Greater El Paso Football Showcase Celebrates 30 Years

On Tuesday, the Greater El Paso Football Showcase announced their plans for their 30th edition of the annual high school All Star game, which will kick off at 1:05 p.m. on Saturday, December 17th at the Socorro Student Activities Complex. Franklin High School Head Coach Darren Walker will lead the West All Stars while Pebble Hills HS Head Coach Mark Torres will be in charge of the East All Stars. The press conference was held at Bassett Place.

The biggest change from the inaugural game in 1992 to now has been the number of events that surround the GEPFS. In addition to the All Star Game, they have added a combine, quarterback challenge, player draft, mentor day, golf tournament, and scholarship banquet to the list of festivities. Since 2011, over 170 football players in the El Paso area have received college scholarships totaling $17.5 million from the combine alone. Last year alone, 24 athletes received over $1.6 million in total scholarship dollars from the combine.

As for the All Star game, all proceeds over the last 30 years have gone back to seniors participating in the form of a scholarship. This includes the football players, cheerleaders, band members, dance/drill teams, ROTC cadets, journalism, and choir members. That number totaled $611,500 for 711 scholarships handed out over the last 30 years. The game moved last year from the Sun Bowl to the S.A.C.

Also yesterday, Lou Romano was introduced as the Marketing/Sponsorship Director for the GEPFS. Romano joined the showcase this summer and his 30-plus years working in the local sports media will benefit the showcase, especially with his strong relationships in the community. Romano was inducted a few weeks back into the El Paso Baseball Hall of Fame.

Tickets for the game are available now by clicking on the Box Office tab at 915showcase.com. They are priced at only $6 up until game day and then they increase to $8. Children six and under are free. The GEPFS also has a free mobile app which is available for download on the iTunes store or via Google Play. Tickets can also be purchased on the app.