What you need to know about the 44th annual Lions All-Star Football Game

The 44th annual Central California Lions All-Star Football Game is Saturday at Wayne Schneider Stadium on the campus of Tracy High.

Kickoff is 7 p.m., but the gates open at 6.

The North, which pulls talent from Stockton, Manteca, Ripon, Escalon, Tracy, Lodi and the Mother Lode, owns a 24-17-2 advantage in the all-time series.

The South, however, has won three of the last four meetings, including two in a row. Each time, a Modesto Metro Conference star has turned the tide.

Former Modesto High quarterback Nate Phillips and the South scored 30 unanswered points in 2015, stunning the North in a 51-38 shootout.

It’s the highest-scoring game in the series.

Last year, Downey speedster Tyran Daniels delivered the decisive play in a 28-20 win, returning an interception 102 yards for a score.

The South draws from the heart of the Stanislaus District: Modesto, Turlock, Oakdale, Merced and the West Side.

Here’s a closer look at Saturday’s game, with help from Cal-Hi Sports editor Mark Tennis:

Meet the Coaches: The South will be coached by Los Banos’ Dustin Caropreso, who is 40-19 since taking the reins of his alma mater in 2012. In the fall, the Tigers were 8-4 and qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons.

For Caropreso, this is his second stint on the sidelines of a Lions game. He was an assistant in 2009.

“It’s pretty cool to get to be the head coach in this game,” he said. “My dad coached in it with (former Los Banos coach) Don Toscano twice and now for me to do it is really cool. It’s always a competitive game.”

The North is led by Willie Herrera, the head coach at East Union since 2010. The Lancers finished 6-5 and advanced to the postseason for the first time under the St. Mary’s graduate.

“Obviously, it’s a great honor to coach in this game,” he said. “I feel like with the league we’re in, it’s a validation for all the hard work that the kids put in. A couple of coaches on our staff have played in the Lions game before. We want to win, but we also want to have fun.”

Setting roots at ‘The Wayne’: The game returns to the Tracy High stadium for the fourth consecutive year. Previously, the game was held at Modesto Junior College for two years (2012-13) after a long run at the University of the Pacific’s Stagg Memorial Stadium, which no longer stands.

Rules of the Game: The game will feature 12-minute quarters and every player must play at least three minutes per half. The 10-point rule is in effect, which means the team trailing by 10 points or more receives the kickoff after scoring. The 10-point rule only applies to the score in the second half. There is no stunting, blitzing, or line stunting between the 10-yard lines. Fake field goals and extra-point kicks are also not allowed. Defenses can charge a punter on a bad snap; otherwise, blocking a punt is prohibited.

This story was originally published June 15, 2017 at 1:07 PM with the headline "What you need to know about the 44th annual Lions All-Star Football Game."