The East-West All-Star Football Game, which was played exclusively in Everett from 1981 until 1994, will be back in town more frequently at the request of the city of Everett.

The game, which is sponsored by the Washington High School Football Coaches Association, had been on a three-year rotation between Spokane, the Tri-Cities and Everett. It will now be played in Everett two out of every three years, including this year and next, said game coordinator Paul Lawrence of Everett High.

The game will also move from Friday night to a 1 p.m. Saturday kickoff. This year’s contest is scheduled for June 28 at Everett Memorial Stadium.

Western Conference players named to this year’s West squad include wide receiver/defensive back Jason Morris of Jackson, quarterback/defensive back Kyle Kendrick of Mount Vernon, running back/defensive back Derrick Bradley and center/defensive lineman Sam Himmelman of Kamiak, running back/defensive back Jamie Lee of Everett, running back/outside linebacker Jake Darling of Snohomish and offensive/defensive lineman Chad Asmus of Oak Harbor.

Two Bothell Cougars also accepted invitations to play in the game, running back/defensive back Sean Gallacher and offensive/defensive lineman Mike Lisenby.

Absent from the West roster were University of Washington recruits Kyle Trew and Casey Tyler of Edmonds-Woodway and Craig Chambers of Jackson. All three were invited, Lawrence said, but did not respond.

The roster selection process begins in November at each conference’s all-league meeting. Each Class 4A and 3A league in the state presents nominations to the selection committee. Each league then sends a representative to the selection committee meeting in January. Invitations are then sent to the players and rosters are formed from among those who accept.

“Each league ranks its players and the No. 1s usually get in,” Lawrence said.

Some flexibility is required to make sure all the positions are filled, Lawrence said. But an attempt is made to have at least one player from every league.

Tom Ingles of Kentwood has been named to coach the West team. Kamiakin’s Craig Beverlin will coach the East team.

FOOTBALL/VOLLEYBALL NOTES: The WIAA Executive Board of Directors took action on a number of issues including shifting the start of the 2003 high school football season and approving three recommendations from the volleyball committee during its two-day meeting held at the WIAA office in Renton.

On a one-year trial basis, the WIAA Executive Board approved allowing schools the option to begin football practice for the 2003 season on Aug. 20, five days earlier than practices for other fall sports. The rule change will allow high school football programs to participate in a jamboree after the team has completed 10 practices and play their first football game on or after Sept. 5, 2003 once the team has completed 14 practices.

The WIAA Executive Board made this change in an effort to allow schools the opportunity to play all 10 games that are allowed by WIAA rules in a ten-week period. Prior to the change schools had nine weeks to schedule up to 10 regular season games.

The WIAA Executive Board also approved three significant recommendations made by the WIAA Volleyball Ad Hoc Committee that will be implemented for the 2003 volleyball season. 

The Executive Board approved rally scoring for high school contests, which includes playing the best three out of five game with a 25-point cap for games one through four and a 15-point cap for the fifth game for varsity level contest. Individual leagues still have the option to set the match format for sub-varsity contests.

The libero position will be implemented for all levels (high school varsity, sub-varsity and junior high/middle school) of WIAA volleyball beginning with the 2003 season.

The third change that the WIAA Executive Board made during its March meeting regarding volleyball involves the format of the state championships, which will now be a 16-team modified double elimination format eliminating the two-day pool play format utilized during past state championships.

KICKOFF CLASSIC: The WIAA has announced the creation of the Emerald City Kickoff Classic and the eight teams that have accepted invitations to participate in the Inaugural event. 

The Inaugural Emerald City Kickoff Classic, managed and operated by the WIAA, will showcase some of Washington’s best high school football teams and will be played in Seattle’s Seahawk Stadium on Sept. 6, 2003.

The idea behind the Emerald City Kickoff Classic is to create an annual community event that celebrates the start of the school year by producing marquee football match-ups not possible during the regular season. 

“The goal of the Association is to position the Emerald City Kickoff Classic as the Pacific Northwest’s premier high school community event,” said WIAA Executive Director Mike Colbrese. 

The 2003 Emerald City Kickoff Classic will feature O’Dea vs. Capital, Elma vs. Tumwater, Snohomish vs. Kamiakin and Skyline vs. Woodinville.

Kickoffs will be at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., but the order of games hasn’t been determined.