EAST-WEST ALL-STAR GAME: WEST HAS MOXIE TAFT LINEMAN OUTSHINES STARS.

Byline: Gerry Gittelson Staff Writer

Without a lot of publicity during his high school football career, nobody really knew much about Lamar Moxie.

The defensive end from Taft High of Woodland Hills was good enough to make the West team for Sunday's fifth annual East-West All-Star Game at Birmingham High in Van Nuys. But on a squad crowded with All-Americans such as Hart of Newhall quarterback Kyle Matter and Valencia lineman Kaelen Jakes, Moxie figured to be just an afterthought.

Well, everyone knows who Moxie is now.

He returned a fumble 56 yards for the game's first touchdown, registered three sacks and earned MVP honors, carrying the West to a 24-14 victory in front of about 5,000 fans.

``This was always in me,'' said Moxie, a 6-foot-3 200-pounder. ``Nobody ever put me in the newspapers because I never did any big things. But tonight I did something big.''

Moxie's touchdown return came on the East's second drive and turned the momentum. The play started when Jakes chased down quarterback John Valdez of Sylmar for a 19-yard loss. Valdez fumbled and Moxie picked up the bouncing football at his own 44-yard line and sprinted to the end zone.

``I saw nobody in front of me,'' Moxie said. ``That's something I've always wanted. That set a big tone for the game. Suddenly, we said, `We can win it.' ''

Many of the game's participants are going to universities such as Stanford, Texas and Arizona State. Moxie is going to San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton - but this was his night.

The West assumed the East, coached by Sylmar's Jeff Engilman, would run the option because Sylmar did so during the regular season. Instead, the East employed a one-back passing scheme. Nevertheless, the West, coached by Birmingham's Ed Croson, held the East scoreless until midway through the fourth quarter.

``We practiced against the option all week during practice,'' Moxie said with a shrug.

East MVP Gary Sonkur of Montclair Prep of Van Nuys scored on a 1-yard run, caught four passes for 52 yards and returned a kickoff 55 yards. Except for teammate Torwin Session of Eagle Rock (5-of-11 passing, 43 yards), who connected with Keith Jarbo of Burroughs of Burbank on an 18-yard touchdown, no one else did much as the East was limited to 189 yards.

``Things didn't go as planned,'' Sonkur said. ``We made a couple of mistakes and their defense played hard.''

Down 17-0 at halftime, the East drove 73 yards in eight plays on its first possession of the second half, but Sonkur was stopped on fourth-and-1 on the 1-yard line. With better execution - the East was flagged for 89 penalty yards - there still wasn't much hope for a comeback.

``We put ourselves in a hole and there was no way to get out,'' Session said.

The West's Matter completed 11 of 15 passes - connecting on eight in a row at one point - for 105 yards and a 6-yard touchdown to Lee Marks of Taft. Matter will participate in the second annual CaliFlorida Bowl all- star game in Santa Barbara on June 23 before heading to Stanford.

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Photo:

Kennedy High's James Norris tries to fend off a defender during the East-West All-Star game at Birmingham High on Sunday.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer