TOWANDA-In a competitive District 4 All-Star Game that featured some intensity and fourth-quarter chippiness, the North made a couple late defensive stands to hold off the South. Landon Morehart of Montoursville recovered a fumble to stop one drive and then recorded a sack on the final play of the night to preserve a 20-16 win for the North. Danville quarterback Madden Patrick was named Offensive Player of the Game for the South team, as the East Stroudsburg commit completed 12-of-25 passes for 207 yards and one touchdown. Patrick represented Danville for the final time in his high school career, after competing in the Big 33 game in late May.
“It was definitely a little bit different,” Patrick said. “When you play in the Big 33 game, it’s more of a statewide, or heck, even nationwide game. It’s pretty well-known, and you’re playing across-the-board with Division 1 and Division 2 athletes. Here, it was a bunch of great guys, really down-to-earth. I created a lot of good relationships with a lot of players that I played against the last four years, and even my entire career, but it was a great week to get to know people for who they are, not just behind facemasks.”
Patrick had a great connection with Sam Hall of Warrior Run. Hall caught nine passes for 159 yards and one touchdown. The lone time the South found the end zone came courtesy of a 24-yard strike between the two in the middle part of the second quarter. Following a 20-yard touchdown pass from Jersey Shore’s Elijah Jordan to Kyreek Bradshaw of Williamsport that opened the scoring, Patrick would need just two plays to find the equalizer, with the first play of the drive resulting in a 46-yard completion from Patrick to Hall.
“I actually had a prior connection with Sam Hall,” Patrick said. “We still work out with the same quarterback and wide receiver coach, Charlie Fisher. So, when I was scheming some plays up with (Shamokin) Coach (Marc Persing) and (Danville assistant)Coach (John) McDanel, I said Sam is legit. Number 33 from Warrior Run, he’s legit, so just get him the ball and let the athlete make some plays.”
Gavin Hunter from Warrior Run was certainly the special teams star of the game. Hunter was 3-for-3 on field goals. His 32-yard attempt on the final play of the first half gave the South 10-7 lead, and the margin was extended to six after connecting from 28 yards out at the 6:06 mark of the third quarter. A 25-yard attempt that split the uprights in the fourth quarter broke a 13-13 tie, but the South settled for too many field goals, and couldn’t finish drives inside the red zone.
“You can’t anything about it now,” Patrick said. “Props to the North, they were playing a great defensive game, but it was a great experience for me.”
Although Jordan only completed 2-of-12 passes for 94 yards, he definitely made the most of those completions. In the third quarter, Williamsport wide receiver Samir Williams got behind the defense, and Jordan found him on a 74-yard touchdown pass that pulled the North even. Jordan also made himself a dual threat, contributing a team-high 77 yards rushing on 16 carries.
“It was great,” Jordan said. “Been out of it for a little while, so you’re gonna be a little rusty, but you know, you can’t let that affect you. You just have to go out there and get it done. Never played together with this group of guys, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. These are a great group of guys. Everybody’s got that grit, and everybody just wants to win, and that’s what we did.”
The physical play definitely picked up in the fourth quarter. Multiple skirmishes led a some personal fouls, but no ejections. Trailing 16-13, the extra-curricular activities seemed to light a fire under the North. An eight-play, 82-yard drive, all on the ground, resulted in a Riley Vanderpool 12-yard touchdown run that accounted for the go-ahead score with 4:21 left. Jamal Bailey of Williamsport played a big part with runs of 27, 8, and 16 yards to help set up Vanderpool for the eventual game-winner.
“We were fired up,” Vanderpool said. “Kids were ready to push and drive into the end zone because of all the emotion and all the things going on out on the field. We were just ready to drive into the end zone and end on a good note.”
South 0 10 3 3 — 16
North 0 7 6 7 — 20
Second quarter
N — Kyreek Bradshaw 20 pass from Elijah Jordan (Evan Snyder kick), 7:48
S — Samuel Hall 24 pass from Madden Patrick (Gavin Hunter kick), 7:23
S — Hunter 32 field goal, :00
Third quarter
S — Hunter 27 field goal, 6:06
N — Samir Williams 74 pass from Jordan (kick failed), 5:15
Fourth quarter
S — Hunter 25 field goal, 7:05
N — Riley Vanderpool 12 run (Snyder kick), 4:21
S N
First downs 18 15
Rushing-yds. 32-88 34-188
Passing 15-31-x 2-12-x
Passing yds. 232 94
Total yds. 320 282
Penalties-yds. 3-35 6-54
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — South: Jeremiah Davis 13-54; Eli Butler 4-26; Braxtyn Brown 9-23; Dominic Rosini 1-(-3); Madden Patrick 4-(-4); Jace McCoy 1-(-8). North: Elijah Jordan 16-77; Kahyear Whaley 10-53; Jamel Bailey 5-44; Riley Vanderpool 2-13, TD; Ryder Bowen 1-1.
PASSING — South: Patrick 12-25-x, 207 yds., TD; McCoy 3-6-x, 25 yds. North: Jordan 2-12-x, 94 yds., 2 TDs.
RECEIVING — South: Samuel Hall 9-159, TD; Ben Delbaugh 3-42; Davis 1-19; Tait Adams 1-7; Rylan Price 1-5. North: Samir Williams 1-74; Kyreek Bradshaw 1-20.