ALL-STARS IMPRESS ON THE FIELD AND IN THE CLASSROOM.

Byline: Robert Rundquist Special to the Daily News

Even though participants in high school sports are student-athletes, they are mostly recognized for their performances on the field and not in the classroom.

However, the 1996 High Desert Football Coach's Association Academic All-Star Team honors athletes who excel both on and off the field.

The first-ever Academic All-Star team is made up of three seniors from each school represented in the association, which covers Antelope Valley public and private schools. The two criteria for the representatives are football ability and cumulative grade point average since ninth grade.

This year's association secretary/treasurer Jim Bauer, the head football coach at Littlerock High School, stresses the importance of recognizing athletes for their primary objective at school: receiving an education.

``One out of 2 million make it to the National Football League,'' Bauer said. ``The kids should be playing to augment their education.

``We're trying to not just pay lip service to this. This is a great way to do this (stress academics). We'd like the Academic All-Star team to become a really big deal.''

The honorees receive a patch to wear on their letterman's jacket to signify their ability in the classroom.

The following is a list of the Academic All-Stars, grouped by school, and their grade point averages:

Antelope Valley: Wide receiver/defensive back Brad Clark (3.92), wide receiver/defensive back Joe Manning (3.16), offensive Lineman Jim Deagon (3.15).

Bethel Christian: Defensive lineman Brad Swenson (4.0), defensive lineman Vinny Senia (3.8), defensive end Eric Aude (3.6).

Highland: Tight end Michael DeLeon (3.79), kicker Derek Brown (3.52), quarterback Camy Smith (3.24).

Littlerock: Running back/defensive back Devon Reese (3.59), tight end/defensive lineman Dan Marino (3.47), offensive lineman Raffi Kaloosian (3.15).

Mojave: Linebacker/tight end Scott Edblad (4.07), offensive linemen Shane Johnstone (3.97) and Todd Sadesky (3.2).

Palmdale: Wide receiver/defensive back Molosi Leonard (3.89), offensive lineman Drew Bledsoe (3.85), tight end/linebacker Pat Opperman (3.36).

Paraclete: Offensive lineman Jon Arellano (3.97), linebacker Joe Tamas (3.7), defensive back Chris McMurty (3.5).

Quartz Hill: Offensive lineman Matt Matros (3.99), defensive back Brent Nicholson (3.44), defensive back Hiram Johnson (3.33).

Rosamond: Defensive back/running back Eric Nash (3.8), offensive lineman David Jordan (3.5), quarterback Mario Varela (3.4).

The association also honors the most outstanding coaching staff in each level of competition. Recognizing each member of the staff was intended to emphasize that football is a team game on the field and the sidelines.

``I think our thought in choosing a staff was that often times you name a coach of the year, but you're only as good as your assistant coaches,'' Bauer said. ``People need to recognize how important these assistants are. One guy never does it.''

Varsity Coaching Staff of the Year: Paraclete (8-4): Steve Hagerty, Jeff Jambretz, Barry Pittman, Rick McGuire and Dan Steen.

Junior Varsity Coaching Staff of the Year: Lancaster (10-0): Ray Deshane, Lou Henderson, Jef Anderson and Ed Wean.

Frosh Coaching Staff of the Year: Highland (10-0): Russ Tepper, Bobby Drennan, Nate Deskin and Danny Torres.