Lions All-Star Football Game bittersweet for Downey Knights

The rosters are set. The date and venue have been booked. Equipment has been checked out.

Are you ready for some football?

The goosebumps on the back of Downey coach Jeremy Plaa’s neck suggest he is.

The 42nd Central California Lions All-Star Football Game will be played on Saturday, June 13, at Wayne Schneider Stadium at Tracy High.

The festivities begin Monday as players and coaches report for practice. The South will invade the campus of Cal State Stanislaus in Turlock, while the North will stay at the University of the Pacific and play at nearby Stagg High in Stockton.

“It’s definitely exciting,” said Plaa, who will guide the South, a region that stretches from Modesto to Merced. “It’s hard to believe it begins on Monday.”

Plaa is making his second appearance in the game. In 2004, the then-Gustine coach culled together a patchwork staff of assistants from Gustine, Pitman and Modesto Christian, among others. This time, he’s invited his entire Downey High crew, all 10 of them.

Plaa will be joined by offensive coordinator Lynn Zwahlen, running backs coach Albert Platt, wide receivers coach Charles Butler, line coach Casey Carver, quarterbacks coach Chris Coward, defensive coordinator Chris May, linebackers coaches Ernie Sanchez and Ruben Platt, cornerbacks coach Anthony Castro and safeties coach Russ Garcia.

“They’re all coaching in this game. Even the lower-level guys want to get out there and help,” Plaa said with a chuckle. “The people with Lions were like, ‘Do you really have that many?’ We’re like a college program. They all specialize in what they do.”

For his longtime offensive coordinator, the game is bittersweet.

After three decades of coaching football in the area, Zwhalen will make his coaching debut in one of the state’s four-oldest running high school all-star games.

His first will also be his last. Zwahlen will retire after the game to wear a new hat – No. 1 fan.

Plaa said Zwahlen plans to follow the University of Hawaii football team around the country. His son Aaron Zwahlen, a former Lions all-star, is a scholarship quarterback.

On Friday, Lynn finalized his flight arrangements for games at Boise State, Wisconsin and national champion Ohio State.

“It’s that time,” Lynn said. “I have mixed feelings because with coaching, even though I’ve been a volunteer coach, I’ve coached every season except for one over 30 years. So for me, it will be a big change.”

The younger Zwahlen graduated from Downey in 2013 after a record-setting career. He climbed the state rankings for touchdowns (49) and passing yards (3,852) and was rated the nation’s 11th-best quarterback of his class by ESPN300.

He postponed his freshman season in Hawaii to complete a two-year Mormon mission.

Lynn doesn’t want to miss a moment of his son’s college career, so Friday will be the last time his voice echoes in Plaa’s headset.

“He doesn’t want to commit to coaching at Downey, because he wants to go to all the games (Aaron) may play,” Plaa said. “This will be his send-off.

“He’s like family. He’s a close, close friend. I’ve watched his youngest child grow up, and he’s watched mine. We’re all going to miss him.”

Inevitably, emotions will run high. The score might, too. Together, they hope to put on one last show.

With Lynn pulling the strings, Downey has had one of the most explosive offenses in the southern half of the Sac-Joaquin Section, leaning on a pass-first philosophy that has produced video-game numbers.

The Knights averaged nearly 42 points and amassed 5,107 total yards and 72 touchdowns last fall. Downey won the Modesto Metro Conference and reached the second round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs.

Quarterback P.J. Wilson was the triggerman for the MMC champs and he’ll be reunited with the Downey coaching staff on Monday.

Wilson, bound for the University of Redlands in the fall, is the only quarterback listed on the South roster.

Plaa said his presence will help fast-track the implementation of the offense. Wilson threw for 2,901 yards and 34 touchdowns, completing 63.4 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 590 yards and 15 scores.

“Our kids have a big advantage, especially with our quarterback,” Plaa said. “Our quarterback knows the system in and out. P.J. can teach it to the other kids as well as we can.”

Knowing that, Plaa and Lynn promise to pull no punches in a game largely dominated by the North in recent years. The North has won eight of the last 11 games and leads the all-time series 24-15-2. Last year’s game ended in a 21-21 tie.

“We’ll have a full game plan going. We like to throw first and we might have some trick plays. We want to put on a show,” Plaa said. “We picked up six wide receivers to have competition in practice and see who could handle the pressure. We’re excited to see how we’ll use the entire field.”

This story was originally published June 5, 2015 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Lions All-Star Football Game bittersweet for Downey Knights."