It didn’t take very long for Chris Meyer, a strong safety, to assume a leadership role on the West team’s defense.

For the record, it was just a few practices.

But as much as head coach Richard Eaton likes Meyer in the secondary, he also wants to take advantage of the Justin-Siena High School graduate’s pass-catching abilities as a wide receiver.

And that suits Meyer just fine, as the 36th annual East-West Charity All-Star Football Classic on July 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Napa Memorial Stadium will mark his final game on offense.

“Chris said he would move over to receiver if I needed him, and I said, ‘Yes, I want you to work on this side of the ball as well,’” Eaton said Wednesday night at the West team’s practice at Kimberly Park in American Canyon.

“From that standpoint, it’s always good to have a kid willing to step in and fill in wherever it’s needed.”

Meyer is just that type of player. He was All-Marin County Athletic League last year for Justin-Siena both ways, making the team as a defensive back and wide receiver. He was also named All-Napa County as a wide receiver after leading the Braves (6-5 overall) with 27 catches for 486 yards.

He also made his first start of the year at quarterback and completed 12 of 17 passes for 152 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in a 38-28 loss to Salesian-Richmond in the first round of the CIF North Coast Section Class A playoffs on Nov. 17.

But Meyer also keyed a 21-point run as the Braves went ahead in the third quarter against Salesian.

“Chris is a good team leader — he’s not too outspoken,” said Nick Gingold, a West defensive tackle-defensive end who also played at Justin-Siena.

“He’s not one of those cocky guys, but at the same time he’s a guy that you can look up to.

“He knows his role, he does his job well and he’s a smart player. When he does make a great play he gets everybody else pumped up for the next play, because he shows that he’s excited without being too cocky.”

Meyer (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) and Gingold (5-10, 230), who are both planning to play football at Butte College-Oroville in the fall, are Justin-Siena’s lone representatives in the midsummer game.

Co-sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Greater Napa and the Vallejo Police Activities League, the game features high school graduates from Napa, Solano and Yolo counties and benefits area charities.

Four other Napa Valley schools are represented.

Vintage has Andrew Diaz, Travis Steen, Justin Seward, Tyler Jeffries and Ahmad Hammoudeh. Kyle Tunnel is the lone Napa High player and Chris Yeakey is the only St. Helena representative. Calistoga has Efrain Robledo, B.J. Schleider, Jesus Cachu and Bryant Rubio.

“All the Napa kids we’ve had have been well-coached,” said Eaton, the offensive coordinator at Armijo-Fairfield and a Napa resident. “They’re out here because they want to play football. They’re focused on what needs to be done. They’ll play anywhere you want them to play.”

The West also has players from Hogan-Vallejo, Benicia, St. Patrick/St.Vincent-Vallejo, Vallejo, Bethel, North Hills Christian-Vallejo and John Swett-Crockett.

The East team features players from Davis, Woodland, Pioneer-Woodland, Wood-Vacaville, Armjio, Dixon, Vacaville, Rodriguez-Cordelia, Winters, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Esparto and Vanden-Travis Air Force Base.

“For the most part, everybody seems to be meshing and working together really well,” Eaton said of the West, which has its final practice of the week tonight.

They will have five more practices next week, starting Monday.

“One of the big things is getting everybody here and working through on what we want to get done. If we’re not able to do that, then the things that we put in are going to be limited. We have a good-sized roster, but again getting everybody here at one time has been one of those things that we’re really working on. It’s just those commitments that concern me.

“Ultimately, you want these guys to have as much fun as possible, so the more time they’re here the more you can put in and the more fun you can have with it.”

Meyer, for one, is having a good time, working on both sides of the ball.

Butte wants him as a safety, so he’s been doing all the weight-room work, speed training and defensive back drills to prepare himself.

He gave up playing baseball to focus just on football. Butte’s coaching staff took a look at Meyer’s highlight film and game tapes from the past two years and told him they like him on defense.

He’s put on 20 pounds and is ready to start making tackles, intercepting passes and shutting down receivers as he makes the move to defense exclusively.

“I have always wanted to play in this game,” he said. “It’s going to be fun and exciting.

“It’s important to me and I’m pumped. I thought it would be nice to represent my school and go out there and play for Justin.

“Right now they already have me blitzing and making calls and trying to be captain of the defense. Hopefully it will give me a taste of what I’m going to be seeing next year.”

Meyer, honored with the coach’s award after last season, would like the ball thrown to him, as it will be his last time to play offense.

“Hopefully I can get at least one more TD under my belt before I’m done playing wide receiver,” he said.

If it means taking each of the three West quarterbacks — Boy Humphries of Benicia, Victor Tildsley of Vallejo and Steen — aside at practice or on game day to explain his situation, Meyer said he’ll do it.

“I’d love to see him score a touchdown,” said Gingold. “That would be great. I’d like to see him also get an interception.”

As a junior, Meyer led the Braves in receiving yards with 436 and was chosen First-Team All-MCAL as a tight end.

Gingold was All-MCAL as a guard last fall. As a junior, he was Second-Team All-League and Honorable Mention All-Napa County as an offensive lineman.

Gingold will go to Butte as an offensive lineman, but for the East-West game he’ll play on the defensive line.

“It’s an honor to be chosen to play in it,” said Gingold. “I’m hoping to have fun and stand out a little bit. I want to look good for my school. It’s the last time I can play before I go up to Butte in August and practice and try out for them.

“It’s good, because it’s getting me back in the football mode. I always have high hopes for myself and I know Chris has high hopes for himself.”

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at Replay Sports (598 Lincoln Ave.), Soscol Auto Body (637 Soscol Ave.) and Vallejo PAL (301 Wallace Ave.).

Gates open at 6 p.m.

KVON-1440 AM will carry the contest with sports director Ira C. Smith doing the play-by-play. Air time is 7:05 p.m.