PHOTO GALLERY | South edges North in 1st Summit Bank Ken Lantzy All-Star Classic
· Yahoo Sports
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The South scored what appeared to be a back-breaking touchdown with 4 minutes, 1 second remaining in the 55th 1st Summit Bank Ken Lantzy All-Star Classic Friday night at Trojan Stadium.
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But coach Brandon Bailey’s squad still needed a big defensive stop against its North counterparts.
The Richland coach, who led the South in the 20-14 victory, saw a few familiar faces team on one of the biggest sacks of the game played in front of more than 5,000 fans.
PHOTO GALLERY | North takes on South in Ken Lantzy All-Star Classic
Three members of the District 6 Class 2A champion Rams converged on North quarterback Lance Jones from Meyersdale for a crucial 5-yard sack to set up a fourth-and-22 from the South 23-yard line with 1:39 left in a six-point contest.
Richland’s Joe McAneny, Brodie Hollis and Nate Pugh created pressure and had a hand in the stop.
“We ran our defense, a Richland defense,” said McAneny, who earned the $500 South defensive line MVP scholarship. “It was great. It was something I was familiar with.
“The play before, I think I kind of spooked him, when I got that 15-yard penalty,” McAneny said of a roughing the passer call early in the drive. “He was back there. Nate came through with a good rush and we all kind of got him.”
Still, the North’s Jones dumped a fourth-down pass to Bishop Guilfoyle Academy’s Jake Kissell, who headed toward the end zone along the right sideline. McAneny pushed him from behind, but Kissell maintained his balance before being forced out a yard shy of the first down, giving the South possession on downs.
“I didn’t shove him quite hard enough, but our corner, (Greater Johnstown’s Daniel) Porter, came up with a big hit, kind of messed him up,” McAneny said. “He didn’t get the first down.
“That’s all that mattered.”
South running back Jakobe Harman from Everett Area had a game-high 158 rushing yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. The South, using three quarterbacks, passed for 215 yards in the game.
The South broke a 14-all tie in spectacular fashion.
Marion Center’s Camden Rising found Logan Lichtenfels open on the right sideline and hit the United Valley receiver in stride near the 20. The South’s Lichtenfels ran to the end zone to complete a 50-yard touchdown catch-and-run with 4:01 left.
The extra point was wide, setting a 20-14 South advantage.
“I was beating him deep all game, but I just wasn’t getting the right looks,” said Lichtenfels, a Blacklick Valley student. “Once it came to be, I looked up and the ball was soaring my way and I threw my hands out and caught it. The rest is history.”
Both Rising and Lichtenfels play in the Heritage Conference. The familiarity mattered.
“Me and Logan have been talking all week about getting downfield, getting the ball to him,” Rising said. “He’s one of the quickest guys we got.
“We just got a good connection on that last one.”
Neither team scored in the opening quarter, but the South reached the end zone five seconds into the second, and the North tallied a touchdown 1:04 before halftime to set a 7-all score.
South quarterback Colt Hagans from Somerset connected with Xander Richardson from Forest Hills for a 14-yard touchdown pass at 14:55 of the second quarter. Marion Center’s Josh Troup booted the extra point.
The teams traded possessions multiple times until the North successfully marched 41 yards on a possession filled with extra-effort plays.
“Our guys laid it out there,” North coach Jason Grassi from Penn Cambria said. “I told them at the end of the game, the game of football is a game of inches. It came down to it right there.
“Less than two minutes left in the game, fourth-and-21, we dump it off to one of our best players (Kissell). He gets there, a couple inches short. That’s what it came down to. Two great teams going at it. We just ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard.”
The first-half scoring drive opened when North return man Easton Slanoc from Portage made the most of a lost punt, scooping up the ball and returning 10 yards to the South 41-yard line with 4:28 left in the half.
Kissell found McCort-Carroll’s Angelo Gallucci on another broken play that resulted in a 17-yard reception. Kissell nearly lost the ball after the snap, rolled out and hit Gallucci, who had three first-half catches for 73 yards.
Tussey Mountain’s Noah Lucko broke tackles on the next play, racing 12 yards for a North touchdown. Cole Heckathorn’s extra point tied the game with 1:04 on the clock.
“You had two solid coaching staffs and I think we both recognized it’s about having fun and letting these kids get out there and play some football,” Bailey said. “We had great competitors and athletes on both teams. The kids played like it was a typical October football game. It was a lot of fun.”
The South’s Hagans passed for 94 yards in the opening half and 106 in the game. Richardson caught four passes for 71 yards, carried three times for 17 and had three incompletions filling multiple roles in the first 30 minutes.
“Xander Richardson had an awesome first half and then he came up with a little bit of an injury early on,” Bailey said. “Jakobe (Harman) had to really take the load of the running game, and he did awesome, over 150 yards rushing.
“Just a hard-nosed kid. He had a great week in camp. I’m excited for him at Shippensburg (University).”
The South regained the lead behind a nine-play, 78-yard drive capped by Harman’s 29-yard touchdown run at 5:56 of the third quarter. Troup’s kick made it 14-7.
The North’s Slanoc returned the ensuing kickoff 72 yards to the South 18-yard line.
Two plays later, Lucko ran 17 yards to the 1-yard line. After a penalty, Jones ran six yards up the middle into the end zone. Heckathorn tied the game at 4:49.
Mike Mastovich is a sports reporter and columnist for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at (814) 532-5083. Follow him on Twitter @Masty81.