All-Star Staff for an All-Star Game

Bringing together 14 head coaches on one football staff can produce a chaotic scene.

They’ll argue over strategies, disagree about personnel decisions and even debate who has the biggest ego.

It’s an accomplishment of major proportions when so many coaches can unite for the fun and experience of directing an all-star team.

That’s what the 14 coaches in charge of the California All-Stars have done in preparation for the CaliFlorida Bowl at 6 tonight at Moorpark College.

Credit goes to the elder statesman of the group, 62-year-old Bill Redell, who was chosen to be the head coach and given the task of molding 13 high-profile colleagues into an effective staff.

“He’s got the biggest ego, so that’s why he’s head coach,” said Kiki Mendoza of Bellflower St. John Bosco.

Integrity and humor are Redell’s greatest assets. Forget that he guided Encino Crespi to the 1986 Division I championship and Westlake Village Oaks Christian to the Division XI title this season.

More impressive is that he has eight grandchildren and his three football-playing sons graduated from UCLA, Stanford and the Air Force Academy, with one becoming a lawyer, another a financial manager and the other an F-16 pilot.

Redell is a good father, so he knows how to get teenagers and adults focusing on one goal.

Who else could have brought together a group of feuding Marmonte League coaches and made them work together like friends? Among Redell’s assistants are Jim Benkert from Westlake Village Westlake, George Hurley from Newbury Park, Mike Sanders from Thousand Oaks and Tim Lins from Moorpark.

Then there’s Shane Cox from L.A. Fairfax, Pete Duffy from L.A. Fremont, Eddie Martinez from L.A. Wilson, Matt Logan from Corona Centennial, Sean Diaz from Bellflower, Kevin Moore from Inglewood, Ben McEnroe from West Hills Chaminade and Dick Billingsley from Oak Park. It’s an all-star staff that would do well if they moved as a group to the college level.

Redell is a competent head coach because he plans the practices and lets the assistants work on more than blowing a whistle. Of course, he’s also pleading with Benkert and Lins every day to set up games with Oaks Christian.

“We’ll play you anywhere, anytime, any place,” Redell tells them, knowing they’ll always say no because, as Benkert says, “We’d kick their butt.”

Redell’s main task tonight will be deciding when to order his offensive coordinator, Benkert, to run his favorite play, the fumblerooski. Otherwise, the assistants are in charge.

If California wins, Redell will claim victory. If California loses, guess who gets stuck with the blame?

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The California team has 18 offensive linemen. Among the most impressive in practice this week have been Arizona State-bound Leo Talavou of Fountain Valley, UCLA-bound Brian Abraham of Rancho Cucamonga and uncommitted Jon Ioane of Tustin.

Commenting on the 6-foot-6 Abraham, who’s going to be a blocking tight end tonight, Sanders said, “He’s got great feet and is one of the most athletic linemen.”

The Florida team is led by Ohio State-bound quarterback Joe Bauserman and Florida State-bound quarterback Drew Weatherford.

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Here are some impressions after watching 15 boys’ basketball games over a four-day period:

South Gate’s 6-9 center, Lorenzo Mata, is going to be one scary player in the City Section once he’s in shape. He had only two practices after missing the first eight games for academic reasons.

His first three games: 17 points, 14 rebounds, nine blocked shots; 25 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks; 28 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks.

“I’m 75%,” he said. “Once I get 100%, I’ll be destroying people.”

Compton Centennial Coach Rod Palmer deserves coach-of-the-week honors for his team’s magnificent defensive performance in holding Jordan Farmar of Woodland Hills Taft to eight points in a 75-54 victory.

In their next game, the Apaches defeated Lynwood, 73-67, in the tournament final, with Arron Afflalo scoring 38 points.

No one delivers more entertaining dunks than Nick Young of Reseda Cleveland.

Oxnard Hueneme is 12-1 behind two players known more for their football skills, defensive backs Charles Dillon and Josh Pinkard.

Glendora is 15-0, proving once again that there are few coaches better than Mike LeDuc.

Torrance Bishop Montgomery is 10-2 even though it has played the entire season without its best player, guard Nate Clark, who is recovering from pneumonia.

And beware of Mission Hills Alemany (8-3), which could be a spoiler in the Mission League with 6-7 center George Papadopoulos and point guard Brandon Robnett.

Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com