North tops South in WVFCA All-Star game

Terre Haute South lineman Josh Bridwell (70) poses with Linton-Stockton players (from left) Cameron Coleman, J.D. Fish, Josh Meurer, Keith Cunningham, Jordan Tharp and Mickey Tosti after the fifth annual Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association North-South All-Star game Saturday at Terre Haute South. The South All-Stars lost to the North 32-16. (By Tina Snow/Greene County Daily World). [Order this photo]

After Terre Haute South's Elias Brown returned the second-half kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to put the South All-Stars ahead 13-12, the North All-Stars answered with a 51-yard TD pass from Rockville's Matt King to Jarrett Ban of North Putnam

Then less than five minutes later, West Vigo's Kameron Silcock capped another North scoring drive with a 3-yard run, putting the North ahead 25-13.

Union (Dugger) quarterback B.J. Howard (1) and Linton-Stockton QB Keith Cunningham (23) are introduced before the start of the fifth annual Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association North-South All-Star game Saturday at Terre Haute South. (By Tina Snow/Greene County Daily World). [Order this photo]

The deficit for the South reached 32-13 when Ban returned a punt 40 yards for a score with four minutes and 11 seconds remaining.

Buzz Deer of Greencastle booted a 34-yard field goal for the South as time expired.

"That third quarter was really the difference in the game," said Linton-Stockton coach Steve Weber, who was in charge of the South All-Stars for the second consecutive season. "We had quite a bit of talent ourselves, but we knew that the North was very talented and we would have our hands full.

Linton-Stockton football coach Steve Weber (left) has a final few words for the South All-Stars, after losing to the North Stars 32-16 in the fifth annual Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association North-South All-Star game Saturday at Terre Haute South. (By Tina Snow/Greene County Daily World). [Order this photo]

"They had four very talented quarterbacks, including the King kid from Rockville, somebody we know a lot about. The (Mitch) Snyder kid from Casey led their team to the state finals in Illinois. They also had some pretty talented receivers. We knew we would have our work cut out for us to stop them. We couldn't really handle their running attack. They were able to convert several third-and-long situations. They also were able to eat the clock. We fell behind and had to throw more than we wanted."

Weber said the game was closer than the final score would indicate.

"We had the mistake on the punt in the end zone that gave them six points," he said. "On that pass in the flat that went for a touchdown, it looked like there was a clip that was not called. That's potentially another six taken off the board, which would have made a difference."

North Putnam's Seth Vondesaar recovered a fumble in the end zone to put the North ahead 6-0 just before the end of the first quarter.

The South took its first lead of the game in the second quarter. Linton-Stockton quarterback Keith Cunningham hit Terre Haute South's Michael Mardis with a 10-yard scoring pass. Deer booted the extra point as the South led 7-6 with 8:20 remaining in the first half.

Cunningham was 5 of 6 passes for 40 yards. Union (Dugger) quarterback B.J. Howard completed 9 of 15 for 100 yards.

Union (Dugger) receiver Logan Chesterfield caught three passes for 17 yards and rushed one time for eight more.

Linton-Stockton's Jordan Tharp caught one pass for 12. Tharp also won the Brett Eitel Memorial Scholarship, in memory of the former Marshall High School player.

The scholarship is presented to the top scholar among the all-stars, but four players shared the award this year, including Oblong's Kurtis Legg, South Putnam's Conor Frame and Mitch Snyder of Casey. All four had at least a 3.967 GPA.

"We were very proud of what Jordan accomplished on the field and in the classroom," said Weber.

Linton-Stockton's J.D. Fish, Josh Meurer, Mickey Tosti and Cameron Coleman also participated as did Keaton Langley of Union (Dugger). Mike Hayden and Mark Gennicks, Linton-Stockton assistant coaches, also served on the South coaching staff.

"Even though things did not end the way we wanted them to, it was a really neat experience for the kids and coaches," said Weber. "It was special to see the kids from rival schools come together and become a team. That is really the fun part.

"They have played against each other as enemies during the season, but realized they are just kids playing football too. This was the last time that most of these kids will play football. It was nice to be a part of the whole week. I think they left with a smile on their faces and enjoyed the experience despite the ending."

WVFCA All-Star Game

Saturday

At Terre Haute South

North 32, South 16

North All-Stars 6 6 13 7 -- 32

South All-Stars 0 7 6 3 -- 16

First quarter

N -- Seth Vondesaar (North Putnam) fumble recovery in end zone (run failed), :11.6.

Second quarter

S -- Michael Mardis (Terre Haute South) 10 pass from Keith Cunningham (Linton-Stockton); Buzz Deer (Greencastle) kick, 8:20.

N -- Landon Keith (West Vigo) 13 run; (kick failed), 2:36.

Third quarter

S -- Elias Brown (Terre Haute South) 100 kickoff return (kick failed), 11:44.

N -- Jarrett Ban (North Putnam) 51 pass from Matt King (Rockville); Wade Bush (Terre Haute North) kick, 9:07,

N -- Kameron Silcock (West Vigo) 3 run (kick failed), 4:35.

Fourth quarters

N -- Ban 40 punt return (Bush kick), 4:11.

S -- Deer 34 FG, :00.

N S

First downs 18 13

Rushes-yards 26-139 30-42

Passing yards 187 140

Total yards 326 182

C-A-I 17-30-0 14-21-0

Punts-avg 3-36 5-36

Fumbles-lost 3-0 5-2

Penalties-yards 6-70 8-75

Return yards 46 4

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- North: Silcock 7-48, Keith 7-45, King 4-17, Ban 3-12, Josh Rodebaugh (Cumberland) 4-10, Mitch Snyder (Casey) 1-7. South -- B.J. Howard (Union) 13-24, Ashton Marshall (Greencastle) 2-12, Logan Chesterfield (Union) 1-8, Mickey Tosti (Linton-Stockton) 2-7, Gene Bradford (Sullivan) 3-7, Zach Hodson (Robinson) 1-1, Ty Fitch (Olney) 2-0, Cunningham 5-minus 8.

PASSING -- North: King 7-12-0-99, Snyder 9-15-0-77, Keith 1-3-0-11. South: Howard 9-15-0-100, Cunningham 5-6-0-40.

RECEIVING -- North: Ban 4-79, Frank Willis (Terre Haute North) 4-28, Silcock 3-36, King 2-12, Robert Clevenger (Rockville) 2-minus 4, Billy Sisson (Terre Haute North) 1-27, Rodebaugh 1-9. South: Mardis 5-56, Nick Keefer (Cloverdale) 4-50, Chesterfield 3-17, Jordan Tharp (Linton-Stockton) 1-12, Dylan Walker (North Central) 1-5.