Recent Ceres High grad Andrew Gibson played in his final prep football game this past month in Merced.

“It definitely made me want to try harder,” Andrew said. “I wanted to prove myself more.”

Gibson and the North defeated the South, 30-8, in the 33rd Annual Rotary All-Star Classic on June 23 at Veterans Stadium.

“It was an experience I was hoping to do for a long time,” said Andrew, who stands 5-foot-6 and weighs 185 pounds. “I enjoyed meeting a lot of new people. It was really fun.”

Gibson contributed at slot receiver.

“I definitely would have liked to catch a couple of passes,” he said. “That didn’t happen. But we still won.”

The North dominated from start to finish.

“We did a lot of things right,” Andrew said. “One of the biggest things is we had a better attitude.”

Barragan teamed up with Central Valley grads David Serrano, Estevan Barragan and Nasson Sanchez at the Rotary Classic.

Andrew, Estevan and Nasson played youth football together.

“I was on the same team with them in Pop Warner,” Gibson said. “It was cool being able to play football with them again. It was fun. Watching Estevan play motivated me (throughout the years). He’s really dedicated. That’s what I wanted to be.”

Andrew filled the stat sheet while starring at running back during his two-year career with Ceres High’s varsity football program.

Gibson racked up 2,913 all-purpose yards and 26 touchdowns.

He totaled 1,256 yards and 17 TDs on the ground.

Andrew caught 63 passes for 743 yards and nine touchdowns.

Gibson was selected to the Western Athletic Conference First Team this past fall.

He was an honorable-mention selection during his junior year.

“There was definitely a lot of pressure,” said Andrew, who was the focal point of the Bulldogs’ offense in 2017. “People rely on you to make big plays. I just wanted to help out the team. I wish I could play one more year.”

Gibson will continue his education at Sacramento State.

“If I don’t play football again, it’s going to be sad,” he said. “I’ve done it for 12 years. Football changed my life. It definitely made me more competitive. I wouldn’t have had as many friends.”