St. Pat’s practice gear.
“I am excited,” he said. “This is going to help me get ready for college.”
In August, Schulz will begin his career at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. This serves as his final tune-up.
While Schulz was stretching in the St. Pat’s circle, players gathered in the field’s dugouts and introduced themselves. Many players were rivals, however they were now on the same team.
“I know we are going to become closer friends,” said former Vallejo High receiver and Diablo Valley College recruit Mychael Wallace. “There’s a lot of guys here I don’t know, I’ve never seen before without a helmet on. So just make new friends and maybe we’ll see each other in college.”
While most of the players got acquainted, a pair of former Benicia High linebackers stood about 40 feet away, waiting to practice.
Sean Kanoske [Konoske] and Justin Ponder took a no-nonsense approach into practice. The pair will play at Solano College next season after narrowly missing out on a Sac-Joaquin Section playoff berth as seniors in 2006.
fishing for words 