3 things to watch during North vs. South 46th Lions All-Star football game

A loud growl from Foothill defensive lineman Dylan LaBarbera came over the North Division II and III team as the ball was snapped to the hands of West Valley quarterback Noah Mason.

The two future Butte College teammates competed at full speed during practice at Shasta College in Redding. First team offense and first team defense were lined up against one another and slugging it out play to play.

LaBarbera came within inches of Mason who scrambled out of the way and found Enterprise receiver Holden Matthews.

"I'm glad he's on my team," Mason said laughing, as both men smiled, patted each other on the back and went back to their separate huddles.

Hard-hitting tackles, blocks and giggles are part of the routine during the week of the 46th Lions All-Star Game.

Players on both the Division II to Division III and Division V to Division VI teams hail from different parts of the North State as far north to Modoc and Lassen and all the way south to Hamilton City.

Players on Team North live and share dorms for five days on the Shasta College campus. Some end up creating lifelong relationships with players who used to be rivals.

LaBarbera shared how a friendship was kindled with Lassen linebacker Ben Wheeler. Wheeler and LaBarbera had previously played against one another on Sept. 9, 2022, with Foothill finishing with the win, 28-7.

Any tension that existed between the two tacklers is a thing of the past.

"He's a great guy, great player and he's funny," LaBarbera said. "Hoping it continues."

Now LaBarbera and Wheeler, along with players from Enterprise, Shasta, West Valley and U-Prep, are combining with the best seniors from 25 different schools to play Team South at Pleasant Valley High School on June 17. Two different games will determine which region gains supremacy as the best area for football.

Foothill coach Ross Griffith will lead the Division II-III team and Trinity coach Matt Jessee will lead Division IV-VI.

Anderson offensive lineman and Western Oregon University signee Anthony Arnold believes both squads are ready.

Kickoff for the Division IV-VI game starts at 5:30 p.m., while the Division II-III game starts at 7:30 p.m.

"Explosiveness right off the bat," Arnold said. "Kickoff we are gonna lay some people out or if we're running the ball, take it and shove it right down their throats."

Here are three keys to victory for both the Division II-III and Division IV-VI North teams.

1. Choose your star on offense

North has plenty of offensive weapons to choose from on the 2023 squad.

At running back are three top ball carriers who were dominant in their own right in 2022. Grant Foster of Orland rushed for 2,028 yards and 32 touchdowns and led the Trojans to their first state title in history. Foster is joined by Niall Raby from West Valley (1,220 rushing yards, 28 all-purpose touchdowns) and Ryan Dyab from U-Prep (1,726 rushing yards, 16 touchdowns). Having Foster, Raby and Dyab in the same backfield is a dream scenario for Griffith. Foster seeks contact and plows through tacklers, Raby's shiftiness and strength makes him hard to bring down and Dyab is patient, letting holes open before using his burst of speed to accelerate downfield.

Add to the backfield is the depth the North has at wide receiver. Matthews (33 catches, 680 receiving yards and nine touchdowns) is joined alongside Foothill's Jake Peters (13 catches, 218 yards and six touchdowns), Lebron Thomas of Red Bluff (23 catches, 306 yards and four touchdowns) and Alec Martinez of Orland (eight catches, 250 yards and four touchdowns).

Quarterbacks Davis Smith of Foothill (1,752 yards, 27 touchdowns, five interceptions and 57.5% completion percentage) and Noah Mason (2,022 yards, 23 touchdowns, nine interceptions and 59.5% completion percentage) will share snaps. Smith has dual-threat capabilities, having led Foothill with seven rushing touchdowns, while Mason is more likely to wait in the pocket and throw the ball deep downfield. Mason will play at Butte College in 2023 while Smith heads to Shasta College.

"Coach Ross has done a good job of preparing us all," Mason said. "Most of us are going on to play college ball. Waking up early in the morning for practice, doing three a day, and preparing for the next level has been fun."

North won't be short on offensive weapons when it kicks off against South.

2. LaBarbera hoping to overpower South after dominant 2022

LaBarbera's speed as a defensive lineman has become stronger since leading Foothill to its second straight CIF Northern Section title appearance in 2022.

Pairing with LaBarbera on defense is Mason Stankey of Shasta High School (34 tackles, seven for loss) and Wheeler of Lassen (176 tackles, nine for loss).

Leading West Valley's secondary is Brayden Thomas who made 79 tackles and three interceptions in 2022.

LaBarbera gets to lead a group of players from Foothill, Enterprise and Shasta wanting to beat the South at Pleasant Valley. Foothill is the only team to beat Pleasant Valley on the road since 2018.

"There's definitely a chip on everyone's shoulder," LaBarbera said. "There's definitely a chip on my shoulder. I'm excited."

3. Players to watch in Division IV-VI

Arnold leads the Division IV-VI squad that will utilize a run option formation to drive the ball downfield. Arnold will block for running back Daegon Gorre of Trinity (1,724 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns) and wide receiver Joshua Kroschel of Fall River (12 receptions, 267 yards and three touchdowns).

Trinity linebacker Cody McIntosh (102 tackles) leads a defense that features Redding Christian captain Logan Lindsey and Hamilton Julian Olivarez (52 tackles and two interceptions).

Arnold pictures himself coming back to Shasta County and coaching in the Lions All-Star game after playing at Western Oregon.

"This is the legacy right now," Arnold said. "I'm going to come back in a couple of years and help out as much as I can. I'm hoping just to push for the future of everyone else here."

Ethan Hanson started working for the Redding Record Searchlight after four years with the Los Angeles Daily News as a freelancer. His coverage includes working the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in South Bend, Indiana, and writing about the St. Louis Rams' move to Los Angeles with the Ventura County Star. He began his career as a play-by-play broadcaster for LA Pierce College from 2011-2017. Follow him on Twitter at @EthanAHanson_RS.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Team North faces South in 46th Lions All-Star football game