Rising Star : Swayne Will Set Sights on Duke After Playing in All-Star Game

David Swayne is preparing to run the deepest route of his career.

Swayne, an all-league performer in three sports during his senior year at Flintridge Prep, will attend Duke University in the fall and will try to make the football team as a wide receiver.

But before journeying to Durham, N.C., to join the Blue Devils, Swayne hopes to bedevil high school defenders one last time when he plays in the second annual Glendale-Burbank All-Star Football Game on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at La Canada High.

The 72 players participating are graduating seniors from Glendale and Burbank area high schools.

The game should provide an interesting showcase for Swayne, who helped lead Flintridge Prep to the Southern Section Eight-Man Large Schools Division championship last fall--the school’s first Southern Section title in any sport.

Swayne will have had just nine days of practice to acclimate himself to running routes on a wider field against more defenders, and Saturday night’s contest will be his first experience playing the standard 11-man game in high school.

“It’s a new challenge,” said Swayne, who lives in San Marino. “I want to show that I can play with anyone.”

“So far, (the 11-man game is) not very different. I have a knack for catching the ball and I think I’ll always be able to do that no matter what level I’m playing at.”

Swayne (6-foot-1, 180 pounds) excelled at just about everything he tried during his four years at Flintridge Prep.

Last football season, he had 60 receptions for 970 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. He also played defensive back and had seven interceptions and 51 unassisted tackles.

In basketball, Swayne was an All-Prep League selection in basketball after averaging 12 points a game. And he was an all-league center fielder for the baseball team, batting .476.

Swayne is one of several talented wide receivers on the Glendale team. Others include Aaron Erickson of Crescenta Valley, Bernardo Gallo of Franklin and Miguel Osorio of Marshall.

The quarterback corps is also talented, featuring Santiago Alvarez of Franklin and Chris Bisgaard of Flintridge Prep.

Alvarez (5-11, 160) led the state in passing last season, completing 324 of 512 attempts for a state-record 4,019 yards and 52 touchdowns, also a state mark. He was named City Section 3-A Division Player of the Year after leading the Panthers to their second consecutive Northern Conference title.

Bisgaard (6-4, 205) shared Southern Section Eight-Man Large Schools Player of the Year honors with teammate Swayne.

Bisgaard completed 111 of 184 attempts for 1,885 yards and 25 touchdowns and also rushed for 420 yards and eight touchdowns.

Bisgaard, who probably will play at Glendale College next season, said he is looking forward to teaming with Swayne one last time, especially since the field at La Canada will be about 18 yards wider than the ones they played on at Flintridge Prep.

Swayne considers adaptability his greatest pass-catching attribute.

“If a pass is there, I catch it,” Swayne said. “If it’s not, and I have to adjust, I do. It’s just a matter of concentration.”