Annual Prep All-Star Football Game Showcases Talent
By Frank Ochoa-Gonzales // April 10, 2012
Prep Sports
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Now in its third decade of play, the annual prep football All-Star game continues to hold interest for fans of the sport on the Space Coast.
Throughout the years, many of the athletes competing in the game have gone on to play college football or become coaches.
Here’s a year-by-year rundown of the history of the All-Star game, the location , the winners, the coaches and most valuable players.
2011’s annual game was actually played Jan. 21 of this year at Melbourne High School with the North rolling to a 49-0 win. Larry Laskowski of Rockledge was North coach. Derek Smith of Bayside was South coach. No MVPS were honored for either team.
The South claimed a 23-16 victory at Cocoa Beach in 2010. Tim Powers of Eau Gallie was South coach, with Tony Piccalo (Cocoa Beach) and Jeff McLean (Merritt Island) serving as co-coaches for the North. MVPs were not picked.
At Melbourne High School in 2009, the North beat the South 14-7. Space Coast’s Rodney Torrance served as North coach. Andrew Disney was South coach. No MVPs were selected.
The 2008 game was at Melbourne High School and the North edged the South 17-14. Tony Piccalo of Cocoa Beach was North coach. Ben Waldrop of Viera was South coach. MVPs were not chosen.
Close game
The North topped the South 13-10 at Melbourne Central Catholic High School in 2007. Bobby Guthrie of Titusville was North coach. Todd Wilson of Mlebourne wa South coach. No MVPs were not named for either team.
At Palm Bay High School in 2006, the North posted a 36-0 win. Randy Hallock of Astronaut was North coach and Dan Burke of Palm Bay was South coach. Astronaut’s Cameron Harris was North MVP, while Kendrick Washington of Sebastian River was South MVP.
The 2005 game saw the North triumph 23-0 over the South. Wayne Younger of Cocoa was North MVP and Derek Jones of Melbourne was South MVP. Todd Oas of Eau Gallie and Rod Lawson of Florida Air Academy were South co-coaches. John Wilkinson of Cocoa was North coach.
Domination
In 2004, the North flattened the South 55-0 at Cocoa High School. Paul Friel of Merritt Island was the North coach and Mike Davis of Bayside was South coach. MVPs were Kenny Hicks of Melbourne (South) and Mike Digristine of Astronaut (North).
The North took a 19-0 victory at Cocoa High School in 2003. Todd Oas of Eau Gallie was South coach and Mark Carstens of Cocoa Beach was North coach. Mike Hamilton of Melbourne was South MVP and Kyle Carroll of Cocoa was North MVP.
In 2002, the game was played at Minutemen Stadium in Cocoa Beach with the South knocking off the North 28-21 in overtime. Dan Diesel served as North coach and Mike Riazzi of Melbourne Central Catholic was South coach. MVPs were Chad Fox of Eau Gallie (South) and Pierece Wade of Cocoa (North).
No game was played in 2001.
The North captured a 12-0 victory in 2000 at Palm Bay High School. Dan Higgins of Eau Gallie was South coach. P.J. Cunningham of Cocoa was North coach. Tigger Beal of Merritt Island was North MVP. Mohamad Salem of Melbourne was South MVP.
For 1999, the game was at Palm Bay High School and the South shutout the North 12-0. Dan Diesel of Titusville was North coach, while John Hartman of Satellite was South coach. MVPs were Adam Ullien of Merritt Island (North) and Butch Dominguez of Satellite (South).
North wins
At Melbourne High School in 1998, the North notched a 28-10 win over the South. Chuck Wood of Rockledge was North coach. Mike Riazzi of Melbourne Central Catholic was South coach. Kevin Verpaele of Merritt Island was North MVP and Roniae Maye of Palm Bay was South MVP.
In 1997, the game was played at McLarty Stadium in Rockledge. The North beat the South 24-20. Gerald Hodgin of Merritt Island was North coach and Joe Murano of Melbourne was South coach, MVPs were Hugh Smith of Merritt Island (North) and James McGriff of Palm Bay (South).
In 1996, the game was played at Palm Bay High School with the North defeating the South 29-14. Coaching the North was Bill Shields of Astronaut and Dan Higgins of Eau Gallie coached the South. Benji Jenkins of Astronaut was the North MVP, while Albert Snyder of Palm Bay was South MVP.
