TERRE HAUTE — Getting up early every morning for a week to drive for an hour to stand in the blazing sun for a couple more hours before driving back home? What could be better, Steve Weber indicated this week.
“I’ve got the summer off, but I still get to coach football — and all-stars to boot,” said the Linton High School coach. “I learn a lot from these other coaches — and the other players too.”
Weber will direct the South team for the second consecutive year in today’s 7 p.m. Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association All-Star Game at Terre Haute South. If he’s not careful, he’ll get the job permanently.
South achieved its first win over North in the five-year series last summer, recovering from a 14-0 halftime deficit to take a 10-point lead, then coming from behind again for a 32-27 victory in arguably the most exciting game in the annual event so far.
Tonight’s game promises to be the hottest of the five — maybe the work going on at Memorial Stadium will turn out to be a blessing, since South’s grass might prove a little cooler than field turf — but if history is an indicator, the players’ enthusiasm won’t be sapped by the heat.
Weber can also renew a coaching rivalry with Herb King of Rockville; the Miners and Rox have battled for Class A regional championships the past two seasons, each winning once.
Today could have been a second straight all-star coaching job for King too; he was the coach of the year among the northern schools in the WVFCA in 2007, but passed on the all-star duties in exchange for having the chance to coach his son Matt in tonight’s contest.
Matt King is an example of the differences between the two squads today. Although he passed for almost 8,000 yards as a four-year starter at quarterback for the Rox, helping Rockville reach the Class A state championship game in 2007, he’s expected to see time at wide receiver tonight too.
That’s because the North team also includes quarterbacks Mitch Snyder, whose passing was a key to three Illinois Class 2A playoff runs for Casey, and Landon Keith, who led West Vigo to a successful 2008 season.
“We’ll use all three quarterbacks,” Herb King promised. He also promised there would be no trickery involved during the times Matt King was lined up elsewhere — although he was smiling widely as he said it.
Trickery might be too strong a word for what North defenders will have to face. But although South’s only quarterbacks are Keith Cunningham of Linton and B.J. Howard of Union — “We’re really hoping they stay healthy,” Weber noted this week — the fact that Weber has his own signal caller to work with, not to mention his fullback Mickey Tosti, could mean the offensive misdirection the Miners have been famous for will be on display tonight.
Both coaches indicated this week they were pleased with the selection of players they have.
“I think we’ve molded together to be a pretty decent group,” Herb King said. “Our defense is a lot better than we thought it would be … and we have good receivers, a couple of good running backs — things that would make any part of Indiana proud.”
“We don’t seem to be as fast as we were last year, but we’ve got talent,” Weber said. “We have good linemen, and the quarterbacks are picking up things well.”
Weber also feels his defense is strong, with a lot of competition for playing time.
“I think our defensive backs are very aggressive and quick, and the defensive line has some quick kids,” he noted. “Everybody is pretty even.”
Asked if the week of practice had yielded any eye-openers or pleasant surprises, Herb King mentioned North Putnam lineman Seth Vondesaar — “He’s been dominant up front,” the coach said — and Terre Haute North receiver Frank Willis.
“All of the kids will represent their schools and their communities very well,” he added. “And the several [football] scholarship kids we have are playing like scholarship kids.”
Weber took the opposite approach when asked the same question.
“We knew they all could do some things,” he said, “so there have been no surprises — and that’s a good thing.”
At least five players in tonight’s game will earn some scholarship aid thanks to their work this week — the Hall of Fame scholarships, one from each team selected by the vote of their teammates; the Pete Varda scholarships, one from each team selected by the coaching staffs; and the Brett Eitel Memorial scholarship presented to a top scholar-athlete among the all-stars.
What: Football all-star game between recent high school graduates from the area conducted by Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association
Where: Terre Haute South Vigo High School
When: Kickoff 7 p.m. today
Series: North leads 3-1
Previous games: 2005, North 28, South 7; 2006, North 41, South 34; 2007, North 29, South 18; 2008, South 32, North 27
Tickets: Available at the gate for $5; children under 6 are admitted free
Broadcasts: The game will be broadcast on WBOW-AM 1300, WSDX-AM 1130 and WNDI-FM 95.3.
