By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

The state championship games may be over, but everybody has one last chance to see their favorite local football players do what they do best.

For the third straight year, the best football players in the River and Bayou regions will butt heads this Saturday as part of the Bayou vs. River Region All-Star game. Kickoff will be 1 p.m.

Riverside Coach Tim Taffi will coach the River Region this season, taking the reins from St. Charles’ Frank Monica, who coached the squad last season.

He will be opposed by Travis Douglas, an assistant coach at Central Lafourche who will coach the Bayou team.

“It’s really an honor,” says Taffi, who was on the River Region’s coaching staff a season ago. “I was fortunate enough to have participated last year, so I know what to expect. But it’s something you don’t get to experience much. It’ll be a great experience for all of us to look back on.”

The all-star game pits senior athletes from H.L Bourgeois, Ellender, South Lafourche, Assumption, South Terrebonne, Thibodaux, Central Lafourche, E.D. White, Terrebonne, and Vanderbilt to represent the Bayou Team, while the River Region’s squad consists of players from Destrehan, East St. John, St. James, Hahnville, St. Charles, West St. John, Lutcher, and Riverside.

Among participating athletes will be East St. John’s Alex Singleton and Patrick Lewis, St. James’ Kenny Zenon and Marcus Dumas, and Destrehan’s Brennan Nora and Brian Blackwell, just to name a few.

Last year’s game was decided by a 52-yard field goal by SCC’s Chris Ilski, giving the River Region a 20-17 victory.

That tied the series thus far between the teams at a win each.

“It was definitely an exciting finish,” said Taffi. “Of course, it would be nice to win by a couple of touchdowns, and not have it be that close. But I know it was exciting for the fans, as well as for me watching from the sidelines.”

Taffi conducted his first practice with his All-Star squad on Monday. He described it as a little sloppy, but expects the kinks to be worked out by Saturday afternoon.

“It’ll be a battle between two loaded teams. It should really be something to see,” he says.

Tickets for the game cost $7 and can be purchased at the gate. All of the proceeds go to college scholarships and to Thibodaux Lion’s Club causes such as the Lions’ Cripple Camp and Eye Foundation.