PSFCA East/West Game Ends With Thrilling East Win On Last Second Field Goal

Written by: EasternPAFootball.com Staff on Monday, May 2nd, 2016. Follow EasternPAFootball.com Staff on Twitter.

Manheim Central’s Derek Adams got the scoring started in the 2016 PSFCA East/West All Star game, kicking a 35 yard field goal to put the East up 3-0 with 3:38 left in the 1^st quarter, but it was what he did with 3.8 seconds on the clock that he’ll remember the rest of his life. “I just went out there and blocked everything out to concentrate on the kick” said Adams. As the clock hit zero, Adams final act of his high school career was to put the ball through the uprights from 34 yards out, giving the East a thrilling come from behind 20-19 win. “It’s the most awesome feeling in the world” he said of the kick that won the game.

“Man, that was exciting! You shouldn’t even be talking to me, you should talk to the kids. They never gave up” said East Head coach Rick Pennypacker of Pottsgrove.

The West team, led by Penn Trafford’s Bret Laffoon, thought they had the game won in the same fashion as, with just 14 seconds left, Laffoon hit Woodland Hills star athlete Jaymond Dunn for a 33 yard go ahead score in the front corner of the endzone to give the West the lead back at 19-17. “Man, that was just crazy. I knew I had to make the play or we’d lose, I just did what I do and grabbed the ball away from the defender” said the RMU bound athlete. Dunn had 4 receptions for 88 yards on the day.

“We definitely had us a game out there didn’t we?” said West Head Coach Rick Murphy of Brashear. “There’s just so many things you want to do out there with all those athletes but with the different rules for the game you can’t. Justin Wheeler (HC Bishop Guilfoyle), he did a great job running the offense out there, it’s just so much fun to coach a team loaded with all those great athletes.”

Trailing 3-0, the West team drove 61 yards to make it 7-3 with 5:37 left in the half. Starting at their 29, the West put together a well balanced drive. Laffoon, who had 180 yards and three touchdowns on a 13 of 20 effort, started the drive hitting Steel Valley’s Trey-Earl Edwards for an 8 yard gain. Jones moved the sticks on a 2 yard run. Laffoon then hit Dunn for a 5 yard gain, then he found Edwards for a 41 yard gain to the 7. Jones got dropped for an 8 yard loss by North Penns Keith Earle, but on the next play he, got that and then some back running for a 14 yard gain to the 1. Laffoon then hit Norwin TE Steve Petrick for a 1 yard td with 5:43 left in the first half.

“You don’t get much practice, only 2, but with all those athletes out there it isn’t hard to get completions” said the Grove City bound qb.

Both teams found moving the ball tough all day long as defense was the name of the game. Jeremy Dembry of Academy Park led the effort for the East, getting 4 sacks on the day earning him the East Player of the Game trophy. “He was just tenacious and he just kept the pressure on all day long. Two of those sacks came on consecutive plays just before the first half ended. “The kid from Malvern (Prep) also played big” said Pennypacker. Indeed, Rashon Lusane had 9 ½ tackles on the day.

The West started their second half with some defense of their own as Bishop Guilfoyle’s Dakota Leamer collected a sack of his own to end the East’s opening drive of the second half forcing a punt. Laffoon and Dunn then went to work again, connecting for 37 yards to the 10. Laffoon then found Clairton’s Harrison Dreher in the endzone to put the West up 13-3 with 7:04 left in the game. “Dreher was great today, he just makes catches and that one was an awesome catch” said Laffoon. The Pitt bound receiver had 6 catches for 43 yards and the td.

Norwin’s Peyton Deri forced an East punt when he sacked West Catholic QB Josh Evans, but the West couldn’t manage much offense and was also forced to punt.Maurice Jackson of Harry S Truman brought hard pressure on the punt and the ball only made it to the West 30 giving the East great field position. Susquehanna quarterback Ben Moser then led the East to the 8 with receptions to Abel Hoff of Marple Newton for 12 then Denzel Hughes of Neshaminy for 8 yards. Imhotep running back Mike Waters finished the drive with a 5 yard run. Adams’ kick made it 13-10 with 58 seconds left in the third.

Both teams struggled for most of the 4^th quarter. Penalties and mistakes kept the ball going back and forth between the teams until, with 1:32 left in the game, a bad snap on a West punt attempt changed everything and led to one of the greatest finishes in the PSFCA East/West All Star Games short history.

The snap sailed over the head of Plum kicker Jake Chapla’s head. Chapla batted the ball that was eventually recovered by the East on the 7. Key to the play would be that Chapla was injured on the play. (We hope Jake has a successful and speedy recovery from this, the Slippery Rock bound kicker has been a star his whole career at Plum). Two plays later Moser found Parkland star receiver and Temple bound Kenny Yeboah in the endzone to give the East it’s first lead 17-13 with just 1:23 left.

“Coach just told me to be patient, they were going to try to get me the fade cause that’s what I did a lot for my team. I just told the quarterback Moser just toss it up and I’ll make the play”.

The West team responded on the kick when, following a great kick return to the 45, Laffoon first completed a 12 yard pass to Penn Trafford star Tim Vecchio to the 33 with 45 seconds left in the game. Laffoon the found Dunn in the corner of the endzone. Due to the injury to Chapla, they were forced to go for the 2 point play which failed and the score was 19-17, a 2 point lead with just 14 seconds remaining.

That injury also led to a short kick giving the East the ball at mid field. Moser, standing composed, found Wyoming Valley West receiver Devon Weidman for a 26 yard gain to the 24 with just 3.8 left and the rest is history.

Stats and scoring summary provided by George Guido of Triblive

PA. State Ftbl Coaces Assn. all-star game May 1, 2016

Final score: East 20, West 19

Score by quarters:
East 3-0-7-10 20
West 0-7-6-6 9

Scoring Summary:

E: Derek Adams 35 field goal
W: Steve Petrick 1 pass from Brett Laffoon (Jake Chapla kick)
W: Harrison Dreher 8 pass fro affoon (kick failed)
E: Mike Waters 5 run (Adams kick)
E: Kenny Yeboah 5 pass from Ben Moser (Adams kick)
W: Jaymond Dunn 33 pass from Laffoon (pass failed)
E: Adams 34 field goal