Orange County All-Star Football Game : Foley’s Arm and a Strong Defense Make South the Favorite Tonight

The 1985 high school football season will be remembered for record-setting performances by running back Ray Pallares of Valencia, quarterback Shane Foley of Newport Harbor and wide receiver Robbie Katzaroff of Los Alamitos.

Pallares gained 2,083 yards in 1985 to finish his three-year career as the state’s all-time leading rusher with 5,398 yards. On Oct. 18, Pallares ran for 238 yards in Valencia’s 63-0 rout of Savanna to surpass former Santa Ana Valley star Myron White’s total of 4,164 yards and become Orange County’s all-time leading rusher.

Foley became the county’s career passing leader by throwing for 5,264 yards in two seasons, including 3,026 yards as a senior.

The 5-foot 9-inch Katzaroff caught a county-record 93 passes and led Los Alamitos to the Empire League title.

All three players will be featured at 7:30 tonight in the 27th Orange County All-Star game in Orange Coast College’s LeBard Stadium.

Foley is the primary reason local sportswriters have established the South as the favorite. The North leads the series, 15-10-1.

Foley will be throwing to swift receivers Nathan Call of Capistrano Valley and Rick Justice of Edison and sure-handed tight end Ken Griggs of Edison. The North will counter with running backs Pallares and Chuck Weatherspoon of La Habra. Pallares will be joined by two Valencia teammates --guard Joe Garten and tackle Xavier Hicks.

Tim Rosenkranz of Servite will be the North’s starting quarterback. Rosenkranz passed for 2,536 yards, but North Coach Bill Craven figures to go with a ground-oriented attack and short passing game.

“My biggest concern is our secondary simply because the South’s strength is its passing game,” Craven said. “We’re going to try to control the football with our running game and hopefully keep the ball out of Foley’s hands as much as possible.”

Foley, who will attend USC in the fall, has been the most impressive player in either camp during the past two weeks. He arrives early and stays long after practice to work with his receivers. If his offensive line can protect him, it could be a long night for the North.

“Foley has done everything we’ve asked of him, and he’s done it very well,” said Bill Crow, South coach. “Our passing game has really looked good.”

The game won’t be without defensive stars. El Modena’s Don Gibson, acknowledged by many recruiters as the best two-way lineman in Southern California last season, will be counted on heavily by the North.

Gibson will start at defensive tackle, and Craven said the USC-bound star will play a lot on the offensive line, too. He’s joined by outside linebacker Sean Cleary of El Modena, who has been the biggest surprise in the North camp.

Westminster nose guard Herman Baine will anchor the South defense. Baine is exceptionally quick and could make life miserable for the North running backs. Bill Craft, who intercepted 15 passes during his three-year career at Marina, anchors the South secondary.

Here’s a look at how the teams match up:

OFFENSE

RECEIVERS: Frank Gibson, father of North lineman Don Gibson, posed an interesting question the other day: “If you had your choice of just one receiver, who would you take? Call or Katzaroff?” That’s a tough decision. Call has shown an uncanny ability to get open repeatedly. Katzaroff has missed several practices because of a wedding and freshman orientation at UCLA, but he’s easily the North’s best receiver. The South rates an edge at receiver with Griggs at tight end. As former Marina Coach Dave Thompson said, “Don’t be surprised if he’s playing in the NFL some day.”

LINE: The North has a decided advantage here. Garten and Hicks played a big role in helping Pallares set his rushing records. Garten, headed for Colorado, is only a notch below Gibson on the talent chart. Gibson figures to join the Valencia duo if Servite’s Mike Grabowski can’t do the job. The big question is whether North center Chris Cisneros can handle nose guard Baine. No one in the South camp could. The big surprise for the South has been the play of 240-pound Marina guard John Porter.

RUNNING BACKS: Again, the North has the advantage. Pallares has received most of the publicity, but Weatherspoon is the best back to come out of the county since Edison’s Kerwin Bell. Pity a poor defensive back who has to tackle the 215-pounder in the open field. Pallares and Weatherspoon complement each other in Craven’s split backfield. Weatherspoon will attend the University of Houston after receiving a release from Colorado. Bart Recktenwald of La Quinta has been the South’s most impressive back.

QUARTERBACKS: Foley and Rosenkranz both wear jersey No. 10, but that’s where the comparison ends. Foley has the skills of a great quarterback. Last year, Brett Johnson of El Modena was in a similar situation and led the North to a big win. Look for Foley to do the same. J.T. Snow of Los Alamitos has outplayed Rosenkranz in practice. But as one Mater Dei assistant said, “When the lights go on, the people fill the stands and the game begins, Tim Rosenkranz will be ready. He’s a winner.” Craven’s reply: “I sincerely hope so.”

