Ball State. Indiana. Indiana State. Michigan. Michigan State. Northwestern. Notre Dame. Purdue. Vanderbilt. West Point. Yale. The list of colleges the players in the Indiana Football Coaches Association (IFCA) Biomet North-South All-Star football game will be heading to in the fall reads like a Who's Who of Division I schools.

But before the players head off to begin college play, they will join forces Saturday to represent their high schools one last time and raise funds for two important causes.

"The IFCA All-Star game is the longest running all-star football game in the United States," said Warsaw coach Phil Jensen. "It benefits two causes, Camp Riley and the Indiana Football Hall of Fame."

When the Indiana North All-Stars take the field Saturday, two local players will be leading the offense -ÊCharlie Roeder of NorthWood and Ross Kesler of Warsaw.

"It's going to be a lot of competition," said Kesler. "The All-Stars are the best players from all around the state."

"The game is going to be a lot of fun. It will be fun to throw to guys I've played against in the NLC (Northern Lakes Conference), regular season, sectional and regional," said Roeder. "It's going to be great to pass to Ross and Jovan Witherspoon. Playing with Rickey McKenzie, Reggie Nevels, Zach Hill, the list of names could keep going on and on, it's great."

"I am friends with some of the guys on the All-Star team," said Kesler. "William Whitticker and Reggie Nevels of Marion are both going to be there. I know Charlie Roeder because he is from the area, and there is also a kid from East Noble (Matt Holbrook)."

Although the area players are planning to have a lot of fun, the game will not be a cakewalk.

"We'll have two practices a day, and that should be fun," said Kesler. "One day we visit Camp Riley, and another day I think we will go to a baseball game. We practice at the University of Indianapolis, and the (1:30 p.m.) game is at North Central High School in Indianapolis."

But after the work is done, the fun begins.

"Practice is practice," said Roeder, "but afterwards we all go to one room and just hang out and mess around."

"During the week the kids practice during the day, but in the evening there are different activities," said Jensen. "One night they tour the Hall of Fame, and then another night they go to Camp Riley. The evening at Camp Riley is a unique experience. The football players spend the evening with the campers, and it is very emotional. It's a neat thing to see. To see the football players interact with the kids with emotionally and physically handicaps is a very neat thing."

But before the All-Stars can endure the practices and enjoy the activities, they must first be chosen for the team.

"Selection for the All-Star team is a two step process," said Jensen. "There are 10 regions in the state, five north and five south. Each January, the regions meet individually and decide on players for their All-Star game as well as a coaching representative. Once the regional team is chosen, a meeting of all the regions in the north is held and the final All-Star team is chosen.

"Warsaw is in region two, which basically consists of all our (Northern Lakes) conference teams along with Penn, Elkhart Central, and all the teams up to South Bend. Our region is very good, this year 12 kids from our region are on the All-Star team."

With the list of colleges the All-Stars will disperse to in the next month, this game give them a preview of what it will be like to play with some of the best football athletes. Kesler plans to continue his football career by playing for the Michigan Wolverines.

"I was planning to go to IU to play until I talked to the Michigan coach," said Kesler. "I thought I was pretty low on their list, but they called me the day Charles Rogers decided to go to Michigan State. I went for an official visit, and decided to go to Michigan.

"They have a shortage of receivers, and they said they needed me. I'm not sure if I'll be used, but they said they don't want to redshirt me.

"It was out of the blue. I was set on IU, and then Michigan came up with a good deal. I've talked with the coaches and some of the players, and they have all said good things."

However, NorthWood standout quarterback Roeder will end his football career at the North-South All-Star game Saturday. He has chosen not to play football at the college level.

"I'm going to IU (Indiana University)," said Roeder, "but I'm not playing football, so this will be my last game."

