Marques, South Squad Plan To Keep It Simple

By Mike Bush • Published June 19, 2026

Summary of the Turlock Journal story on Frank Marques, the South roster, and the simple approach planned for the 50th annual Lions All-Star Football Game.

Hilmar coach Frank Marques talks with players during a football game — **Hilmar's Frank Marques** will once again take up the coaching mantle for the **Lions All-Star Game** as he leads the **South** team. Journal file photo.

Frank Marques will get one more chance to stand across from a familiar Trans-Valley League coaching brother when the South faces the North in the 50th annual Lions All-Star Football Game at Wayne Schneider Stadium on the campus of Tracy High School.

Marques, who retired after the 2025 season with 199 wins across 24 seasons at Hilmar, will coach against Andrew Beam of Escalon. Both coaches are graduates of their alma maters, and both have deep roots in one of the Sac-Joaquin Section's most respected small-school rivalries.

South Players From The Turlock Area

The South roster includes several recent graduates from the Turlock-area football scene, including:

Levi Cook (Turlock): Offensive tackle / defensive end.
Mason Helwick (Pitman): Running back.
Eli Wilbanks (Hughson): Running back / middle linebacker.
Evan Coronel (Denair): Offensive lineman.

The rest of the South team draws players from Mariposa, Merced, Golden Valley, Atwater, El Capitan, Modesto, Downey, Grace Davis, Johansen, Gregori, Enochs, Patterson, Oakdale, Central Catholic, Dos Palos, Los Banos, and Stone Ridge Christian.

Keep It Simple

With only a short week to prepare, Marques and Beam agreed to keep the game plan simple. The coaches shared the basic offensive and defensive looks they planned to run, with the goal of putting a good product on the field and letting the players compete.

Special teams will also stay straightforward. Marques said if a team lines up to punt, it will punt, and if it lines up to kick off, it will kick off.

The South held its first practice on Monday at McSweeney Field on the Hilmar campus. Marques described the first session as having great energy and great camaraderie.

A Familiar Stage

Marques knows the Lions Game well. A 1981 Hilmar graduate, he played in the 1981 contest after starting for legendary Hilmar coach Jerry Van Lengen. He remembers when practices were held at Stanislaus State, with players staying in the dorms and preparing over a longer camp-style week.

Beam, who played quarterback for Escalon in the early 2000s, praised Marques for the way he built and represented the Hilmar program. Beam described the Escalon vs. Hilmar rivalry as one rooted in respect, tradition, and shared small-town values.

For Marques, that brotherhood among TVL coaches is one of the pieces he will miss most. He said the league's coaches have always had a strong rapport and that Friday nights against each other brought great battles.

Game Info

Game: 50th annual Lions All-Star Football Game
Date: Saturday, June 20, 2026
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Location: Wayne Schneider Stadium, Tracy High School
Admission: $15

Even though Marques has retired from coaching, he will not be far from the game. He plans to attend Hilmar games this fall as a grandfather, watching his grandsons play on the junior varsity team from a quiet spot away from the sideline.

Adapted for the Lions All-Star Football website from a Turlock Journal story by Mike Bush, published June 19, 2026.

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