DEFENSE

LINE: Despite the presence of Gibson, the South gets the edge. Baine, Scott Moberly and Frano Pagnanelli of Huntington Beach, Kevin McClelland of Newport Harbor and Dan O’Connell of Woodbridge are solid. The matchup against North’s offensive line should be the game’s best. A concern in the North camp is that defensive ends Robert Nasser (190) of El Modena and Chris Hartman (195) of Pacifica might not be big enough to handle end sweeps.

LINEBACKERS: A tossup. Two players who plan to walk on at four-year colleges have looked good. Cleary, who will attend Cal State Fullerton, is the only player in the game starting both ways. He will play tight end on offense. Craven says the Titans are getting “a gem.” Randy Hatch of Huntington Beach plans to follow South teammates Moberly and Tustin’s John Ashman to Brigham Young. The South’s Tom Quinn of Foothill, headed for the University of Arizona, is a quality player.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: It’s hard to believe Craft did not receive a scholarship offer. The four-year colleges’ loss is Orange Coast College’s gain. He led Marina to three consecutive appearances in the Big Five Conference semifinals and gives the South a slight advantage. Troy’s David St. Clair, who will attend the University of Santa Clara, is the North’s best player in the secondary. North strong safety Bill Hardesty of Pacifica has been hampered by a sore ankle.

KICKING: Wade Clester of Loara got off a 70-yard punt in practice and has been averaging 45 yards for the North. He’ll also serve as the team’s place-kicker, and had a 51-yard field goal against El Dorado nullified because of a penalty. John Carlson of Costa Mesa will punt for the South, and Carrick Brewster of Foothill will do the kicking. Give the North the edge.

CONSENSUS: Traditionally, the games have been decided by defense. The South is stronger defensively than the North, especially on the line and in the secondary. If the South can provide the blocking for Foley, the game won’t be close.

All-Star Notes

Game tickets have incorrectly listed the kickoff at 8 p.m. The game will start at 7:30. . . . There will be two notable changes from high school rules. First, a team receiving a kickoff will be allowed to return the ball out of the end zone. Second, a team trailing by two touchdowns will have the option of receiving after a score. . . . If Bill Hardesty is unable to start for the North, he will be replaced by Esperanza’s John Ledesma. . . . Servite wide receiver Jeff Fieldhouse dislocated a finger in practice on Tuesday, but is listed as probable. . . . Tim Haider of Mater Dei, the last player selected for the South team, has earned a starting position at cornerback because of his aggressive play in practice. . . . Capistrano Valley quarterback Scott Stark, who opted to play in the Shrine All-Star game, on teammate Nathan Call: “We had a team party following the basketball season, and Nathan beat everybody in everything from croquet to pool. He doesn’t lose in anything.” . . . Interesting matchup: North lineman Don Gibson vs. South linebacker Tom Quinn. They’re best friends who work out together at a Tustin health club. . . . The game will be videotaped for broadcast on 11 cable television systems throughout the county beginning Monday. Ram quarterback coach Dick Coury will be the broadcast’s color commentator. Contact Group W Cable of Fullerton for full listings.

NORTH--SOUTH ALL--STAR ROSTERS

NORTH

OFFENSE No. Name School Position 44 Chuck Zacour Canyon WR 13 Robbie Katzaroff Los Alamitos WR 88 Sean Cleary El Modena TE 69 Mike Grabowski Servite OT 75 Xavier Hicks Valencia OT 51 Todd Gold Valencia OG 78 Joe Garten Valencia OG 53 Chris Cisneros La Habra C 10 Tim Rosenkranz Servite QB 28 C. Weatherspoon La Habra FB 40 Ray Pallares Valencia TB DEFENSE 87 Chris Hartman Pacifica DE 39 Robert Nasser El Modena DE 72 Don Gibson El Modena DE 68 Randy Gonzales Rancho Ala. DT 45 Matt Alario Canyon LB 25 Chris Wright Loara LB 88 Sean Cleary El Modena LB 7 David St. Clair Troy CB 4 Adolph Renaud La Habra CB 1 Bill Hardesty Pacifica SS 17 Wade Clester Loara FS

SOUTH

OFFENSE No. Name School Position 22 Nathan Call Capo Valley WR 7 Rick Justice Edison WR 89 Ken Griggs Edison TE 76 John Ashman Tustin OT 68 Randy Goens Edison OT 71 Ben Morgon Mission Viejo OT 62 John Porter Marina OG 55 Rick Costello Mission Viejo C 10 Shane Foley N. Harbor QB 41 Todd Yert Mission Viejo FB 26 Bart Recktenwald La Quinta TB DEFENSE 57 Frank Pagnanelli Hunt. Beach DE 20 Kevin McClelland N. Harbor DE 70 Scott Moberly Hunt. Beach DT 64 Dan O’Connell Woodbridge DT 61 Herman Baine Westminster NG 9 Randy Hatch Hunt. Beach LB 47 Tom Quinn Foothill LB 40 Dennis Erk Mission Viejo CB 28 Tim Haider Mater Dei CB 21 Bill Craft Marina SS 31 Sean Tunner Corona del Mar FS