Orange’s Meiss, Edison’s White Coaches for Football All-Stars

Tom Meiss of Orange High School and Dave White of Edison have been named coaches for the 31st Orange County All-Star football game, which is scheduled July 6 at Orange Coast College.

Meiss, a walk-on coach who led Orange (10-3-1) into the Division VIII championship game, will coach the North team.

In his first season at Orange, Meiss put the Panthers into a championship football game for the first time in 60 years.

Meiss was named the county’s coach of the year, an award he also won in 1979 at Santa Ana. Meiss, 48, has had 27 years of coaching experience since graduating from Illinois Wesleyan.

“Being selected as the head coach for the all-star game is the fulfillment of a long-time dream of mine,” Meiss said. “It’s not only a great charity event, but offers a coach a chance to put something back into the community.”

White, who competed in the 1974 all-star game as a defensive back, will coach the South team.

He led Edison to a 10-3 record and the Sunset League championship, eventually losing to the state’s top-ranked team, Fontana, in the Division I semifinals. He has compiled a 29-16 record in four seasons at Edison.

White played quarterback for a national junior college championship team at Orange Coast College and also played at Oregon State. He returned to Edison and spent six years as an assistant coach under Bill Workman. When Workman moved to Orange Coast College four years ago, White became Edison’s head coach.

The coaches will announce their 36-player teams in April.