READING – All-Star football games are supposed to showcase the offense, but on this afternoon it was the defense that shined in the 11th annual Voices Berks Senior Football Classic. The West All-Stars held on late to defeat the East All-Stars 15-9. The West All-Stars now lead the series 8-2-1.
The West All-Stars took the opening kickoff and drove right down the field for the first score of the game. Steve Marrero of Holy Name lined up as a receiver, took the ball, rolled right then hit Zach Keeley of Daniel Boone for a 5-yard touchdown pass. David Fiorello’s kick gave the West all-stars a 7-0 lead.
The East all-stars would answer right back behind the strong right arm of Nate Daniels of Muhlenberg. Daniels completed 3 of 4 passes for 69 yards during this drive, including a 4-yard touchdown pass to his high school teammate Brett Fox. The West All-Stars still led 7-6 however, after a missed extra point by the East All-Stars.
After the first two drives produced scores you may be thinking this was going to be a shootout. Maybe, maybe not.
The second quarter saw more penalty yards than offensive yards. Late in the first half a pass interference call against the West All-Stars defense on fourth down gave the East All-Stars an automatic first down and goal and new life on the West 9 yard line. With seconds remaining Joe Shrump of Kutztown kicked a 22-yard field goal as time ran out. The East all-stars went into halftime leading 9-7.
Head Coach Tom Wapinsky of Fleetwood commented on the first half, saying, “They didn’t do anything. We moved the ball up and down the field on them and we just couldn’t make the big play.”
At halftime Head Coach Doug Dahms of the West all-stars said, “We basically told them to maintain composure, we were playing their game, they wanted to do the taunting in everything and I said hey just settle down and play with some class and go out and play the game the way you know how.”
The West All-Stars seemed to listen to their head coach at halftime, settle down and played together as a team. In the second half, they shut down the East All-Stars. Some say defense wins games and that is exactly what the West All-Stars did in the second half.
The only score of the second half came on a defensive play when Daniels of the East All-Stars fumbled the ball. Danny Sanchez of Conrad Weiser picked it up and went 73 yards for the score. Zac Groff’s two-point conversion run gave the West All-Stars the lead for good 15-9.
Sanchez said, “It feels great. The ball just popped up and I picked it up and ran.”
The East all-stars took the ball into the West territory twice in the fourth quarter. But the West defense came up with big stops.
Sanchez broke up passes to stop one drive and Alex Fegley of Wilson broke up a pass on fourth down on another drive.
The East All-Stars were driving late but Daniels was forced to throw on the run and his pass was intercepted by the West’s MVP Pat Haggerty of Govern Mifflin with 1:43 left in the game.
Haggerty said, “The first half they were out playing us and we knew we are the better team and the second half our coach told us to pick it up and we did what we had to do and played our game.”
In the end the West All-Stars made the stops and held on for the 15-9 win over the East All-Stars. Sanchez said,” We were a little sluggish the first half and we had to bring it together and get a done.”
The East MVP was running back Sean Unterkoefler of Exeter. Unterkoefler rushed for 78 yards.
