[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]ORLANDO, Fla. (OrlandoSportsFoundation.com) – The CFE Cure Bowl All-Star Game features players, training aides and cheerleaders from Orange County and Seminole County high schools around the Orlando community. The game is set for 7 p.m. at Showalter Field.

Admission is free by showing a ticket purchased to the AutoNation Cure Bowl or providing a $5 donation at the gate. The proceeds from the game benefit the Coaches Toy Challenge, which is an annual drive to provide toys for children at Christmas, and the Orlando Sports Foundation.

Related: Game Program | Orange County Roster | Seminole County Roster

This is the second edition of the CFE Cure Bowl All-Star game. It was previous called the Metro Conference All-Star Game, which dates back to 1997.

The game is between Orange County Public Schools and Seminole County Public Schools, but the teams are also supplemented with players from private schools in the two-county area. Every All-Star is highlighted by performing their specialty one last time as a high school student.

This is the first of multiple events during AutoNation Cure Bowl week that take place across Orlando and Universal Orlando Resort. Saturday starts with the AutoNation Pregame Tailgate and Concert with mutli-platinum recording artist Andy Grammer taking the stage at 11:30 a.m. Kickoff between the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and Tulane Green Wave is set for 1:30 p.m. at Camping World Stadium and will broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

All-Star Coach – Phil Ziglar
For the first time, the CFE Cure Bowl All-Stars Game is honoring an All-Stars coach for their contributions to football in Central Florida. The first All-Stars coach is Phil Ziglar at Hagerty High School, who is retiring after 43 years of coaching.

Coach Ziglar was an All-American linebacker for Maryville College, in Tennessee, before playing for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. In 1976, Coach Ziglar began his coaching career in Central Florida.

Coach Ziglar touched the lives of hundreds of student-athletes, some of which went on to stardom and others who entered the coaching field. Johnny Townsend was the punter for the University of Florida and now with the Oakland Raiders credited Coach Ziglar for his success in a recent newspaper article. Another of his players, Stacy Mack was a running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Coach Ziglar has championed the mission of the game of finding a cure for cancer, because he has been touched by the disease, first with his sister and later in losing his first wife. Way back, he and Coach Bill Gerkey started a Pink and White game as a season kick off. And today, he supports the AutoNation Cure Bowl, which raises money to find a cure for cancer.

The CFE Cure Bowl All Stars are proud to recognize Phil Ziglar, who has contributed to hundreds of athletes, because he believes in them and their future.

TRADITION

The CFE Cure Bowl All-Stars Game had its origin as the Metro Conference All-Star Game. This was started by coaches David Langdon, Phil Ziglar and Jim Buckridge in 1997. According to Coach Langdon they wanted to give the Orange County community something to be proud of in their schools and to allow the players one last opportunity to showcase their talents.

It worked. Well over 100 players have received student-athlete scholarships to compete at the college level because of this game. Coach Kevin Barnett of Mars Hill University near Asheville, N.C., attends the All-Stars game each year, because he finds athletes that fit his program. Coach Barnett estimates that over 25 athletes have played at Mars Hill because of this game. This is one of the many success stories from the CFE Cure Bowl All-Stars Game.

Some of the players that have used the CFE Cure Bowl All-Stars Game as a platform for success at the next level:

• Doug Gabriel – starred at UCF before playing seven NFL seasons.
• Alex Hayes – played for Evens High School before becoming a running back at UCF.
• Jason Jimenez – former UCF and NFL player.
• Scotty Cunningham – current coach at Winter Park High School and played at Tennessee State and with the Tennessee Titans.

The CFE Cure Bowl All-Stars Game remained an Orange County Metro Conference event until 2016, when it became a challenge between Orange County and Seminole County.

ABOUT THE ORLANDO SPORTS FOUNDATION
The Orlando Sports Foundation (OSF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising funding and awareness for breast cancer research. The mission of OSF is to bring teams together to find a cure for cancer. The OSF hosts several events throughout the year including their signature event, the AutoNation Cure Bowl. Funds raised from their events directly benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]