California-Florida Football Game Set

Nine City Section football players will participate in an all-star game between graduating seniors from California and Florida schools July 22 at the Rose Bowl.

The CaliFlorida Bowl will feature some of the top players in the nation, including linebacker D.J. Williams of Concord De La Salle and Matt Grootegoed of Santa Ana Mater Dei.

Proceeds will benefit the Deacon Jones Foundation, which helps fund scholarships, computers and provides career mentoring for high school students.

City players participating are: linebacker Wendell Hunter of Carson; running backs Lee Webb of Crenshaw, Alvin Marshall of Locke and James Bethea of Cleveland; quarterback Matt Cassell of Chatsworth; defensive back Sam Cunningham of Westchester; receivers Geoff McArthur of Palisadesand George Gillette of Manual Arts; and offensive lineman Steve Nevarez of San Fernando.

Running backs Michael Williams of Lakewood Mayfair and Mario McDowell of Rialto Eisenhower, defensive lineman Nathan Goodson of Temescal Canyon and defensive back Marley Tucker are among 28 Southern Section players participating.

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South Gate is looking for only its 10th football coach in school history to replace Gary Cordray, who resigned Jan. 31 after 18 seasons.

Cordray, 53, said he stepped down so he could be free next season to watch his son, Charles, compete in football at Cerritos High. Cordray will continue to coach softball.

“There are a lot of things I’ll be missing about [coaching football], but in the long run, I know this is the right decision,� said Cordray, who has taught in the district for 31 years and coached at Washington High before he took the South Gate job. “My biggest goal is to see my son play.�

Cordray said South Gate’s winning the 1988 3-A championship and the Rams’ 25-game unbeaten streak in 1988-1989 rank as his fondest memories.

“I also really liked some of the teams that didn’t win very many games,� Cordray said. “In 1984, we only won one game but those kids played as hard as any team we ever had.