Top Wrestlers to Duel at Five Counties Invitational

The Five Counties Invitational, among the elite high school wrestling tournaments in the nation, takes place this weekend at Fountain Valley High.

Defending state champion Bakersfield will be joined by such state powers as Poway, Clovis, Shingle Springs Ponderosa and Lemoore as well as Southern California powers Temecula Valley, Covina Northview and Santa Ana Calvary Chapel .

Last season’s team champion, Great Bridge (Va.), is not entered this year.

The tournament runs Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The finals are scheduled to begin Saturday at 7 p.m.

Tickets are on sale for the California Interscholastic Federation state wrestling championships March 4 and 5 at Centennial Garden in Bakersfield.

Prices range from $7 to $20 for Session I on Friday; $8 to $22 for Session II on Saturday, and $9 to $24 for Session III on Sunday. Tickets are available at Centennial Garden and through TicketMaster.

Football

A new all-star football game matching the top players from Texas against their counterparts from California is scheduled to take place June 18 at the Rose Bowl.

Created by the organizers of the CaliFlorida Bowl, the all-star game will include a 32-team summer passing tournament for high school squads.

The Air 7 Cal-Tex Bowl will be the first game matching high school players from Texas and California since the Shrine Game changed its format in 2002 after a seven-year run matching California players against Texas.

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl all-star game in San Antonio on Sunday will feature six players from the Southland on the West team, including Mission Viejo quarterback Mark Sanchez, a nominee for the Ballpark national player of the year.

The game, which begins at 10 a.m. and will be broadcast live by NBC, will be played at the Alamodome. Other Southland players include Long Beach Poly receiver DeSean Jackson, North Hollywood running back Marlon Lucky, Oxnard Rio Mesa defensive back Kevin Thomas, Moreno Valley Canyon Springs offensive lineman Rodney Picou and Los Alamitos quarterback Jim Barnes.