Proceeding With Caution : All-Stars Try to Maintain a Healthy Outlook on Careers

Larry Smith has this thing about damaged goods. When the USC football coach goes to the grocery store, he doesn’t buy the dented cans, bruised fruit, or even the day-old bread. When he buys a car he wants no unsightly dings or defects.

He expects the same when he goes shopping for a high school football player. The last thing any coach wants is somebody that’s signed, sealed and delivered on an athletic scholarship to blow a tire or suffer front-end damage before his college career begins.

Yet, it happens. Each year, all over the nation, players are injured in high school all-star football games. It’s no small wonder that coaches keep a wary eye on the summer games to see if players cast for starring roles arrive in plaster casts instead.

“I had one guy I recruited when I was still coaching high school in Ohio,” Smith said. “I had just moved over to the University of Miami and signed him. He dislocated an elbow in a state all-star game and missed weeks of practice.”

It happens at all levels to all coaches. They sign a thoroughbred and he pulls up lame.

After finishing his All-American career as a running back at Cal Lutheran, Hank Bauer played for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. But when Bauer arrived as a freshman at the Thousand Oaks school, Coach Bob Shoup thought the running back had gone sour.

“When Bauer came here in 1972, he had a broken ankle that was never diagnosed,” Shoup said. “He was limping around and something obviously wasn’t right. We found out he broke it during an Orange County all-star game.”

Shoup had seen it happen before. And since.

“I’ve probably seen hundreds of these games, in several states,” he said. “And I’ve coached in a few. When you’ve got somebody out there, you cross your fingers.”

From the sidelines, a coach might be tempted to feel like he’s playing with house money, with free poker chips. Trouble is, many of the players are blue-chip prospects and a serious injury could conceivably end a career before it ever really begins.

“We’re very aware that we are dealing with some special kids,” said Bill Redell of Crespi High, co-coach of the West team in tonight’s Daily News all-star game at Pierce College. “We take precautions. When we practice we never really go full tilt. The last thing I need is somebody going down out here.”

Why would a player risk injury to play in a July football game in front of a few thousand fans, especially somebody heading toward a four-year school?

“Obviously, it’s just an honor to be here,” said West running back Albert Fann, who will attend Cal State Northridge. “As far as the injuries, I think if you go 100% you’ll be OK. Unless somebody tears your head off or you wreck a knee.”

Some players, looking for exposure, hope to catch the eye of somebody in the stands.

“I’m probably going to Valley College next year,” said West defensive back Marcus Coleman, “I’ve talked to a coach at Colorado about the year after that, but playing in front of all these people is something most guys jump at the chance to do.”

Said West quarterback Jeff Newman, who will attend Hawaii: “It all comes down to just being asked here, being named the best at your position. As far as injuries, I’m willing to take that risk.”

Some schools would obviously prefer that recruits didn’t take the risk at all, but leave it to the player’s discretion.

Sean Howard, a Times All-Valley linebacker from Crespi who originally committed to play in the Daily News and Shrine games, decided to skip tonight’s contest after consulting with coaches at UCLA, where he’ll play next year.

“Initially they said I could play in both of them if I wanted to,” Howard said. “Then they said they’d prefer that if I was going to play, that I play in just one.”

Shoup echoed the thought.

“I don’t like to see any kid play in more than one,” he said. “They’d be pushing their luck.”

From the college coach’s perspective, the games are a mixed bag. In essence, they are almost hate-or-tolerate affairs.

“To me, they really aren’t of any value at all,” Smith said. “They serve as a reward for a kid who had a great career or season, but as far as the school is concerned, there’s no real benefit.

“I’m not totally against them, but I’m not crazy about them, either. I guess it should be left up to the player.”

Shoup leaned slightly in the other direction.

“I guess I’m about 60-40% in favor of them,” he said. “Sixty percent of me sees the good side, with some reservations. Forty percent of me understands why some coaches want to do away with them.”

Shoup outlined a few of the positives.

“They can help a player begin to get into shape before camp, and they can teach a kid that’s been in one system that there are other ways to coach. You can use them to evaluate your recruiting. If you see somebody out there that you missed, then you know you blew it. Or you see somebody you signed that fails at this level. These games can be a good indicator.

“Besides, you can’t take this away from the kids. Heck, you could get injured just driving on the freeways around here.”

Eastern air lines: The East quarterback duo of Jim Bonds and Ken Sollom figures to air it out on offense. The pair combined to pass for more than 9,000 yards and 94 touchdowns in their high school careers.

That could mean a long day for the West defense, and players like defensive back Troy Thomas.

“I want to do well against these guys,” said Thomas, who attended Crespi and has signed with UC Davis. “If you can do well against Sollom and Bonds you can do well against anybody.”

Thomas will team with Kennedy’s Dion Lambert at cornerback. Lambert, like Bonds, will attend UCLA.

Growing boys?: On the East roster, Bonds is listed at 6-1, 195 pounds. In the Hart football program from 1986-87, he is listed at 6-0, 185.

Ken Sollom is listed in the game program at 6-3, 198. On a biographical football card filled out last season, he listed himself at 6-2, 193.

Hands and feet: Newman may not match up with Sollom and Bonds in terms of arm strength, but he hopes he can make up for the difference with foot speed.

“I’m much more mobile than they are,” he said. “We will throw more of the roll-out and ball-control passes, more short-range stuff.

“I’m not going to try to stay with those guys, I’m going to play my own style of game. That’s quick options, quick out passes, and that type of thing.”

Hands are tied: Game rules prohibit blitzing, so the West defense could be hard-pressed to pester Sollom and Bonds. Given the explosive nature of the East offense and the ball-control scheme of the West, if Sollom and Bonds strike quickly, it could be over early.

“I think the whole key to the game is the play of our defensive line,” said West co-coach Joel Schaeffer of Reseda. “We have to be able to keep the pressure on those guys.”

The defense will employ a 5-2-4 set, Schaeffer said. Nate Session, Ron Simmons and Akili Calhoun will start as the down linemen. Kurt Moeller and Greg Spaulding will start at outside linebacker, primarily from a down position.

Brawl game: Last year’s game was marred be several fights late in the second half. Coaches are confident it won’t happen again.

“I think football players are a reflection of their coaches,” Schaeffer said. “I won’t stand for it. There’s no place for that nonsense and we don’t intend to issue any warnings. Any screwing around and they’re out of there.”

Schaeffer chaser: Redell and Schaeffer, who have known each other since the ‘60s, exchanged some good-natured barbs at Wednesday’s workout. Schaeffer attended San Fernando Valley College (now Cal State Northridge) while Redell was a quarterback at Occidental.

Schaeffer: “I remember when we played you guys. We killed you.”

Redell: “I remember it a little differently.”

Schaeffer: “All I know is that I got called for a roughing-the-passer penalty for hitting you. The only reason they called it is because you cried to the referee for five minutes.”

Redell: “Yeah, sure. But we won the game.”

Schaeffer, who once coached at Crespi, later said: “We get along very, very well. These things can be hell if you get stuck with somebody you don’t like. These Crespi guys turned out OK.

“Except for this guy,” he said, pointing at Redell.