The deciding factors were defense and the arm of a small southern-section high school quarterback in the ninth annual high school all-star Arena Bowl at Rabobank Arena on April 30. The west all-stars defeated the east all-stars 50-25.
“Mike Morgan [quarterback, Frazier Mountain] distributed the ball well offensively and Will Harvey [middle linebacker, Frontier] controlled the game defensively,” said west all-star head coach, Rich Cornford about west-all stars Morgan and Harvey. Morgan was selected as the MVP of the game with four thrown touchdowns with 123 yards. Morgan also ran for three touchdowns.
In Cornford’s third year (2005, 2006) coaching the west all-star team, he said, “This is the best all around team that I’ve coached from top to bottom.”
He added, “We felt pretty confident coming in that we had a pretty darn good club, and it showed.”
Cornford said about the west all-star team, “We have a lot of players going to Bakersfield College. Will Harvey is going there.” Cornford added that Ian Driskill [running back/outside linebacker, Frontier], Ted Agu [defensive end, Frontier] and Rane Cravens [defensive end, Liberty] are also headed to play for the BC football program next season.
Cornford made efforts to have west-all star players attend BC.
“I’m trying to talk to these other guys into going over there too, so we’ll get to see these kids play again.”
MVP Morgan talked about what the award meant to him compared to the game.
“It’s more than that. Coming from a small school, you’re already the underdog coming into the game.”
He added, “When you get into the game and you realize that you’re playing with everybody else [in the county], it feels great.”
Morgan said that he would attend Kenyon College, a Division III college in Ohio.
Centennial running back/linebacker Myron Moore, who was a west all-star, said about the win, “It was a good win because all the guys on the east side always talk about themselves. They never talk about the west guys. So, it was a good win for us to prove to them that we’re better than them.”
He added, “It’s one last time to let it all out. It was the best of the best. Every good person from each team let it out against each other.”
Moore said that he has choices for football after he graduates. “There are some options – Bakersfield College, of course, and Taylor College in Kansas.” Moore admitted that he would “most likely [go to] BC.”
“I was actually there today (April 30) talking with the coaches,” added Moore on the day of the Arena Bowl.
Moore said that BC’s football program was comforting to him because it reminded him of Centennial’s program.
Bakersfield College football coach Jeff Chudy responded in an e-mail about the annual high school football event, “The Arena Bowl has become a spring-time get your engines warmed-up for the upcoming [BC] football season … The game itself is about entertainment and having fun.”
Chudy added that he has been in contact with local players.
“We have talked with just about every guy on the roster,” he said in the e-mail but did not acknowledge any players in particular.
South High running back Lee West was the offensive MVP with six catches and three touchdowns for 111 yards, Ridgeview cornerback Tyler Dogins earned the defensive player of the game and from the east all-stars, and Bakersfield High School outside linebacker Emilio Cantu received the U.S. Army Lineman of the Game award.