Throughout the beginning of the first half, however, all-stars from across Montgomery County clashed and stalled offensively. Prior to the game and early in the first quarter, both squads had to battle some driving rain, which would not deter the teams from passing the ball. The game was a close affair early and the North all-stars were actually able to strike first.

 
On the second possession, Souderton quarterback Tanner Allem drove his team down to South’s 11-line, and rushed a keeper down within the five-yard line. Norristown running back Brandon Shippen took care of business with a five-yard touchdown rush with 2:37 left to play in the first quarter to make the score 7-0. Shippen led the North squad in rushing throughout the day and earned the MVP trophy for the North all-stars for his efforts.

 
But the tables would turn for the remainder of the game in favor of the South all-stars, as South was able to capitalize on North turnovers and win the field position battle.

 
Before the first quarter ended, North punted, but sacrificed a turnover on downs as the punter let his knee hit the ground while fielding a low snap. South received the ball and Upper Dublin quarterback Andrew Derr commanded his offense for the first score of the day with 11:55 in the second quarter. Derr tossed a perfect lob to La Salle wide receiver Colin Buckley for a one-yard touchdown to tie the game up at 7-7.

 
The turning point of the first half also was in favor of the South squad, as Plymouth Whitemarsh defensive back Russhon Phillips intercepted North quarterback Allem and returned to ball to the North 31-yard line. South quarterback Derr dropped back and floated a perfect 20-yard pass to Abington wide receiver Josh Lee for the go-ahead touchdown with 8:41 remaining in the half.

 
Throughout the day, Andrew Derr sparked his offensive attack for South, and captured the South MVP trophy for his three total touchdowns on the day. Derr, who is going to West Chester for football, acknowledged the field position battle as vital to the South victory and his success throughout the day.

 
“Coming out it was hard to get (field possession) because we started off pinned. But this game was all about field position,” Derr said. “Starting off inside the 20 is easy, and we know we are going to score and we want to score, and we’ll take nothing less than that.”

 
Due to field position and Derr as commander in chief of the offense, South dominated the second half. North was not able to muster another scoring drive, which is a tribute to the play of the South defense. Plymouth Whitemarsh defensive back Phillips explained how his defense was able to lead as a unit.

 
“It’s just great to be in an atmosphere where everybody wants it and everybody wants to win,” Phillips said. “We all want to play hard and we played true football as a group. We played like a family swarming to the ball, multiple people to the ball each play. Our ‘D’ did great locking down all day.”

 
Quarterback Andrew Derr was able to capitalize in the third quarter after trading turnovers with North by making the most of the North squad’s next mistake. La Salle linebacker John Palermo stripped North quarterback Allem of the ball, and Plymouth Whitemarsh defensive end Garnell Sanders rcovered the fumble. South quarterback Derr threw a perfect bullet pass to a wide open Josh Lee for his third passing touchdown of the day for 23 yards. With 2:45 to go in the third quarter and a score of 21-7, South had the game in hand.

 
Derr ended the scoring for the day in the fourth quarter as South received the ball at the 33-yard line of the North squad. The signal caller completed a crucial fourth and two play to Abington tight end Chris Ruhl for a 20 yard gain. Plymouth Whitemarsh running back Xavier Ellington rammed into the end zone for one yard and a 28-7 lead at the 11:14 mark in the fourth quarter.

 
In all, the game came down to ball possession in the opponent’s territory. South was able to secure six trips to the opponents red zone, and completed four scoring drives. North contributed to these drives through turnovers at crucial junctures, and unfortunately could not muster more points after faltering on fourth down in the fourth quarter.

 
The game was still competitive throughout, as some all-stars, North and South alike, will play collegiate football or pursue other career interests. The game still brought together Montgomery County for one final, although chilly summer night, to watch the best of the best play on the field one last time.

As always, the contest featured one momentum swing after another, as fourth downs and the winners of the turnover battle determined the winner of the game. Also, the public all-stars switched quarterbacks every quarter, while the non-public all-stars switched signal callers about every series. The game would grow to favor the quarterback play and strategy of the public all-stars, but to begin, non-public took the early 7-0 lead.

After converting the first of several vital fourth down conversions on the day, non-public quarterback Rob Daniels from Father Judge high school handed off to running back Marcus Kelly, from Roman Catholic. Kelly would score on an 18-yard rush and eventually capture the offensive MVP award for his efforts for the non-public stars throughout the day.

