First Posted: 2/29/2012

District 2 will be well represented when the 2012 PSFCA (Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association) East-West All-Star game kicks off May 6, at Gateway High School in Monroeville, a suburb near Pittsburgh.

Among the 34 players chosen for the East team, seven are from District 2- DeVaughn Chollette, linebacker, West Scranton High School; JJ Fives, linebacker, Scranton Prep; Mike Galantini, defensive tackle, Valley View High School; Joe Dolan, offensive lineman, Abington Heights High School; Nick Bartoli, offensive lineman, Wyoming Area High School; Joe Parsnik, Coughlin High School and Tony Morgante, offensive lineman, Crestwood High School.

Morgante will not be playing in the game due to the fact that a player is only allowed to participate in two all-star games that are played during the school year prior to graduation. Morgante has played in the UNICO Game and The Chesapeake Bowl already this year.

“We’re very fortunate this year that District 2 has great representation ,” said Abington Heights High School head coach Joe Repshis.

“To have seven players selected and recognized…says something about the type of players that are coming out of our leagues and our districts .”

Repshis was named an assistant coach for the East team in 2007, and was named head coach this year.

“The opportunity to coach some of the finest football players in Pennsylvania, it’s a great honor and privilege,” said Repshis.

The PSFCA East-West All-Star Game was established in 2001 to give some of the top high school football players in the state a chance to showcase their talents on a larger stage.

After the top 34 players are picked for the Big 33 Game, which puts a team from Pennsylvania against a team from Ohio, the next 68 players, 34 from the East and 34 from the West, are invited to play in the East-West All-Star Game. The game took a one-year hiatus in 2011, but is back this year.

“This is the 11th game in the series of the East-West All Star Game, and players that have played in the past have gone on to have very successful careers in various levels of college football and some have even played professionally,” said Repshis.

Repshis will have five practices to get to know his team, two April 22, two April 29 and one May 5, but there will be at least one player he’s familiar with. Dolan, an Abington Heights senior from Ransom, has been selected for the team.

“It’s a big honor. I know it’s a big game and even being considered was an honor, and being picked was just a dream come true,” said Dolan.

Like a majority of the players in the game, Dolan, the son of Joe and Terry Dolan, will continue his football career in college playing for Shippensburg University in the fall, but he said he’s happy to have one more chance to play for his high school coach.

“He’s a great coach, he’s one of the best coaches in the area…and he helped me so much. He helped me get to where I’m going to be next year,” said Dolan.

Joining Repshis on the sidelines will be Lackawanna Trail head coach Steve Jervis, who was selected as an assistant coach this year.

Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. May 6, at Gateway High School in Monroeville.