Four Central football players chosen for Mexico all-star game
Central College
PELLA—Four Central College senior football players have been named to a team of Division III all-stars to compete in the Tazon de Estrellas (Bowl of the Stars) Dec. 15 at the La Fortaleza Azul (the Blue Fortress) in Guadalajara in Mexico.
Chosen were Seth Carson (Woodridge, Ill., Downers Grove South HS), a 6-1, 240-pound linebacker, Ben Lechtenberg (Manchester, West Delaware HS), a 6-5, 225-pound wide receiver, Andrew Weaks (Fulton, Ill.), a 6-2, 220-pound linebacker and all-Iowa Conference honorable mention pick Colton Smith (Kearney, Mo.), a 5-10, 255-pound offensive lineman.
Also representing Central at the all-star game will be Dutch defensive coordinator Don De Waard, who recently completed his 31st season as assistant coach, and John Roslien, director of Central’s athletic training education program. De Waard will serve the U.S. team as head coach, following the late Ron Schipper, a hall of fame coach at Central from 1961-96 and former Aztec Bowl head coach. Roslien serves as the squad’s player personnel director. Both are on staff for the third straight year after serving several times at the Aztec Bowl, which was staged in Mexico 11 times under Schipper’s leadership.
Twelve Central players were chosen to participate in the Aztec Bowl during that span including current Dutch assistant coaches Jeff Sanger, Reid Evans and Matt Paulsen. The Dutch have had 17 players chosen to compete in the four-year history of the Tazon de Estrellas.
The 44-man team Stars & Stripes represents 26 colleges and was selected from a group of players nominated by Division III head coaches. The squad faces a Mexican team chosen from a national conference of private colleges. Last year the Mexican team defeated the U.S. team 45-27.
