Stars know game plan
Seniors cap season with charity event
The awards have been handed out and a little dust might have settled on the fall's Super Bowl trophies. But there is one more high school football game to be played. The 30th annual Shriners Football Classic, showcasing top seniors from Eastern Massachusetts, kicks off tonight at 7 at Bentley College in Waltham.
David Woods of Bishop Fenwick will coach the North team, while Brockton's Peter Colombo will direct the South squad. All proceeds benefit Shriners Hospitals, which offer various treatments to children at no cost to the families. Tickets are $10.
"I told the kids it is a big responsibility to play in this game," said Woods. "It's about celebrating talents and accomplishments, but it's dedicated to kids without similar opportunities. The players get the big picture."
The compilation of the rosters began in December, when the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association selected the coaching staffs.
Although this is an All-Star game, the practices have fostered camaraderie and cohesion.
"It's been a thousand times easier than I thought it would be," said Woods. "It's amazing how the kids have picked up the system and jelled."
"I live and breathe football, and I've been waiting for this game since fall," said Tim Rich, the Globe's Division 1A Player of the Year after he quarterbacked Chelmsford to a 23-20 Super Bowl victory over Marshfield. "At the end of the day, though, it's a good cause, and that's what it's all about."
Rich will suit up for the North before heading to Northfield Mount Hermon.
Holliston running back and defensive back Matthew Bellomo will be on the other side of the field. The Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year and Globe All-Scholastic selection will take his diverse set of football skills to Holy Cross.
"I'm looking forward to playing with the guys," said Bellomo. "It's the best of the best, with some guys I've read about, and I want to see how I compare. But it's more about raising money. You realize how lucky you are to be playing the game."
Other standouts include two-time Globe Division 1 Player of the Year Jordan Todman from Dartmouth, who will carry the ball for the South, and All-Scholastic Isaac Johnson from Everett, who will run for the North. (Everett defeated Dartmouth, 36-28, in overtime in the Super Bowl last fall.)
Both running backs will play close to home in the fall, with Johnson headed to Boston College and Todman to UConn.
