By GEORGE MAHL – Sports Editor

I saw recently in the Times-Picayune recently were there was a boys and girls all-star basketball game between Orleans Parish and Jefferson Parish.

I even remember them doing it in football several months ago. Here is an idea: what about having a River Parishes All-star game. Not just in basketball, but every sport. Just imagine what that would look like out on the field or on the court. Think of the crowd, think of the money.

In football, you could have one team of all-stars composed of Ryan Perrilloux, Dustin Mitchell, Derron Thomas and Gerard Landry. Tyrell Fenroy could return kickoffs and punts. They could face a daunting defense led by Tyson Jackson and Quinn Johnson.

In all, they would probably be a total of more than 15 division one players on the field, not necessarily at the same time. The game, like the jamboree games, could either be played at Destrehan or Hahnville.

I do, however, see a couple of problems facing a game like that. The first one is that they’re five teams on the east side of the river and only three on the other side of the river.

It might boil down to dividing a team like Riverside by placing one player on the east side and one on the west side. That solution will be easier than the other problem the game may be facing. Several football players go directly from football to basketball once the season ends.

For example, on December 12, a Friday, West St. John defeated Sterlington to win the 2A state championship. The next Monday, several players jumped from the football field to the basketball court and played Reserve Christian.

Trying to schedule a game would be the toughest part of it. I think in basketball it may be a little easier, especially this year. With no boys teams in the local area going to the Cajundome for the Top 28, there may have been enough to time to play an all-star game.

If worst comes to worst, take all the names from the T-P’s All-River Parishes team, put them in a hat with players making up my “Dream Team” and just pick names to make up a team. Sounds easy enough. I would love to see Trenton Marshall of Lutcher go up against Demond “Tweety” Carter of Reserve Christian.

Speaking of those two, I hear through the grapevine that Reserve Christian may hoop it up against Lutcher next year, possibly in February. Stay tuned.

Same thing for girls sports. Let us have a softball game anchored by Riverside’s Megan Warner going up against a team led by St. Charles Catholic starting pitcher Mary Clement. For some reason, I don’t see many runs scored in that game.

Even if it doesn’t happen, it does make for interesting conversation.