Just one week after the Inland Empire Classic All-Star Game between Riverside County and San Bernardino County, two Valley players found themselves in another All-Star game, the 3rd Annual Southern California vs. Arizona All-Star Game, dubbed the Canyon-Coast Classic, sponsored by UnderArmour. The game was televised live by Fox Sports.

Running back/wide receiver David Solis from Paloma Valley and wide receiver/utility player Chris Stratton from Chaparral High School joined 30 other players from schools all over southern California.

"We have great representation from among the best talent and schools in Southern California," said ex-Fontana Head Coach Dick Bruich. "This includes eight CIF Champions and one State Champion. It’s amazing how kids come together; even players from bitter rivals like Poly and Mater Dei are playing side-by-side."

Players represented Mission Viejo, Long Beach Poly, Mater Dei, Edison, Oceanside, Westlake, Kaiser, Laguna Beach, Charter Oak, West Covina, Santiago, Corona Centennial and San Diego Madison, among others.

"There is a definite difference in attitude, coaching styles and talent level between last week’s team and this week’s," said Stratton. "I’m very humbled to be among this group."

Last week the Riverside County All-Stars beat San Bernardino All-Stars 30-2.

"The difference is the uniforms," laughed Solis. "This was an awesome experience. I got to be on the field a lot and I played a lot more slot receiver than running back. We were very well-coached; although it was just a few days, we had two-a-days and learned a lot fast."

The Arizona All-Stars also featured 30 of Arizona’s best senior football players, 15 with Division 1 college offers and were coached by an all-junior college staff, many of whom have been head coaches at the high school level.

A crowd of 2500 enjoyed a warm sunny day in January at Riverside Community College as the Arizona All-Stars won their third straight contest, 26-6. They had won the inaugural game 27-7 in 2011 on the dominance of their offensive line; last year’s 21-16 victory was a more evenly matched game.

This year, "we made mistakes on both sides of the ball," said Bruich. Mistakes included a safety on a reverse called from the 3-yard line, an interception in the end zone, a fumble to end a promising drive, and some missed assignments in the defensive secondary. "We missed a few plays we could have made."

"Losing is never fun," says Bruich, "but the kids had fun – it was an awesome atmosphere with the kids having fun in the hotel, they even had X-box championships! What impressed me the most is how our kids all got along."

The players all stayed together at the Courtyard Marriott in Riverside for four days.

Paloma Valley Head Coach Burt Esposito is the incoming president of the Southern California Interscholastic Football Coaches Association (SCIFCA), the game’s sponsoring body.

"This is just our third year. We plan to have it here in California again next year and then back to Arizona the following year," said Esposito. "With the sponsorship of UnderArmour and television coverage, possibly with ESPN, this could grow to be one of the most exciting premier high school football events. It will generate a lot of college interest. This is a great opportunity for Southern California coaches to join SCIFCA to be a part of growing this."