Fourteen local players were selected for tonight’s 34th annual Central Coast High School All-Star football game at Rabobank Stadium in Salinas.
Monte Vista Christian’s Jason Bettencourt, Daniel Brierley, John Coniglio, Emileo Padilla Chavez and Scott Tinsley, Watsonville’s Matthew Barcelo, Rodrigo Hernandez and Dylan Vargas and St. Francis’ Aaron Soto will play for team Valley Churches United and coach Louie Walters of Scotts Valley.
Playing for team Monterey County Special Olympics and coach Art Berlanga of Gonzales, Pajaro Valley’s Marcos Aguilar, Manny Murillo and Aaron Olivares and North Monterey County’s Spencer Gonzalez and Isaiah Solorio.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Team Valley Churches United will also feature players from Alisal, Carmel, Gilroy, Monterey, Palma, Stevenson, San Lorenzo Valley, Scotts Valley and Seaside.
Team Monterey County Special Olympics, meanwhile, will also include players from Alvarez, Gonzales, Greenfield, San Benito, King city, North Salinas, Pacific Grove, Salinas, Soledad and Trinity.
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HS WRESTLING
• Locals place at Apple Cider – Eleven local wrestlers finished in the top eight of their respective weight divisions at Jan. 5’s Apple Cider Classic in Watsonville.
St. Francis’s Hunter Blinkenberg was the top local finisher, beating North Monterey County’s Arturo Perez for third place at 156 pounds via a 5-0 decision.
Watsonville’s Vicente Mosqueda and Joaquin Mosqueda took fifth at 124 pounds and 130 pounds, respectively.
Pajaro Valley’s Raymond Gallardo took sixth at 199 pounds, and teammate Rigoberto Herrejon finished eighth in the same division. Fellow Grizzly, Alejandro Vasquez, placed seventh at 224 pounds.
N.M.C. also had Izzy Altowiti (8th, 110), Ruben Cornejo (8th, 117), Jesse Ramos (7th, 136) and Andrew Bernabe (7th, 142) place at the tournament.
In the team portion of the tournament on Jan. 4, Aptos finished second behind Evergreen Valley. The Mariners fell 55-18 in the championship match.
In the final, Alex Zacarias (109), Luke Keaschall (148), Marcos Reyes (185) and Eli Rodriguez (288) all secured wins. Zacarias won by fall, Keaschall and Reyes won by decision and Rodriguez won by forfeit.
Aptos beat N.M.C. and Fowler to advance to the final.
Host Watsonville took sixth, losing 39-24 to Alisal in the fifth-place match.
N.M.C. placed seventh.
