All-Star Teams Look for the Right Connections : Nagelmann and Trevathan Leads West Against Alaimo and Roberson of the East

One team has a quarterback and a wide receiver who played at the same high school, are best friends and who, together, dominated an all-star game last month.

The other team has a coach and a quarterback from the same high school who, together, won eight of 10 games last season.

Both teams hope familiarity breeds completions tonight at Pierce College in the Daily News all-star football game. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

Leading the West are quarterback Dan Nagelmann and wide receiver Mike Trevathan of Thousand Oaks High. They teamed for three touchdowns in the recent Ventura County all-star game in which Nagelmann threw seven TD passes.

Leading the East are co-Coach Fred Cuccia and quarterback John Alaimo of Hoover High. Alaimo will direct a slick veer offense that could cause confusion among a West defense that has practiced together for only two weeks.

“It helps enormously having John as QB,” said Cuccia, who is now coach at South Pasadena High. “He’s run it for three years and knows exactly what we’re doing.”

Alaimo, who will attend Nevada Reno next year, was The Times’ Back of the Year in the Glendale section last season.

One of the East’s running backs will be Al Roberson, also from Hoover and a first-team All-Glendale selection by The Times. Cuccia said the offense has been easy for the other running backs to learn.

“Lance Harper participated in a wishbone offense at San Fernando,” Cuccia said, “and the others have picked it up.”

West co-Coach Tom Stevenson of Taft is similarly pleased with his team’s preparation.

“This has been the best coaching experience of my life,” Stevenson said. “I’ve been very impressed with how hard the kids have worked and the way they get along.”

Although Taft is primarily a running team, Stevenson claimed his play-calling in the all-star game will include plenty of passes. Nagelmann will play the first quarter at quarterback and Granada Hills’ Brent Spurlin will play the second quarter.

“We’re going to come out throwing,” he said. “I guarantee you that. Nagelmann is an exceptional quarterback and Spurlin is equally as talented. We’ll evaluate at halftime and go with the guy with the hot hand.”