Western-Star.com

Lakota West High's football program will be well-represented in the annual Southwest Ohio Football Coaches Association East-West All-Star Game.

Three Firebirds — wide receiver Bakari Bussey, running back Dwight Phillips and safety Andrew Straus — are on the West roster for the contest, which is at 7 p.m. today, June 5, at Colerain High School.

While Straus will play, Bussey and Phillips are expected to dress but not play because they qualified for this weekend's state track meet.

Straus (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) — who's headed to Elon University — led the Firebirds with 69 total tackles and also had four interceptions.

"It's well-earned," West coach Larry Cox said. "Andrew's one of those kids that people will look back and say, 'Wow, that's Andrew Straus.' He continues to keep impressing me with how hard he works in the offseason. He's grown, he's bigger and he's faster. It's neat to watch him one more time. It's something that he's earned. Everything he's done has prepped him for the next level."

West wide receiver Marcus Hicks (25 rec., 406 yds., 3 TDs) will participate in the Miami Valley Football Coaches Association North-South game June 13 at Dayton's Welcome Stadium.

East's Williams on East roster

Lakota East's Taylor Williams is on the East squad for tonight's game.

The 5-11, 200-pound running back rushed for 1,158 yards and 14 TDs this past fall for the Thunderhawks. He will be a preferred walk-on at Ohio University.

"I think he deserves to play in it," East coach Greg Bailie said. "He's a very good player, and he'll get a chance to show that."

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5113 or smatthews@coxohio.com.

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