Yet the luck would turn in favor of the public all-stars after a series of turnovers on downs by the two squads. Running back Shaquil Sammons from Bok public high school was stopped in the backfield for a loss of downs, but the referees determined a non-public defensive lineman blitzed off the line, which was against the rules. After the momentum shift, quarterback Shariff Smith from Furness public high school capitalized with a one-yard touchdown run to even the score at 7-7.

The public stars’ Smith would add another one-yard touchdown off a one yard keeper on another crucial fourth and one play. The momentum shifts clearly began to decide to game, with a small bit of luck for public. After a broken snap, Myles Brooker from Germantown public high school converted a two point conversion to make the score 15-7 at half time.

Entering the third quarter, public head coach Erik Zipay from Simon Gratz public high school continued switching quarterbacks per quarter and called upon quarterback Marquise Brown from Bok public high school to finish off the job. It turns out Brown was capable of matching his counterpart in Smith with touchdowns on the day and earned the public offensive MVP award for leading his team to victory.

Before Brown’s success however, the non-public stars kept the game competitive by capitalizing off public star turnovers. Defensive linemen Eric Condron, who was awarded defensive MVP on the day, stripped Brown of the ball at public’s own goal line, and linebacker Todd-Jamal Waters fell on the fumble for the touchdown. After non-public quarterback Jaleel Reed rushed for the two-point conversion, the score was tied at 15-15.

Yet for Brown, this hit was the defining moment of the game.

“In an all-star game, there’s not a lot of practice, plus there’s a lot of people watching so we got a lot of emotions,” Brown said. “Emotions got the best of us in the beginning, but the coaches calmed us down, kept it together. I think the hit in the end zone got me motivated. Seeing my family, I didn’t want to disappoint them.”

Brown got his chance when the non-public stars fumbled their punt and he was able connect with wide receiver Shakur NeSmith in the back of the end zone after a perfectly placed lob pass. The score was now 22-15 in favor of public, and strangely, NeSmith had an unlikely second chance at this memorable moment at Lincoln financial field. After a pushing match with a non-public player, NeSmith was actually ejected from the game in the first half.  After appealing the call with his coaches, NeSmith was allowed to play.

“When I got back on, I tried to score as soon as possible and I did,” NeSmith said after the game. “It felt good because it was an all-star game.  But I wanted to score because this is where I am going to be next year, at Temple University. I wanted to start off early scoring here.”

With NeSmith moving on to Temple University from Imhotep Charter, Brown will move on to Stephens Tech for two years of football after Bok public high school. Marquise Brown continued his winning ways, as public secured its lead in the fourth quarter with a 33-yard touchdown pass to his tight end Aaron Allison, from Frankfurd public high school. Allison broke two tackles to capture the touchdown and 29-15 advantage with 14:05 left in the fourth quarter, securely supporting public’s claim for the all-star title.

Overall, non-public quarterbacks Rob Daniels and Jaleel Reed played well, and combined for a balanced offensive attack. But after a late public interception by defensive back Khalil Scott from Simon Gratz public high school, the non-public stars were only able to add a late touchdown score. It was too little too late, as the public all-stars prevailed over the non-public stars, 29-22. Both public quarterbacks would own the day, as wide out Shakur NeSmith noted after the game.

“Both the quarterbacks (for public) worked hard in practice, (being) the first one there and the last one to leave,” NeSmoth said. “They both were the captains of the team so they had control of the whole team and everything. And the offensive line was great. And the defensive, (Jihad Ward and Byron Cooper) gave the (opposing) offensive line a lot of pressure.”

Overall, Coaches Brian Fluck for non-public and Erik Zipay for public should be proud of the team efforts and individuals awards. The public defensive MVP honors went to lineman Demetrious Town Jr. from Ben Franklin high school. Public running back Rolando Ransom and non-public defensive lineman Dan Mancini received the sportsmanship awards for each squad.

Also to note was that Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin of the Philadelphia Eagles made appearances on the sidelines. After playing on their field, the all-stars surely would hope to follow in their footsteps.

The game was well worth the wait, as it was an offensive shootout many football fans missed since the end of the high school season. Coach Brian Hensil from CB West led the North team while Coach Jim Gober led the South all-star squad.

