Local athletes to compete in all-star games

Local high school athletes will be featured in two all-star events, June 7 and 8, at Parkview High School.

Football all-stars will compete in the 12th annual Sertoma Grin Iron Classic, an East vs. West competition, at 7:30 p.m., June 7, at JFK Stadium. For the second year, a girls' all-star volleyball tournament will take place in the Parkview High School gymnasium, starting at 1 p.m., June 8.

This all-star weekend features 129 graduated high school seniors competing with some of the best athletes in Southwest Missouri. Among those players will be a few names that are very familiar to fans of Nevada High School sports.

Sam Ellifrits, Dalton Hendren and Nick Conner were all integral parts of the Nevada Tigers football team that went 8-3 last season under head coach Wes Beachler and finished just one game short of playing for a district championship. All three players went on to sign with college teams and will be members of this year's Grin Iron Classic West squad.

A few names might be familiar to Nevada fans on the volleyball rosters, as well. Nevada Lady Tigers head volleyball coach Ashley Thoreson will be on the coaching staff of the North squad, while Nevada graduates Regan Kannady and Sharla Quick are both on the North roster.

Tickets to this year's Grin Iron Classic are $6 each and children 12 and under will be admitted free. Tickets are available at Ozarks area McDonald's restaurants, Price Cutter locations in Springfield, Ozark, Nixa and Republic, and at the gate.

The Grin Iron Classic and the Grin Action Classic benefit the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile -- a mobile dental clinic for at-risk children who have no access to dental care, more commonly known as the Tooth Truck. Since its inception in 2002, the Tooth Truck has helped more than 14,500 children with dental treatment and prevention education valued at more than $8.5 million, through 37,000 dental appointments.

All Grin Iron and Grin Action Classic alumni are invited to attend both events, free of charge. In addition to the game, the Grin Iron Classic will also feature tours of the Tooth Truck, dance performances by area high school dance teams, a visit from Ronald McDonald, concessions, a game ball raffle, a Nick Saban autographed football raffle and commemorative programs and T-shirts.

The Grin Iron and Grin Action Classic are presented by cash sponsors, Delta Dental of Missouri and the Heart of the Ozarks Sertoma Club. Other cash sponsors include the Greater Springfield Dental Society, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Great Southern Bank and Spring View Dental Care.

Both events are also sponsored through in-kind donations from The Team, McCann Printing, Mediacom, KOLR10-KOZL, Price Cutter, Mercy and McDonald's. Hosted by the SW MO High School Football Coaches' Association and the All-Star Smiles Sertoma Club, 11 years of the Grin Iron Classic and one year of the Grin Action Classic have raised more than $400,000 for the Tooth Truck.