By Darrel Wheeler
Contributing Writer
The 24th annual Alex Spanos All Star Classic was played last Friday night at San Diego Mesa JC. Family and friends of North and South San Diego All Stars were able to watch their favorite players play their last prep football game.
Both teams were equally talented, however the North had the revenge factor on their side.
“They (North) were saying some stuff in the newspapers about how they were going to come out here and show us how to play football and get revenge for losing the last few years. All that talk just made us more determined to win,” said Monte Vista’s Jameil Jackson.
The South got on Mesa JC’s scoreboard first on a 2-yard touchdown run from Madison’s KJ Moore. His TD capped a 97 yard drive. The North punched in a field goal ending the scoring for the first half 7-3.
The second half would be very different with momentum shifting to the North Stars, however in between all the penalties and turnovers, the South’s defense came up big when they had to.
The North drew first blood in the second half when receiver T-Bone Williams (Ramona) scored on a short pass from North MVP quarterback Sebastian Tangen (San Pasqual) to take a 10-7 lead. San Diego’s South Side retook the lead when Serra’s QB Hunter Correll hooked up with Willie Martinez to regain their slim lead 14-10.
South Side’s lead proved to be short lived because Northsider Sebastian hit his high school buddy Grant Hoffman on an inside slant play that Grant took 80 yards for the game’s longest TD, making the score 17-14 North. With seven minutes remaining in the 24th annual Alex Spanos All-Star competition the North appeared to be firmly in control with help from their aggressive defense, but penalties and a crucial turnover late in the game was more than they could overcome.
The North Stars were headed for another scoring opportunity until the South’s Davaughn Murray rudely interrupted the North’s attempt at a game clinching TD. Davaughn stepped in front of a Sebastian errant spiral pass and returned it 45 yards to the North’s 35 yard marker.
“I wish I could have scored when I got that interception, I tried. It was fun and it was such a crucial time in the game, I guess it made up for the interception that I dropped,” Mt Miguel’s and future Aztec Davaughn Murray said. With the clock ticking, North Star MVP Hunter Correll and Grossmont’s Christian Brooks connected on a 9 yard TD with 2:33 remaining in the game.
The North had plenty of time to work some magic, however team South’s defense stepped up when they had to and shut down North side’s last opportunity for victory with a QB sack. South 21-North-17. The South has won seven out of the last nine.
Photos by Darrel Wheeler