North All Star Team

(those with no colleges listed

will not play football)

Name High School College

Matt Arvesen Plymouth

Jason Barnes FW Wayne Ball State

Greg Blazak Chesterton

Curtis Bush Highland

Mitch Clayton Lafayette Central Purdue

Derek Conley Elkhart Memorial

Steve DeBruyn LaPorte

Danny Duncan Lake Central

Jacob Everett Delta

Adam Fedak Merrillville Joliet

Ryan Gerbers Norwell

Doug Greener Homestead Indiana State

Zach Hill Penn

Matt Holbrook East Noble

Robert Jackson South Bend Clay

Adam Johnson Jimtown

Justin Johnson Muncie Central

Corey Jones FW Snider

Patrick Jordan FW Carroll Indiana State

Ross Kesler Warsaw Michigan

Brandon Kukla LaPorte St. Xavier

Tiant Lacefield Gary Westside

Chad Landrum Tipton Ball State

Mike Laszynski Lafayette Central Vanderbilt

Chad Luthy Eastbrook

Kevin McDavid FW South Side Indiana State

Rickey McKenzie Concord Akron

Shaun Murphy North White

Reggie Nevels Marion West Point

Bill Newton Andrean Northwestern

Kevin Park Goshen Ferris State

Dan Phillips Penn Indiana

Vessie Pirtle FW Wayne

Eli Radke Seeger Indianapolis

Bryon Riley Portage Indiana State

Charlie Roeder NorthWood

Ben Rogers FW Northrop Indiana State

Marcus Schontube Lowell Penn

David Sharpe Jimtown Hillsdale

Jake Skelton Munster

Jeremy Stotler Culver Community

James Swanson Valparaiso Indiana

Matt Tinkle Twin Lakes

William Whitticker Marion Michigan State

Jeremy Williams Crown Point

Jovan Witherspoon Bishop Luers Notre Dame

Head coach -ÊBob Schellinger (Laporte)

Assistant coaches -ÊBill Dorulla (Chesterton), Mike Kuntz (South Bend Clay), Tim Able (East Noble), Ned Cook (Jimtown), Scott Muncy (Lafayette Central Catholic), Grant Zgunda (Delta)

SOUTH

Justin Beriault Warren Central Ball State

Dirk Bishop Avon Ball State

Herbie Blain Pike

Tom Brillhart Wincennes Indiana State

Ryan Brizendine Roncalli Indianapolis

Jason West Shelbyville

Randy Cate Richmond Indiana

Jeremy Chandler Ben Davis Western Kentucky

Eddie Cronin Perry Central Anderson

Jamin Davis Franklin Central St. Joseph's

Kevin Dudley Franklin County Michigan

Zach Durrett Decatur Central

Jeremy Fairrow Evansville Central Michigan State

Adam Finley Center Grove Michigan

Brandon Haughey Westfield

Jon Goldsberry Heritage Hills Purdue

Matt Hasbrook Cathedral Michigan State

Aaron Halterman Center Grove Indiana

Blair Hammer Carmel

Nick Helfrich Evansville Reitz

D.J. Henkle Seymour Indianapolis

Brad Hess East Central Ball State

Ryan Hixson Milan Vincennes

Quentin Jackson Evansville Harrison

Triston Jointer Ben Davis Indiana State

Clifton Jones Anderson Indiana State

Tony King Hamilton Southeastern Hanover

Nate Lawrie Roncalli Yale

David Lewis Terre Haute South Indiana

Marc Magnussen Mt. Vernon-Fortville

Sean Matelic Ritter

Kyle Nichols Elwood

John Perrine Sheridan

Chad Roudebush Noblesville Ball State

Jackson Rust North Putnam

Ross Sandefer Perry Meridian DePauw

Kenny Sanders Broad Ripple Ball State

Rufus Sanders Cathedral W. Kentucky

Rob Shirley Bloomington South Northwestern

Adam Shorter North Central Cincinnati

John Standeford Monrovia Purdue

Luther Stroder Northwest

Steve Sutherland Bloomington South Ball State

Eric Tompkins Terre Haute North

Tim Wright Danville Indianapolis

Head coach -ÊBob Gaddis (Evansville Reitz)

Assistant coaches -ÊBob Copeland (Danville), Dick Harpold (Arlington), Steve Wade (Perry Meridian), Patrick Parks (Shelbyville), Tim McIntosh (South Spencer), Tim Behlmer (East Central) [[In-content Ad]]