Dowell’s Late Heroics Lift North Past South in 44-36 District 4 All-Star Thriller

MILTON – Much like he did in a 2025 season that resulted in nine wins and a trip to the Class 2A semifinals, Bloomsburg quarterback Wyatt Brosious tried everything in his power to will his team to victory. Unfortunately for the Bloomsburg University commit, Brosious and his South teammates came up just a little bit short in a wild District 4 All-Star Game played at Milton High School. Loyalsock quarterback Danny Dowell made the last big play in a game that had so many, as his 4-yard touchdown run with 43 seconds left proved to be the difference. Dowell rushed for 127 yards and four touchdowns, enabling the North to rally from an early 14-point deficit in the 44-36 win.

“100 percent, I’m disappointed,” Brosious said. “That will bug me for the next couple of weeks.”

Brosious was able to show off what a true competitor he really is while playing with some excellent talent. Both the South and North scored on their opening plays of the night. Line Mountain quarterback Kaiden Maurer connected with Milton’s Monty Fisher on a 67-yard touchdown pass which was followed up by a Brosious run on the two-point conversion on a night where kickers were basically non-existent. The North answered right back when Montoursville workhorse Christian Banks broke free on a 74-yard run down the left sideline, and the ensuing two-point conversion run by Dowell tied things up at 8-8 just 35 seconds into play.

“It was a ton of fun,” Brosious said. “Practice all week was a ton of fun. I looked forward to coming here every day. Any chance I get to play football is a great opportunity.”

In a first half that ended with the North leading 24-22, there was some lingering doubt as to whether or not the game would reach its conclusion. Like several other All-Star games played throughout the state, personal fouls were a common theme. There were 16 accepted penalties for 156 yards, many of which were late hits or unsportsmanlike conduct fouls. When things finally settled down after the halftime, the caliber of football was actually pretty good. To sum it up, the game ended with a total of 27 penalties for 225 yards and took over three hours to finish.

“Not personally, it wasn’t a distraction for me,” Brosious said of the ongoing shenanigans in the first half. “I mean, that’s not good for the game, but it gets some people in the right mindset. I’m not really affected by any of it.”

Once things settled down, the big plays continued. Trailing 30-22 after Dowell’s second touchdown run of the night, Brosious helped engineer a 10-play, 49-yard drive that featured two fourth down conversions. Brosious found Mifflinburg’s Landon Murray on a 19-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter to help pull his team even on the scoreboard. Yet again, Dowell would deliver a dagger by sprinting 53 yards to paydirt at the 7:33 mark of the quarter. However, Brosious had one more gem left in him. This time, he hit Murray with an absolute perfect strike down the middle, resulting in a 63-yard touchdown pass, pulling the South into a 36-36 tie with just over five minutes remaining.

“I dropped back, I know Landon is running deep, so I know he’s gonna catch it,” Brosious said. “I just chucked it to him.”

The North capped things off with a 10-play, 87-yard drive, led by some key contributions by Jersey Shore’s Bo Sechrist. Dowell hit Sechrist on a 22-yard pass that set up first-and-goal at the South 9. Two plays later, the North overcame a false start penalty and took the lead for good when Dowell scored.

Brosious had one last longshot opportunity to try and force overtime. The South did reach the North 31, but three incomplete passes ended the game. The final attempt was knocked down by Loyalsock’s Jalil Coates in the end zone as time expired. Brosious completed 7-of-15 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed nine times for 39 yards and scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak midway through the opening quarter. After the game, Brosious received the Coaches’ Award, given to a player who displayed good attitude and effort both in practice and in the game.

“Just wanted to get the ball to end zone, it didn’t end up working out,” Brosious said. “This whole year was a ton of fun. I loved this year. It was my favorite year of playing football. I love the guys I’m around no matter where I’m playing football at.”

Dowell was named MVP after the game. The much-deserved award winner finished with eight carries for 127 yards while also completing 11-of-14 passes for 171 yards. Banks also had a solid night, as he tallied 123 yards on eight carries. Coates led the North with 52 yards receiving on three catches. For the South, Maurer provided a nice compliment to Brosious, as he chipped in with 96 yards passing and a touchdown. Murray led all receivers with 87 yards on four catches and his two scores.