The first half of this contest would be a close affair however, even with the North side coming out with the early advantage. After CB West’s Ward Udinski’s opening 41-yard pass to Quakertown wide receiver Nick Perrine, the North side utilized CB West’s shifty Rashaad Williams as he scored the first touchdown of the game from two yards out to make the score 7-0 in favor of the North.

After another South drive stalled, CB East’s Justyn White converted a key fourth and one to the enemy 34-yard line. Ward Udinski followed soon after with a five yard touchdown pass to Sean Cain from Archbishop Wood High School to make the score 14-0 with 3:56 left in the first quarter.

Into the second quarter, South started their own scoring attack, as Morrisville quarterback Matt Cookson started a second straight possession. After Pennsbury running back Brandon Pepper passed to wide receiver Dwight Williams, the eventual South MVP of the game, Cookson was able to drive his team down to the goal line. The quarterback then rushed into the end zone and after a missed extra point, the score stood at 14-6.

Yet the North all-stars responded as Udinski stormed down the field into South territory. After South linebacker Tyler Masterson (Neshaminy) sacked Udinski, the signal caller threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Quakertown’s Perrine to make to score 21-6.

With the half winding down, Udinski’s hot streak cooled off when he threw an interception to Pennsbury’s Terry Russell, who returned the ball to the North 25-yard line. On a 4^th and 10 with 7.8 seconds remainingg, Cookson fired a touchdown into the end zone to Dwight Williams. With the two point conversion, the score was 21-14 at half time.

The War Memorial shootout was on, with already an estimated 37 passes combined on both sides. But the stars of the day would take over, as quarterback Udinski and running back Rashaad Williams helped the North side outscore the South side 28-14 in the second half. The North would take the all-star game by a score of 49-28.

CB West’s Rashaad Williams was truly a close out runner and exemplified his blazing speed while breaking several tackles. The North runner scored on a 20-yard play where he dashed to the left, dodged around two tacklers and sprinted beyond the grasp of at least three more for the touchdown. He will attend Valley Forge College next season and look to play football elsewhere.

Williams scored his third touchdown by simply outrunning the competition for a 62-yard score with 9:38 left in the 4^thquarter to put the game away at 42-28.

Wide receivers Perrine and Cain caught two touchdowns in the first half, and followed with another two touchdowns each in the second half. After a tough stretch of possessions, Udinski completed touchdowns of five and 20 yards to Cain and Perrine, respectively. Perrine himself had over 100 yards receiving on the day.

The North’s quarterback would be the eventual game MVP as he passed for 302 yards and threw four touchdowns. After the last high school game of his career, Udinski credited his teammates. He will be headed to Juniata College next year.

Udinski explained, “I was just letting my receivers make plays. I had a lot of playmakers around me so I was just trying to get them the ball and work the field.”

Coach Brian Hensil had high praise for his quarterback after the contest, saying, “I have known (Ward) since before he came to West, and he’s a winner. He carries himself well, he doesn’t let mistakes get him down, he builds on the successes of others, and that’s the kind of guy you want anchoring your team.”

The North coach further explained the offensive explosion from both sides of the field. “My staff and I were really looking forward to having out guys one last time. We were really blessed with the senior group that we had. There were so many weapons to choose from. We had a bevy of receivers who could stretch the field and catch the ball.”

The South side attempted a late third quarter comeback, and at one point was within a touchdown of the North lead. Because of competition rules during the charity game, if the losing team was down by more than seven points in the fourth quarter, they would continue to get the ball on kick-offs.

Thus, after South’s Brandon Pepper threw an option play touchdown to Council Rock South wide-out Dennis Chichkin, Pepper followed with a one yard score to cut the North lead to 35-28 after a missed South extra point. But Rashaad Williams followed with his 62-yard touchdown run, and South would not be able to score in the remaining nine minutes of the game.

In all, the contest was a fun offensive affair all in the name of charity. The game was hosted by the Bucks County Lions, who have directed the event at War Memorial for the past three years. The North Coordinator was CB East head coach Larry Greene, while South’s coordinator was former head coach Mike Clarke from Morrisville. Reportedly (according to buckslocalnews.com) the event has raised more than 400,000 in funds in previous years devoted to charities such as the Bucks County Associations for the Blind and the Lions Camp Kirby for the Hearing Impaired.

The North squad featured players from Souderton, North Penn, Perkiomen Valley, Pottsgrove, and Norristown.

The South all-star squad showcased participants from Bishop McDevitt, Germantown Academy, Abington, Cheltenham, and Upper Merion.

