MANHEIM – Senior quarterback Gage Ocker from Cedar Crest threw for 131 yards and three touchdowns on 8 of 15 passes to lead the South All-Stars over the North All-Stars 31-21 Saturday night at Elden Rettew Stadium in Manheim.
“It was a nice win here tonight, “ said South’s head football coach Dave Gingrich. “It’s a great atmosphere for a football game here. I thought our team played well tonight.”
The contest featured senior players from Lancaster, Lebanon and Berks counties.
The North didn’t waste any time finding the end zone on their first drive. On third down, Elizabethtown’s Tyler Cottle hit Lancaster Catholic’s Charles Scarff down the sidelines for a 69-yard your touchdown pass.
With only 52 seconds off the clock, the North led 7-0.
The South tied the game up at seven when Ocker threw a dart to Cocalico’s Mitchell Shober for a 23-yard touchdown pass.
Lancaster Catholic’s Kurt Kessler intercepted a Matt Pennypacker pass and took it all the way for 40-yards for the score and with 2:55 remaining in the first quarter, the North led 14-7.
Pennypacker would redeem himself early in the second quarter. He hit Wilson’s Bryce Pych for a 20-yard touchdown pass to tie the game up at 14.
The South All-Stars took the lead into halftime, with 5:44 left in the half. Ocker’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Warwick’s Anthony Fatjo put the South up 21-14.
In the third quarter the North’s offense couldn’t move the ball and the South dominated the quarter to increase their lead.
In the quarter, Lampeter-Strasburg’s Matt Wright split the uprights for a 35-yard field goal and Ocker threw his third touchdown of the game, finding Columbia’s Marqel Wansley for the 9-yard touchdown pass.
The North put together a 11-play drive, all run plays, capped off by a Manheim Central’s Ian Hanselman two-yard plunge to make the score 31-21.
The North had one more shot to cut the lead to three. They drove down to the South 19, but with 4:48 remaining in the game, Warwick’s Austin Myers picked off a Mike Edwards pass at the one-yard line.
“I thought we bonded together well and that is why we had good success tonight, “ said Ocker. “We wanted to win, of course and it was a nice feeling winning our last game”
Note: The South defense came up big forcing four interceptions. Cocalico’s Spencer Moser had two interceptions. “He is one of my kids and did a great job on defense and special teams for us tonight, “ said Gingrich. “It was nice to see him get a win on this field tonight.”
On offense the South quarterbacks combined for four touchdowns. “From the first day of practice, they didn’t try and compete against one another. They worked together. They developed a good friendship and I didn’t know who was going to start tonight and they worked it out amongst themselves. It’s been a good two weeks and they did a lot of good things today, “ said Gingrich.
Manheim Central’s Noah Diereffenbach led the North’s defense with two interceptions in the game.
