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Mastropierro, Stallworth team up at all-star game
Gage Mastropierro
Gage Mastropierro, pictured with Central Valley boys basketball head coach Mike Rodriguez, scored 15 points while competing in the 6 County All-Star Classic last month in Modesto. - photo by Contributed to the Courier

Rivals on the hardcourt for the past four years, Central Valley’s Gage Mastropierro and Ceres High’s Lebron Stallworth teamed up for the first time while playing in the 6 County All Star Basketball Classic on April 29 at Modesto Junior College.

Mastropierro and Stallworth suited up for the Red Team, which lost to the Blue Team.

“We always talked about teaming up,” Mastropierro said. “To be able to finally do it was fun. He’s a great player.”

“It was a cool change going from opponents to teammates,” Stallworth said. “We played at different times. We never got to play together during the game. I felt like we represented well. We gave the fans a good show.”

Mastropierro, a guard, buried five treys on his way to tallying 15 points while contributing off the bench.

“It was really fun to be recognized for all the work I put in,” he said. “To be able to play with and against the best will prepare me for college.”

“I was nervous before the game,” Mastropierro added. “I don’t usually get nervous. As soon as I stepped on the court, it felt like another game. I’ve done this 100-plus times. The most enjoyable part was being able to play with and against people you are compared to in the area.”

Mastropierro scored nine straight points in the third quarter. All three of his shots were from 3-point range.

“I missed my first shot,” he said. “I kept shooting. Confidence comes from putting up 1,000s and 1,000s of shots in the gym. It’s all repetition.”

Stallworth totaled four points while starting at forward.

He watched 2022 Ceres High grad Verlis Smith play in the 6 County All-Star Classic this past spring.

“It was fun playing with other good guys and showing out for the fans. Everyone was there for a reason. Everybody has talent and skill.”
Lebron Stallworth

“It was fun playing with other good guys and showing out for the fans,” Stallworth said. “Everyone was there for a reason. Everybody has talent and skill.”

“Last year, I watched,” he added. “I wanted to play in it this year. My season was recognized. My work was appreciated.”

Mastropierro and Stallworth both played three seasons of varsity basketball at the prep level.

They competed at the junior-varsity level as freshmen.

Stallworth managed to earn first-team, all-Western Athletic Conference honors this winter despite being slowed early in the season by shoulder and wrist injuries sustained during football.

He averaged 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game for the fifth-place Bulldogs (7-7).

“Lebron got healthier and more consistent as the year went on,” Ceres High head coach T.J. Walker said. “It just sucks he wasn’t healthy all year. He still played his tail off. He’s a beast down low. He can shoot the ball well. He’s one of those players that can score from all three levels. The scouting report for Ceres was how to not let Lebron get easy buckets."

Lebron Stallworth shoots
Ceres High’s Lebron Stallworth had four points during the 6 County All-Star Basketball Classic. - photo by Photo courtesy of Anthony Gerads