Published: June 22, 2008 12:34 am            

South offense, lightning too much for North squad at Lantzy game

The 38th annual Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Football Game Saturday night at Trojan Stadium featured impressive passes, jarring hits and some jaw-dropping rushes.

But this Lantzy game had something that no previous one had ever experienced – stoppage of play due to lightning.

With 3:14 remaining in the third quarter, officials took the teams to the locker room and shortly thereafter, the game was called.

The final score read South 33-0 over the North, the Rebels’ third straight victory.

“We had a very talented team this year,” South coach Stacy Schmitt of North Star said. “The players were very unselfish and worked together as a team. That’s really the most rewarding thing, to see them come from different schools, jelling together. Our offensive and defensive lines really came together as a unit.”

The South got on the scoreboard at the end of the first quarter, mounting a seven-play drive from the 40-yard line.

The drive was capped by a pass from Somerset's Jordan Kaufman to Bishop McCort's Matt Varga for a 10-yard score.

Kaufman connected with Richland's Dan Fenton for the conversion and an 8-0 lead for the South.

The Rebels got three more scores in the second quarter on each of their three possessions.

Tyler Edwards of Meyersdale scored from 34 yards out and Kaufman threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Windber's Mike Webb.

Some trickery by the South, had quarterback Jordan DeFrances of Bishop McCort lateral the ball back to Fenton, who then threw downfield to a waiting Varga for the 44-yard score.

The South continued its momentum, taking the second-half kickoff in the end zone and marching to a score, keyed by runs by Kaufman (35 yards), Rockwood's Tyler Baker (5) and a pass to Westmont’s Nick Khuri (12 yards).

The drive was culminated by Reed’s 29-yard scamper for the touchdown.

For the South, Reed finished with 123 yards on 11 carries and Edwards had seven rushes for 63 yards. Northern Cambria’s Jeremiah Dunchack topped the North rushing with six carries for 14 yards while Chris Hibbs of Blairsville had two catches for 26 yards.

South award winners from the game included: Will Harris of Johnstown (defensive back); Shad Nair of North Star (defensive line); Brett Shippey of Bedford (offensive line); and Varga (offensive back).

The North winners were: Jonathan Rajnish of Northern Cambria (defensive line); Sean Billings of Bishop Carroll (offensive line); Adam Petrosky of Central Cambria (defensive back); and Hibbs (offensive back).

“We just got outmanned up front,” North coach Dave Small of Purchase Line said. “We had opportunities earlier in the game and weren’t able to capitalize on them.”

Notes: Marion Center's Alex Borst won the Paul Shandor award while Ligonier Valley’s Jon Cotchen was the Dave Rizzo award winner. ... Conemaugh Valley’s Josh Siwy received the scholarship for scholastic achievement while Central Cambria’s Shane McGregor was the scholar-athlete recipient. Dave Seidel of Bishop McCort was the honoree coach. ... There were dozens of area coaches – both past, present and future – on the sidelines or in the stands, watching what for many players was their last game as football players. ... At halftime, Raymond Buchan of Westmont (Lantzy, 1991) and Rickie Hafer of Laurel Valley (Lantzy, 2000), who were killed in service to their country in Iraq, were honored.

        

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