Published: June 21, 2008 12:25 am            

Lantzy all-stars: Multisport stars make quick transition

Somerset’s Jordan Kaufman, one of the South quarterbacks for the 38th annual Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Football Game, is living up to his multi-sport billing.

Just over a week ago, Kaufman and his Golden Eagles teammates were playing for a state championship in baseball and now he’s concerned with handing off the ball and throwing a spiral to Ken Lantzy teammates tonight at 7:30 at Greater Johnstown High School’s Trojan Stadium.

“It’s kind of hard making the transition from baseball to football,” Kaufman said about the quick turnaround. “It was a lot more difficult changing my passing motions, it’s a lot different throwing a ball from shortstop over to first than it is throwing a pass 40 yards downfield.”

Kaufman, who also played basketball for the Golden Eagles, said that he and his Golden Eagles teammates had a lot of fun.

“It was a great run we had,” Kaufman said. “I didn’t really get much time to take it all in because I had to get ready for football and the Lantzy game.”

Central Cambria’s Matt Cornetti, on the other hand, will have a hectic weekend as he makes a quick transition back to baseball.

Cornetti will don a helmet and pads for the North tonight. Then he will swing a bat in the S&T Bank Altoona Curve High School Classic at Blair County Ballpark at 2 p.m. Sunday.

“It’s a high school all-star game at Blair County Ballpark, with kids from all around the area,” said Cornetti, who will play linebacker and serve as a team captain for the football game. “It should be a lot of fun, too. I have to be there at 11 o’clock Sunday (morning). I should be all right. Maybe a little tired.”

Cornetti played catcher for the Red Devils under the guidance of coach Dave Moore and will continue his baseball career at Mount Aloysius College.

Cornetti wasn’t sure how he got selected for the all-star game at the minor-league ballpark, but he wasn’t going to let the opportunity slip by despite having a football game the night before.

“We played there in a high school tournament during the year, and me and my buddies were talking about how awesome it would be to come back and play again,” he said. “Well, I’m getting a chance to play again.”

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Familiar feel: South defensive coordinator Erik Foust of Laurel Valley is a first-time Lantzy coach, but it is not his first experience with the all-star classic.

In 1991, Foust represented Laurel Valley, playing quarterback for venerable Rams’ coach Jerry Page on the South squad.

“I played in the game on offense,” Foust said. “ But the game was a real defensive struggle.”

Both teams had trouble putting points on the board in that contest, until the North scored with less than two minutes remaining to pull out a 6-0 victory.

“You just come and make the most of the opportunity, that’s one of the similarities between being a player and a coach,” Foust said. “The differences are, as a player, you’re looking at things of a smaller nature and as a coach, you’re looking at things of a bigger nature.”

South offensive coordinator Sam Zambanini played for the South in the Lantzy game in 1980 under coach Dennis Stahl of Meyersdale, a 23-20 setback to the North.

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Ties that bind: North quarterback Mike McDermott of Blacklick Valley is one of many players to participate in the Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Football Game who also had a father play in the classic.

In the 1983 game, McDermott’s dad, Michael, played linebacker for coach Paul Shandor’s South squad, which fell 7-0 to the North.

The older brother of South quarterback Jordan DeFrances of Bishop McCort played in the Lantzy game two years ago.

Dan DeFrances was a linebacker on a South squad that won 46-36.

South receiver Matt Varga’s older brother, Josh, was on the 2005 South team that lost to the North, 21-14.

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Heading south:The South squad leads the overall Ken Lantzy series 21-16 and has won the past two contests, including last year’s 14-10 victory.

The last win for the North came in 2005, a 21-14 victory.

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Helmet to helmet: A Lantzy tradition continued this season as athletes swapped helmet stickers within the team members.

“Everyone’s been trading stickers for years,” South quarterback Jordan DeFrances of Bishop McCort said. “It’s a sign of the team coming together, all the different teams you’re playing with. It’s kind of neat to do.”

        

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