California to Take On Texas in New Shrine Format : Football: The annual game has dropped its intrastate north-south setup in a bid to rekindle fan interest in the all-star contest. The teams play Saturday.

When it comes to high school football all-star games, there are none bigger than the Florida-Georgia series, the Carolina Shrine Bowl (North Carolina vs. South) and the Big 33 Game featuring Pennsylvania and Ohio.

However, there is another interstate rivalry brewing that could prove to be larger than any of these games.

In the past, the California Shrine All-Star Game pitted the best players from Northern California against the top stars from Southern California.

But Saturday at Cal State Fullerton, the 45th annual Shrine Classic will showcase the premiere football players from California against those from Texas.

The states rank No. 1 (Texas) and No. 2 (California) in total participants in high school sports and have produced more than 1,000 Division I-A scholarship players last year and eight of the last 17 Heisman Trophy winners. And bragging rights are at stake: California’s speed and quickness versus Texas’ size and power.

The switch to an interstate format seems to be a quick-fix solution to the problem of dying interest in the Shrine Game. The Shrine committee, along with managing director Nate Grosher, hopes so.

“With the dropping attendance, we’ve tried to get outside teams to come in [for] an interstate game, thinking that would add to the Shrine Game’s appeal,” Grosher said.

During its wonder years, the 44-year-old Shrine Game used the North vs. South hook to catch the interest of fans statewide. In the 1950s, games were played at the Coliseum or the Rose Bowl, where attendance averaged 80,000 per game.

Because of budget problems, the game was played between all-stars from the northern and southern regions of Southern California from 1959 to 1986.

Organizers went back to the original format in 1987, but dwindling fan interest forced the sponsors to move the game to smaller venues such as Citrus College in Glendora and Veterans Stadium in Long Beach.

The stadium at Cal State Fullerton seats 10,000.

“Eventually, [the abundance] of pro and college activity in Los Angeles took away from the high school activity,” Grosher said. “Many other states that hold similar all-star games don’t have to deal with that problem.”

Consequently, the new format will result in only 35 players making the California squad as opposed to the 70 total that competed under the intrastate format.

“One drawback [to the change] is less players will get the opportunity to play,” Dorsey Coach Paul Knox said. “The game needed a boost, but I’m not sure this was it.”

And that could be bad news for the Central City, which has not been well-represented in the Shrine Game over the years. Knox was the last area coach to have a player in the Shrine game in 1993, when Dorsey wideout Antonio Carrion was selected.

Since 1951, 82 area players have competed in the Shrine Game. Only seven have played in the last 11 years and three--all from Dorsey--in the past six years.

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After failing to be represented in the 1994 game, the Central City will have two of its best players from last season competing this year--Sirr Parker of Locke and Loyola’s Matt Pentecost.

Parker, who will attend the University of Texas A&M;, rushed for 1,129 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Parker was named City Times Back of the Year.

Parker is one of three California players--Clarence Martin (El Camino) and Ricky Williams (Patrick Henry) are the others--who will attend Texas schools in the fall.

“Texas has many of the best ballplayers, and I would love to play with and against the best,” said Parker last year while still being recruited by the Aggies.

Pentecost, a 6-5, 275-pound lineman, will attend UCLA.

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Traveling and living expenses for the Texas players will be paid from a Shriner fund of private donations. All proceeds from the game will go to the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children.

Despite the game’s new appeal, the changed format also gives rise to another question.

If Californians didn’t come out to watch players they’re familiar with, will they travel to see a team from Texas that they don’t know?

The Shriners are depending on it.

“I think this idea will work,” Grosher said. “This year’s game will determine whether or not we do it again next year and will be an indication of the future of the Shrine Game.”