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Earl Barden Classic 2022
East-West All-Star Game Played for 1st Time Since 2019. 1PM Kickoff today at East Valley of Yakima.
The dream started in 1995 when the West beat the East 19-12 in an all-star football game that gave kids from small schools a chance to play in an all-state game.
Overall, there have been 25 renditions of the game with the West winning 13 times and the East 12. (In the last contest in 2019, the East won 37-6.)
But, like everything in sports over the past couple years, the Earl Barden Classic was severely affected by Covid.
It forced the organizers to cancel the game in both 2020 and 2021. But this year, 60 kids will be on display Saturday, June 25 at East Valley's Earl Barden Field.
"People are super excited," stated event organizer, Mark Mochel. He went on to explain that each player is given 40 tickets and they went fast in places like Deer Park. "Jason Grant (Toppenish) also sold his quickly and wanted more."
Mochel expects Earl Barden Field in Moxee to have over 2,000 fans in attendance. It also makes the return of the game from Yakima's Zaepfel Stadium to the original site.
The late Bill Alexander (Coach Alex to those that knew him), along with Barden were instrumental in getting the game started as a way to give small school kids a chance to 'showcase' their talents for their fans one last time. (They were often overlooked by the big 4A and 3A schools in all-star competition.)
This year's coaches are Wiley Allred, of Royal for the East and Jeff Weible of North Kitsap for the West. Both have enjoyed a lot of success at their respective schools in the past. They are also highly involved at the state level, serving on the WIAA's seeding committee.
There are several standouts to keep an eye on, but two names you might want to make a note of include Grant of Toppenish and Kaiden Rivera of Prosser.
Grant was one of the most dominant high school athletes last year as he helped lead the Wildcats to their deepest run in the playoffs since their state championship years with Ryker Labbee.
Ironically, Toppenish was knocked out of the playoffs by eventual champion, Royal and it will be interesting to see what Allred does with him.
Rivera, who just capped a remarkable career with the Mustangs, is a storybook legend.
Asked to step into the starting position when Haden Hicks went down with an injury Rivera's sophomore year, he put up 50 passes and never stopped throwing. Like all seniors, he missed one season and part of another due to Covid, so you wonder what he really would have accomplished with three complete years.
But, the fact he was playing quarterback was surprising. He was a wide receiver his freshman year and really hadn't played the position since he was in Grid Kids.
Locals joining both Rivera and Grant will be:
2A CWAC: Zac Rocha, Othello; Titan Nelson, Selah; Mikey Ray, Selah; Teagan Moser, East Valley.
1A SCAC West: Davis Fry, College Place; Carson Riner, Connell; Grant Osborn, Naches Valley; Julian Rodriguez, Naches Valley; Derek Bergesen and Gunnar Anderson of Royal; Jason Grant, Toppenish; Kanim Sampson, Toppenish; Braydon Flood, Zillah; Zane Delp, Zillah.
2B EWAC West: Jorge Ibarra, Highland; Matt Blain, Goldendale; Caleb Smith, Goldendale.
For the West, a player to keep an eye on is Colton Bower of North Kitsap.
"We've got a good mix of kids," noted Mochel, also East Valley's girl's golf coach. "Obviously, having coached so many years at Toppenish, those kids are near and dear to my heart, but I'm also excited to have someone like Jorge Ibarra from Highland."
This will not only be the first game in which Mochel is the chief coordinator of the event, but it will also be the first without Alexander, who passed away this past spring.
"We spoke all the time and he always had great advice for me," Mochel stated. "I am deeply saddened by his loss, but it might have been his way of saying, 'OK, it's time for you to make your own path.'"
The Earl Barden Classic will kick off at 1PM today; Saturday, June 25 at 1PM.
Tickets are $10 at the door, or you can stream it online for the same cost. Click the button on the right for all the information you need about the game.
More Information
Coaching the East will be Wiley Allred of Royal and the West will be led by Jeff Weible of North Kitsap. Click the button below to get all sorts of info on the game today.