The 2013 Arizona Coaches Association Division VI Senior Bowl football game appeared to be a success. Let’s do it again !!

The eight-man game was a bit lopsided – a 50-6 win by the Red team – but players seemed like they had a good time representing their schools and communities at the event held at Mogollon High in Heber.

According to Mogollon coach Tim Slade, who served as a commentator along with Show Low assistant Dave Tenney for the game that was streamed live on AIA365.com, an eight-man All-Star game has been played off and on in the state since 1995.

It was sponsored by the ACA, then went into the stable of Arizona Football Coaches Association games in Surprise in late June. According to Slade, the AzFCA did not have funding for an eight-man game in 2012, so the ACA voted to have a game and it was played at St. David in southern Arizona.

“Next year, we hope to have a few more coaches and try to make it better,’’ Slade said.

There was some discussion during the Webcast that the game could return to southeast Arizona next year, perhaps even to Easter Arizona Junior College in Thatcher, which was the site of the games a few decades ago.

Thatcher is cooler than Surprise, which still holds the big-school games. The people in Surprise do a great job, but perhaps it is time to revisit the idea of putting the games back in a cooler area. Thatcher would be a good spot, as would Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, which was the site in the 1960s, 1970s and the early 1980s.

An example of how that could come about is that this weekend, NAU is holding its annual football camp. Why not include All-Star games as part of the festivities? Since the Cardinals have abandoned Flagstaff, maybe Flagstaff could be rejuvenated somewhat and still be the place where people from around the state could have a mini-vacation.

Another option would be to have the Arizona Interscholastic Association and AzFCA mend fences (this is strictly my opinion as a reporter, not the AIA’s) and agree to allow the game to be played in the winter, perhaps in conjunction with the Fiesta Bowl, with more fans likely to attend.

Of course, the big sticking point would be money, which we all know is hard to come by. Whether it’s in Flagstaff or elsewhere, it is going to take sponsors stepping up. But aren’t our young student-athletes worth it?

The Division VI coaches also did a good job of including returning players from this fall in passing-league competition. About eight schools participated at Mogollon. That could be expanded.

It also would be nice to see more coaches participate in the player-selection process at all levels. That hasn’t always been the case.

Some of the elite players might not participate because of college commitments, but there still are a lot of good players out there and a lot of good football to be played.

It’s certainly worth a try.