LOCALS TO FLOOD INTO ALL-STAR GAME.

Byline: GERRY GITTELSON Community Sports

High school football standouts Ryan Wolfe and Zac Zimmerman of Hart and Torrey O'Brien and Shane Morales of Valencia head 17 local players selected for the ninth annual East-West All-Star Football Game on June 12 at Birmingham High of Lake Balboa.

Wolfe, a receiver/defensive back, signed with UNLV, and Zimmerman, a lineman who missed most of his senior season because of a knee injury, has signed with Utah State.

O'Brien, a linebacker, and Morales, a receiver/defensive back, plan to play at College of Canyons. They also are scheduled to join Wolfe in the 54th annual Shrine Classic all-star game on June 25 in Walnut.

Proceeds from the East-West game benefit the Valley Youth Conference, an organization that oversees Pop Warner football for youngsters in the San Fernando Valley and beyond. The Shrine event benefits the Los Angeles chapter of the Shriners Hospital for children.

``I'm definitely playing. It's always great to put the helmet on one more time before moving on,'' Morales said. ``But it also will be cool to do stuff for charity.''

Other area selections: Valencia's Anthony DeFilippo, Gary Cox, Chris Wright, Joey Miulli and Brian Malette; Hart's Evan Surratt, Brock Arndt and Dusty Green; Canyon's Dejon Negron, Justin Williams and Will Brogan; and Saugus' John Kurowski and Alex Dekok. Five players from Burroughs of Burbank and Burbank also have been selected.

Many of the participants will play their final game, including Miulli, an offensive lineman who plans to concentrate on academics during college.

``I just want to get out there one more time and play high school football,'' Miulli said.

For Miulli, to help a charity such as the Valley Youth Conference is a heartwarming bonus.

``I think it's really cool to help the kids out,'' he said. ``It's always nice to help out when someone needs it.''

Of the more than 100 players selected, event organizer Bill Speer said he expects about 90 percent to confirm.

Area players have performed well in past East-West games. Last year, Hart's Sean Norton was selected MVP after completing 15 of 21 passes for 303 yards and four touchdowns, including a game-winning 81-yarder with less than two minutes remaining. Hart's Kevin Ciccone scored two touchdowns, Canyon's Nate Longshore passed for two touchdowns, and Canyon's Tim Naillieux scored on a 59-yard reception.

--The Conejo Valley Cougars, a 13-under baseball team featuring four members from Conejo Valley's U.S. champion Little League team, were defeated 6-4 Sunday night by the Santa Clarita Express in the championship game of a large-scale travel-ball tournament at the William S. Hart complex.

Santa Clarita's Alan Sarkissian hit a three-run home run in the first inning, winning pitcher Kyle Eaton pitched four strong innings, and Connor Garelick allowed one run over the final three innings to earn the save.

The Conejo Valley Little League alums were Cody Thomson, a star pitcher and hitter during the team's World Series run in Williamsport, Pa., last summer, Danny Leon, Sean McIntyre and James Brady.

Over five games, Thomson was 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA and six strikeouts in six innings, and he batted .818 with nine RBI in 11 at-bats. Brady batted .357 in 14 at-bats.

--Perhaps the most amazing thing about Saugus High's climb to No. 1 in the Daily News softball rankings is that the team has played all road games because of construction on campus.

``We purposely scheduled a lot of road games at the beginning of the season because we weren't sure about getting a field,'' Saugus athletic director Kevin Miner said. ``But to win a CIF championship, you have to win on the road.''

--A final all-star football note: I'll never forget Newbury Park's Jake Ferrell, a receiver without a scholarship, catching a long touchdown pass in the Daily News All-Star Game at Cal State Northridge in the summer of 1998 - and he was rewarded the following day with a scholarship from New Mexico.

Talk about destiny. Had Ferrell dropped that pass, you can bet the scholarship never would have materialized.

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Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Valencia's Shane Morales, left, catching a pass, and Hart's Ryan Wolfe (20), right, were chosen for the East-West All-Star Football Game.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer