Salaam, Abrams Set for County All-Star Football Game

Rashaan Salaam and Eric Abrams have been grabbing headlines for three years at tiny La Jolla Country Day. What’s going to stop them now, the San Diego County 2-A vs. 3-A high school all-star football game?

Perhaps not.

Despite having played for 1-A LJCD, they will suit up tonight for the 3-A all-stars as the second Mighty 690/Pepsi Classic kicks off at 7 at Southwestern College’s Devore Stadium.

The 3-A won last year’s game, 31-0, but it was determined that Salaam and Abrams should be placed on the 3-A team because it has two fewer schools than the 2-A from which to select players.

There’s no question both deserve to play in the game.

Salaam, a slick and powerful running back who has drawn comparisons to Eric Dickerson, has earned a scholarship to Colorado. Abrams, the most prolific kicker in California history and Parade Magazine’s national player of the year, received a full ride to Stanford.

Other top players on the 3-A roster include: defensive linemen La’Roi Glover (Point Loma) and Andy Duran (Chula Vista); linebackers Chato Jackson (Vista), Pico Gonzalez (Point Loma) and Craig Person (Fallbrook); running backs Gary Taylor (Morse) and Riley Washington (Southwest); quarterbacks Jorge Munoz (Hilltop) and Tom Luginbill (Torrey Pines); and receiver Kris Plash (Orange Glen).

The 2-A team has a record-setting running back as well in La Jolla’s E.J. Watson (Colorado State). It also has seven key players from three-time defending champion El Camino--linebackers Abdul McCullough, Elias Noa and Daniel Esposito; defensive back Martin Arispe; quarterback Noel Prefontaine; running back Mike Gee; and offensive lineman Eric Darden.

Other top 2-A players include: linebacker Kevin Mitchell (Lincoln); defensive back John Zuanich (La Jolla); offensive lineman Eric Stuhr (El Capitan); and running backs Mark Frazier (San Marcos) and John Mozerka (St. Augustine).

The coaches for the two sides will be Point Loma’s Bennie Edens (3-A) and El Camino’s Herb Meyers (2-A). Each guided his respective school to 1991 championships.

Tickets for the game--$6 for adults, $4 for children under 12--will be on sale at the gate. Proceeds will benefit the San Diego High School Sports Assn. and the Hall of Champions.