South would simply outmatch the North squad and came away with the victory, 38-14. How they got there was a testament to every facet of the game, offense and defense, along with coaching ability.

During the beginning of the game however, the contest was much closer than the final score indicated. Initially, the South all-stars, led by senior quarterback Keith Braccia, won the coin toss and marched down the field. After Braccia converted a key 4^th and 1 rush, he completed a post corner to senior wide receiver Dan Rouse of Cheltenham. Rouse scored the touchdown and with the extra point, South struck first at 7-0.

Upper Perkiomen’s Casey Perlstein started for the North squad at quarterback. Perlstein began his day on a hot streak, and drove his team down to the six yard line after a pass to Pottstown wideout Dawon Mathews. After an incredible one handed catch attempt by Mathews was ruled out of bounds, Perlstein’s drive stalled on fourth down and the scored remained at 7-0.

The South all-stars moved on by switching quarterbacks every other drive, this time utilizing Martin Henry from Bishop McDevitt. The switching had its pros and cons, as an ensuing South muffed punt gave the ball to North at their own 30-yard line.

With the ball in close, Perlstein simply handed off to the game’s eventual MVP for the North, Craig Needhammer (North Penn) for crucial yardage. Maika Polamalu from Pottsgrove ran in the eight yard score with around 30 seconds remaining in the quarter. With a missed extra point, the score stood at 7-6.

The problem for the North was the next stretch of scoring drives in the game and the South all-star’s resiliency on defense. Before the North all-stars knew it, they could not respond to the shootout by the South squad.

From the end of the first quarter to end of the third quarter, the South all-stars went on a run of 31 uncontested points. The key was the South defense, as Head Coach Paul Winters from Cheltenham explained. With Cheltenham cornerback Chris Stephen’s interception for South with the score 21-6 before the half ended, the offense could secure the lead and momentum in the third with additional points.

Winters praised his defense as much as his offense after the game, saying “Our defense was really locked down. All the other coaches did a great job. Our defense was wonderful.”

Cornerback Chris Stephens would secure the MVP for the South with his interception, as he led his defense’s effort to curtail any North all-star comeback. Winters praised Stephens, his player at Cheltenham. Winters also was honored with being voted into the head coach position by his colleagues, after being a career assistant coach.

The North squad would finally get another first down in the second half late in the third quarter, but after Stephen’s interception, quarterbacks Braccia and Henry ran the show and helped the offense score 17 points behind running back Gary Postell’s five yard score and Braccia’s touchdown pass to Abington’s DJ McFadden to make the score 38-6

South’s Keith Braccia ultimately ran the show and accounted for all five touchdowns (four passing touchdowns and one rushing). Braccia plans to attend the University of Pennsylvania next fall. He will play in the Sprint football league, which is the same division and rules of football, but with a playing weight restriction of fewer than 175 pounds.

Braccia explained his great performance after the contest, and using his weapons on offense. “In a game like this you just have to let the players show their skill. You don’t need much preparation. We have guys that good out on the field. ”

One of his weapons was wideout Dan Rouse, who scored two touchdowns on the day. Rouse explained that he easily used the simplified offense to run the corner route all day.

“Normally on the first play I just like to test them out, whether a run or pass. Test the {defensive} backs and see what’s open.”

Although the South all-stars dominated, and after a few heated skirmishes, there was mutual respect on both sides after the contest. North’s quarterback Casey Perlstein still was able to orchestrate another scoring drive for pride late in the fourth. North MVP Needhammer rushed for a well-deserved touchdown from six yards away, and after the two point conversion, the score remained 38-14.

In the end, the assistant coach turned head coach for a day mastered a team of all-stars and outmatched his North counterparts. Winters added after the game, “We moved the players around, just like a chess match, to match up with theirs and try to get the best match up.”

Coach Winters helped his team captains hoist the Montgomery County All-Star trophy, and defended South’s title after the squad won the game the previous year. North will look to seek revenge after another year of High School ball awaits us.

The Public all-stars played the entire game without a kicker or punter, thus beginning the afternoon affair with an onside kick. Although the attempt failed, George Washington’s Claudy Mathieu striped Non-Public quarterback Anthony Reid, and Public recovered the ball at the opposing 20-yard line. Mathieu, the Public defensive MVP on the day, had more pivotal plays to contribute.

