County all-stars enjoy experience at Lions Game
Colin Preston of Bret Harte and Noah Preuss plus Nick Quinday of Calaveras came away from the 2017 Lions All-Star Football Game talking more about the experience than the result, even after the North saw a 17-0 halftime lead disappear in a 30-17 loss to the South in Tracy.
The three Calaveras County players suited up for the North in the 44th annual Lions All-Star Football Game, which brought together top recent graduates from across central California. The defeat gave the South its third straight win in the series, though the North still held the overall edge at 24-18-2.
Preston, who worked on the North offensive line, said the week was enjoyable because it offered one more chance to compete alongside elite players from around the region. Preuss, who had starred at running back for Calaveras, said the level of talent on the field was noticeably different from a normal high school setting and that seeing so many all-stars at once made the experience both challenging and valuable.
One of the biggest adjustments for Preuss was also one of the biggest positives: running behind the 6-foot-5 Preston. The two, along with Quinday, were all set to continue their careers together at Modesto Junior College, and the Lions week gave them an early preview of that future. Preston said that because Bret Harte and Calaveras had been rivals, the players already understood each other’s tendencies from spending the season studying one another on film.
Quinday said the game also helped him branch out socially before starting college football. A number of players from both all-star teams were headed to MJC, and getting to know them in Tracy meant arriving on campus with more connections than just his Calaveras teammates. That team-building piece, along with the chance to stay together and practice through a full all-star week, stood out as one of the most meaningful parts of the event.
Support from home was another theme. Calaveras head coach Jason Weatherby and incoming quarterback Kyle Byrd were among those who made the trip to Tracy, and Quinday said that kind of turnout reflected how close-knit the Calaveras football community had become. He described the program as a family and said he wanted to carry that same approach into his college career.
The players also acknowledged that the all-star week itself was demanding. Preuss described the two-a-day practices as tough after nearly six months away from high school football, with blisters and nagging injuries showing up for plenty of players. Still, he said the group pushed through it together, which added to the sense of bond formed during the week.
For all three county players, the Lions Game served as both a final high school chapter and a bridge to the next one. Preston, Preuss, and Quinday all looked ahead to the 2017 season at Modesto Junior College, where they hoped to take the chemistry and work habits built through county rivalries and the Lions week into the next level of football.
View 2017 North Roster View 2017 South Roster