East Tops West In Sloppy Hall of Fame All-Star Game

The West squad had its fair share of chances but in the end the physical strength in the trenches for the East was enough to propel the East All-Stars to another victory in the San Gabriel Valley Hall of Fame All-Star game.

The East scored its lone touchdown of the game when quarterback George Johnson of West Covina reached the end zone on a 12 yard run to cap a 97-yard drive in the second quarter. That touchdown proved to be the game-winner as the East withstood a furious second-half rally from the West, wining by a score of 7-6 Friday night at West Covina High School. The East now leads the series 20-12-2.

“I think we had a bunch of opportunities,” said West All-Stars head coach Ryan Maddox of Monrovia. “We just didn’t make the plays when we had to. We had guys open at times. … In an All-Star game when you’ve got three weeks to prepare and get it all in it’s a little confusing. I thought we squandered some opportunities when we had some chances to put some points on the board.”

Pomona running back Jamal Overton earned MVP honors for the East squad, while Muir wide receiver Karl Holmes Jr., who will play for Arizona State next year, took the award for the West. Holmes caught the West’s lone touchdown when he hauled in a 21-yard pass from Monrovia’s Nick Bueno in the third quarter.

For much of the first half, the West struggled to establish its offensive as it took time for players from high schools across to West San Gabriel Valley to gel in their first game as teammates.

The West had one promising drive in the first quarter when Bueno drove the West All-Stars to the East 23-yard line. But Bueno failed to connect with Holmes two straight times in the end zone, and his fourth-down pass was intercepted at the 3-yard line.

The West’s offense continued to struggle through much of third quarter, but Pasadena’s Aaron Simpson took a fake punt 30 yards from the West 28 to the East 42 on fourth-and-13. That play seemed to awake the West as Bueno ripped off a 24-yard run on the ensuing play. Bueno then hit Holmes in the right corner of the end zone on fourh-and-12 for a 21-yard touchdown with 1:03 remaining in the third quarter.

The East remained in front 7-6, however, as the West missed the ensuing extra point.

The West All-Stars had two more opportunities to take the lead in the fourth quarter. The West had a first down at the East 15 midway through the period, but the East forced a field goal attempt on fourth-and-nine. San Gabriel kicker Gilmar Tenes never got a chance to put his squad in front after a low snap forced Bueno to rush a throw into the end zone that Temple City’s Chris Charamonte nearly hauled in for six points.

The West once again found itself in East territory late in the fourth quarter after the defensive forced another punt from the East that also had its fair share of offensive woes. Muir quarterback Jeffrey Davis had an 11-yard run on the first play of the drive to move the West down to the 38. But the East sacked Davis on the next three plays to push the West back across midfield and effectively seal the East’s win.

Despite the loss, Holmes said the experience of playing in the All-Star Game was a positive one.

“It was fun,” Holmes said. “I played with some of the best guys on the West side of the San Gabriel Valley.”

Players from Patch schools La Salle (Antoine Peterson, Kishon Sanders); La Canada (Michael Arkfeld); Crescenta Valley (Bryan Luna); South Pasadena (Michael Lind) and Arcadia (David Maldonado) also played for the West.