2009 North All-Star Roster
No. Name School
2 David Woodason Terre Haute North
4 Jarrett Ban North Putnam
4 Kameron Silcock West Vigo
4 Matt King Rockville
5 Aaron Bridge Rockville
5 Ashdon Frazier South Vermillion
5 Frank Willis Terre Haute North
7 Scott Hunt North Putnam
10 Logan Eitel Marshall
11 Landon Keith West Vigo
12 Robert Clevenger Rockville
14 Mitch Snyder Casey-Westfield
15 Kaleb Johnson Marshall
20 Corey Crowder Northview
21 Griffin Dahlstrom North Putnam
22 Russell Peelman South Vermillion
23 Aaron Rhoads Casey-Westfield
24 Scott Weatherford Terre Haute North
27 Taylor Biggs Casey-Westfield
30 Josh Rodebaugh Cumberland
32 Ryan Buchaas North Vermillion
34 Jake Keys Paris
34 Kaleb Brandenburg Casey-Westfield
38 Wade Bush Terre Haute North
44 Jake Lee Rockville
50 Jarrid McLaughlin Riverton Parke
51 Nate Sandiford Casey-Westfield
52 Tony Fabbri Northview
53 Jordan Keller Northview
54 Dru Sappington Terre Haute North
58 John Breese Cumberland
63 Andrew Brown Marshall
64 Brandon Heaton Terre Haute North
64 Jeff Jones West Vigo
65 Seth Vondesaar North Putnam
66 Brent McGaughey North Putnam
70 Blane Grimes Paris
72 Payton Baker Cumberland
72 Jessie Earls West Vigo
77 Grant Hill South Vermillion
79 Jordon Keys Paris
80 Aaron Welch West Vigo
85 Lucas Mackey West Vigo
86 Billy Sisson Terre Haute North
89 Jacob Allen North Vermillion
Josh Keyt North Putnam
Kyle McCoy Northview
Kyle Everts North Putnam
Coaches — Head Coach: Herb King (Rockville). Assistants: Billy Blundell (Terre Haute North), Greg Barrett (North Putnam), Jeff Cobb (West Vigo), Keith Sinclair (Casey), Mike Brouwer (Paris), Ron Whiteman (South Vermillion), Todd Butler (Cumberland).
2009 South All-Star Roster
No. Name School
1 B.J. Howard Union-Dugger
1 Josh Potts Lawrenceville
2 Michael Nasser Terre Haute South
3 Buzz Deer Greencastle
4 Ty Fitch Olney
5 Curtis Legg Oblong
7 Josh Hawkins Red Hill
7 Michael Mardis Terre Haute South
9 Cameron Coleman Linton-Stockton
9 Elias Brown Terre Haute South
11 Theo Lane Robinson
12 Logan Chesterfield Union-Dugger
13 Derek Tomaw South Putnam
15 Jordan Tharp Linton-Stockton
20 Lance Marley Lawrenceville
23 Ashton Marshall Greencastle
23 Keith Cunningham Linton-Stockton
24 Gage Tucker Red Hill
31 Elliot Smith Oblong
32 Conor Frame South Putnam
33 Gene Bradford Sullivan
34 Derrik Enstrom North Central
34 Hank Goldman South Putnam
40 Sam Spinks Cloverdale
43 Zach Hodson Robinson
44 Mickey Tosti Linton-Stockton
45 Dylan Walker North Central
45 Trent Knight South Putnam
48 Kyle Nobles Greencastle
50 Shawn Curry Red Hill
51 Josh Meurer Linton-Stockton
51 Justin Shoulders Lawrenceville
52 Dalton Allen Red Hill
54 Colby Judy South Putnam
55 Ethan Buske Terre Haute South
55 Jacob Wright Greencastle
58 Clint Woodward Robinson
63 Kyle Buchanan Greencastle
66 Keaton Langley Union-Dugger
70 Josh Bridwell Terre Haute South
72 J.D. Fish Linton-Stockton
74 Alex Swenson Cloverdale
78 Caleb Justice North Central
80 Nick Keefer Cloverdale
84 Kyle Krockenberger Terre Haute South
88 Jonathan Pflaum Olney
90 Riley Christy Red Hill
92 Thad Thompson Sullivan
Coaches — Head coach: Steve Weber (Linton), Assistants: Brian Crabtree (North Central), Mark Gennicks (Linton), Mark Raetz (Terre Haute South), Mike Meyer (Greencastle), Mike Hayden (Linton), Tim Herrin (Terre Haute South), Trent Olson (Sullivan).
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