Quintet in OC All-Star Football Game
The day after Ronnie Urquiza graduated from Estancia High last month, he found out his football career wasn’t over just yet.
There would be one more game for Urquiza to play in, the 56th edition of the Brea Lions Club Orange County North-South Prep All-Star Football Game.
When Capistrano Valley Coach Ernie Bucher called Urquiza on June 19 and asked him about joining the South All-Stars, Urquiza jumped on the chance. Five days later, Urquiza showed up to the first practice eager to meet his new coaches and teammates.
The outside linebacker wanted to represent Estancia one last time before he pursues a career in law enforcement. Urquiza will get to in his hometown of Costa Mesa on Thursday, when the OC All-Star Game kicks off at Orange Coast College at 7:15 p.m.
Urquiza is one of five recent graduates from the Newport-Mesa Unified School District selected to play in the game. He joins Estancia center Dorian Navarrete, and three players from Corona del Mar, wide receivers Bo St. Geme and Cole Collins, and tailback Cole Martin.
Out of the five, Urquiza is well aware that he’s the area’s lone representative on defense. Urquiza, a first-team All-Orange Coast League performer who finished with 90 tackles and two fumble recoveries last season, takes pride in the distinction.
“It’s been an amazing experience,” Urquiza said of practicing with the South All-Stars the last couple of weeks. “It feels like I’m back in high school and getting ready for another football game under the lights.”
Navarrete, the Orange Coast League Lineman of the Year and All-CIF Southern Section Southern Division member, said he was glad Urquiza made the team. He had someone to carpool with to the practices at Capistrano Valley High. Urquiza drove, while Navarrete treated to food.
The game will mark Urquiza’s final one and most likely for Navarrete, too. The two helped Estancia go undefeated in Orange Coast League play for the third time in five seasons.
The only local players planning to continue their football careers on the next level are St. Geme and Martin. St. Geme looks to be a walk-on player at USC, while Martin is heading to Simpson College, a NCAA Division III program in Indianola, Iowa.
St. Geme is happy to see Martin healthy these days. After a record-setting junior season by Martin, injuries plagued his senior year. Last fall, Martin rushed 107 times for 623 yards and two touchdowns, numbers well below his junior totals for yards (1,870) and touchdowns (21), all CdM single-season records.
“He had a tough season with the injuries,” St. Geme of Martin, who suffered a right knee injury in the third game of the season and a concussion in the sixth game. “He’s definitely really excited to be back playing and he’s going to start tomorrow.
“It’s going to be a fun experience playing with Cole Martin and Cole Collins for the last time.”
The trio contributed to a lot of CdM’s success, including winning a third straight CIF Southern Section Southern Division title in 2013, as well as claiming the program’s first CIF State Division III crown to become the first in California to complete a 16-0 season. The three were also part of the Sea Kings’ 30-game winning streak, the fourth longest in Orange County history and it matched Norco for the 10th longest in CIF Southern Section history.
While CdM’s run at a fourth section championship ended with a 28-10 loss in the Southwest Division quarterfinals at eventual champion Trabuco Hills in November, St. Geme, Collins and Martin can end their high school careers as winners.
St. Geme said he and Collins are also going to start at receiver on the right side, St. Geme out wide and Collins in the slot. They normally lined up in those spots for CdM, helping the Sea Kings win their third straight undefeated Pacific Coast League championship.
The duo put up big numbers the past two years, St. Geme totaled 116 catches for 1,587 yards and 14 touchdowns and Collins had 108 catches for 1,599 yards and 14 touchdowns, earning first-team All-Pacific Coast League honors. St. Geme and Collins share CdM’s single-season record for receptions (60), and St. Geme is the school’s leader for receptions (154) and receiving yards (2,113), and No. 2 for receiving touchdowns (17).
The site of the OC All-Star Game is where St. Geme, an All-CIF Southern Section Southwest Division selection, Collins and Martin have enjoyed success in the past. They have prevailed the three times they have played at OCC, their team winning by an average of 19 points per game.
“I’ve had a couple of good games there,” said St. Geme, who has 16 receptions for 185 yards and four touchdowns in three games at OCC. “We definitely want to do well for CdM and show why [the program has] been successful. We can play with anybody in the county.”