Gum leads the way

NAZARETH – Pen Argyl’s Conor Gum passed for 144 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Red All-Stars to a convincing 48-19 win over the Gold All-Stars in the 42nd Annual McDonald’s All-Star Classic at Andrew S. Leh Stadium.

On a hot Thursday night, when the temperature was reading almost triple digits, the Red All-Stars came out and scorched the Gold All-stars, scoring on their first five drives in the first half.

On the first play of the game, Pius X’s Adonis Cannon came up with a fumble recovery to setup the first score of the game. Easton’s Chris Roubik kicked a 31-yard field goal to put the Red All-Stars up 3-0.

The Red All-Stars scored on their next three possessions. Pen Argyl’s Connor Gum led the way throwing a 26-yard touchdown pass to Liberty’s Devon Jones and a 14-yard strike to Nazareth’s Area Andrew Bridgeforth.

“Those two guys had the speed avenge on them and I just had to float it out there and let them run to it,” said Gum. “When we have athletes like this it makes my job easier.”

Freedom’s Eddie Elliott  capped off the first quarter scoring on a 31-yard run right up the gut. The Red-All-Stars led 24-0 after one quarter. Gum finished the first quarter throwing two touchdowns while completing four of five passes for 57 yards.

“It was nice to see Connor compete at this level against this group of kids,” said Pen Argyl’s head coach Paul Reduzzi. “This was a offense that asked him to do things we don’t have and I was impressed with his week of practice. It’s a totally different offense than we have and it was fun to watch it run.”

Gum finished the night completing nine of 14 passes for 144 yards.

The Gold All-Stars got on the scoreboard, driving 80-yards. Stroudsburg’s Andrew Brome scored from 16-yard out.

After taking over on downs. The Red All-Stars drove 53-yards as Jones weaved his way in for the two-yard score to put the Red All-Stars up 31-7. The scoring drive was setup by a Gum to Bridgeforth 34-yard pass completion down to the Gold 6.

With 1:15 left in the first half the Red All-Stars muffed a punt and Northwestern Lehigh’s Peyton Bachman recovered the ball on the Red 27.

The Gold All-Stars were facing a fourth down and 13 on the Red 30. Lehighton’s Feliciano Agosto completed a 15-yard pass to Pocono Mountain West’s Dwayne Vines for the first down with 42 seconds remaining in the first half.

But the Red All-Star defense came up with the big stop and went into halftime leading 31-7.

After missing some time in the first half due to injury, Liberty’s Stephon Font-Toomer came back in the second half and scored from one-yard out.

The Gold All-Stars answered the scoring drive by going 82 yards for a score. East Stroudsburg North’s Joe Clouse scored from four-yards out. The big play of the drive was a 42-yard pass completion from Southern Lehigh’s Tyler Edmund to Pocono Mountain East’s Ryan Sickler.

In the fourth quarter Notre Dame’s Connor Hughes kicked a 28-yard field goal and Liberty’s Jimmy McCarthy’s four-yard run put the Red All-Stars up 48-13.

“What a amazing kid,” said Brown. “McCarthy pound for pound may be the toughest football player you will ever see.”

On the final play of the game, Agosto scored from two-yards out.

NOTE: Devon Jones, Stephon Font-Toomer and Jimmy McCarthy of Liberty all scored touchdowns. “They have been the heart and soul of our program,” said Liberty head coach Dave Brown. “I am sorry to see them leave. We built every thing around these kids. They are special kids. I am proud of all six of them tonight.”