EVERETT – When you travel so often, how do you know where home is?

Since the 1990s, the Class 3A/4A East-West All-Star Football Game has bounced from Everett to Spokane to Tri-Cities. But one site seems to be the event’s true home, East-West Game coordinator Paul Lawrence said.

“It’s not an easy thing to (host but) Everett’s always been the site that can do it,” Lawrence said. “It’s community interest. It’s support from (the Washington State Coaches Association, a non-profit co-sponsor).”

Plus, “I think the coaches from (eastern Washington) like coming over here,” Lawrence said.

This year’s East-West Game kicks off at 1 p.m. today at Everett Memorial Stadium with gates opening at 11:30 a.m. It’s the fifth time in six years the event, which features the state’s most talented outgoing high school players, has been here.

And Lawrence already has news about next year.

“We’re planning to have the game in Everett in 2007,” he said, “and then maybe go to Spokane (last year’s site) for a year (and) come back to Everett for two years. That seems to be a good rotation.” Every March, Lawrence meets with the East-West planning committee and makes a recommendation for future sites.

Community support has been a major key to the event’s success in Everett, Lawrence said. This week players stayed at Best Western Cascadia Inn and between practices enjoyed a variety of activities around town, including a luncheon at Naval Station Everett sponsored by the Rotary Club of Everett, a hot dog/chili feed at the Knights of Columbus Community Center and a bowling party at Evergreen Lanes.

“Actually, it’s worked out very well,” said Debbie Mahood, daytime manager at Evergreen Lanes, which has hosted East-West players several times over the years. “… We’ve never had a problem. I think it’s great.”

“These are a bunch of fine, upstanding (young men). It’s the type of thing I like to promote,” said Keith Lander, general manager of the Best Western Cascadia Inn.

The 60 athletes filled about 40 hotel rooms this week, plus several more rooms for parents and coaches. Lander said he offers special discount rates for this event and several other sports events throughout the year.

“I believe in promoting Everett. … It draws a lot of people into (town) who normally wouldn’t come here,” Lander said.

For local gridiron fans, the draw is topnotch stars, like University of Washington recruit Jake Locker of Ferndale High, who will someday look back on the East-West Game as their final prep football experience. For other players, it could be their last game, period.

But thanks to community support and a week packed with bonding experiences, the youngsters are likely to carry with them fond memories for years to come.