Starting quarterback Tyree Rucker followed with a scoring drive that featured a touchdown pass to George Washington running back English Peay. After a two-point conversion, the score was 8-0 to begin the game.

Both teams switched quarterbacks after every series, so when it was Non-Public quarterback John Loughery’s turn, he threw a touchdown strike to wide-out Jaelen Strong-Rankin. West Catholic’s Strong Rankin would be a constant deep threat throughout the day and won the offensive MVP honors for Non-Public after the game.

With the score at 8-7, Public all-star’s next quarterback, Tony Smith of George Washington, was picked by defensive back Brian Dones of Chestnut Hill academy (Dones would earn the defensive MVP honors for Non-Public). After Non-Public’s drive stalled, they utilized their kicker, Chestnut Hill Academy’s Christian Guinan, to make the score 10-8.

The first quarter would close with the same score, and an offensive battle ensued during the second quarter. Midway through the second, George Washington’s Mathieu recorded another tackle for a loss to force a Non-Public punt and continued to anchor his defense. Mathieu will play football at James Madison University next year, where he hopes to start. He is also a star volleyball player at George Washington.

Mathieu spoke about the defense he commanded all day.  “I never really met these guys before, but in the weeks we’ve been working together we just got connected as a team. We all have love for each other, and put our bodies on the line for everyone else.”

Nevertheless, quarterback John Loughery began the first few plays of the ensuing drive for Non-Public with a jump ball to his favorite target, offensive standout WR Strong-Rankin. Strong-Rankin jumped between two defenders, hauled in the pass, and used his blazing speed to score his second touchdown. The Non-Public all-stars were up 17-8 and seemingly had a commanding lead in the second quarter.

Still, after a well-orchestrated wheel pass to Samuel Fels wide-out Jared Hines, Tony Smith faced a 4^th down and two with 42 seconds remaining in the half. Smith responded with a touchdown pass to his George Washington offensive MVP of the game, Daquan Cooper.

Following the two point conversion, the Public all-stars and Non-Public all-stars were in a close contest at 17-16. After an offensive first half, the second half featured a much more defensive tone. The name of the game would be field position, and Public would eventually secure the momentum.

At the start of the third quarter, West Catholic’s Reid connected with Strong-Rankin again, which led to a successful Christian Guinan field goal for the Non-Public all-stars to make the game 20-16.

Momentum swung back and forth as the teams battled for field position, and Public’s fill-in punter Donovan Morris from George Washington pinned Non-Public at their 13-yard line with 6:06 left in the quarter. Non-Public shifted the field yet again however, but Public’s Rucker was able to advance the ball far enough to keep Non-Public honest.

With the fourth quarter under way and offenses struggling, Non-Public got the ball to West Catholic’s Quran Kent at Public’s 43 yard line. After pressure from Mathieu, Northeast linebacker Camile Max intercepted Anthony Reid’s pass and scored the go-ahead touchdown for the Public all-stars. After much struggle, the comeback was on, but far from secure.

After a missed two point conversion, the score stood at 22-20. Non-Public running back Brandon Hollomon marched down the field, with Penn Charter’s Loughery at the helm. But the issue for Non-Public was mistakes at the end, as wide-out turned cornerback Daquan Cooper picked off Loughery’s pass and raced into the end zone for a touchdown. With the score 28-20, the Public all-stars sat on the lead for the remainder of the game.

Cooper, who will play football at Lincoln Financial Field for Temple University next year, saw the game securing interception all the way and planned to undercut the receiver. Cooper spoke about the chance to represent George Washington and play with his fellow all-stars.

Cooper stated, “It means everything to me, to play with my teammates and meet new guys, and a couple guys at Washington that I’ve played with for four years straight. It was worth it.”

His quarterback, Tony Smith, settled down his team and led Public to a fine win, although Cooper took home the MVP award. Smith shared his thoughts and said, “Coming out, these were some great players to play with and we made the most out of 12 practices. I slowed down and relaxed.  The key was to just have fun today, do what we do best, and win the game.”

In this close contest, the game was hosted by the Philadelphia Eagles, and featured defensive coordinator Juan Castillo as the honorary head coach for the Non-Public All Stars. The honorary head coach for the Public all-stars was special teams coach Bobby April. Even Andy Reid and Merrill Reese participated; Reid by speaking to both teams prior to Saturday’s game and Reese by covering the play by play, respectively.