By Frank Steele
MaxPreps.com
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The North All-Stars defeated the South, 27-7, in the 20th annual West Central All-Star Football Game at Illinois College’s England Field last Saturday.
The game, which is usually held in Carlinville, Ill., for the first time was played elsewhere due to field renovation in Carlinville. The game highlighted some of the top seniors from the 2007 season. They were drawn from a region stretching from Springfield to the Alton area.
The North won for the fourth straight year and leads the series by 9-4 since it went to a North-South format in 1996. The South didn’t help itself this season, committing six turnovers to just one for the North.
Cole DeVries was a bright spot for the South. The Mount Olive senior was a quarterback for the run-oriented Wildcats over the past two seasons. But in this all-star game he lined up at wide receiver and turned in the South’s two longest plays from scrimmage, with receptions of 36 and 40 yards.
“It was a little different, running around as a wide-out,” DeVries told Dave Kane of the State Journal Register of Springfield. “I thought I was going to break the first one (36 yards in the third quarter) for a touchdown down the sideline. I didn’t feel anybody behind me at first, but then I felt somebody’s arms around my legs and I went down.
“I met a lot of new guys," DeVries added, "and it was fun playing with all of them this last time.”
The North was led in part by running backs Joe Wiktorek and Tyler Trimberger, both of whom were coming off injuries. They helped stake the North to a 20-0 halftime lead.
Wiktorek gained 26 of his 35 yards prior to intermission, while Trimberger picked up 20 of his 26 yards, including a three-yard touchdown run, in the first quarter.
“You feel lucky to be able to get out there again," said Wiktorek. "It just kills you when you can’t play. Just watching other people eats you alive.”
The North moved 67 yards on 16 plays during its opening drive, with Jacksonville Routt Catholic quarterback Joe Zeller scoring from two yards out. Zeller, who was 4-of-6 in passing, connected with Glenwood’s Tony Uzzo for a 34-yard play that set up Trimberger’s TD with 43 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Concord Triopia’s Taylor Joehl, who finished with 52 yards on five carries, scored on a 32-yard run to increase the North's lead to 20-0 with 3:10 left in the second quarter. The lead then widened to 27-0 when Springfield High’s Grayson Wescott picked up a South fumble and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown.
The South finally scored when quarterback Max Vest of Alton Marquette ran in from one yard out with 1:19 left in the third period.
Zeller, who also accumulated 31 yards on the ground in the first half, was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
“Just coming out and having fun is all that matters, especially in all-star games,” Zeller told the State Journal Register. “When you’re on an all-star team, you know everybody’s going to be good.”
South 0 0 7 0 - 7
North 14 6 7 0 - 27
N — Joe Zeller 2 run (Matt Voigts kick)
N — Tyler Trimberger 3 run (Matt Voigts kick)
N — Taylor Joehl 32 run (kick blocked)
N — Grayson Wescott 29 fumble return (Matt Voigts kick)
S — Max Vest 1 run (Chris Walker kick)
Individual statistics
RUSHING – South (43 attempts, 63 yards): Max Vest 10-37; Will Clark 7-20; Larry Newquist 6-15; Kyle Hanner 2-9; Erik Fohne 5-6; Dane Walker 2-2; Del Wood 3-(minus-3); Jared Zerwas 3-(minus-6); Josh Tebbe 5-(minus-17). North (51-116): Taylor Joehl 5-52; Joe Wiktorek 9-35; Matt Williamson 8-32; Tyler Trimberger 8-26; Joe Zeller 9-19; David Bergschneider 7-9; Ross Johnson 2-1; David Kaufmann 3-(minus-3).
PASSING – South (6 complete, 11 attempts, 145 yards, 2 int.): Max Vest 4-7-69-2; Del Wood 1-1-40-0; Josh Tebbe 1-3-36-0. North (4-14-54-0): Joe Zeller 4-6-54-0; David Kaufmann 0-2-0-0; David Bergschneider 0-6-0-0.
RECEIVING – South: Cole DeVries 2-76; A.J. Erzen 3-61; John Schnelten 1-8. North: Tony Uzzo 1-34; Chris Hanson 1-8; Robbie Mosher 1-7; Tyler Walker 1-5.
INT's – North: Thompson, Pherigo.
PUNTING – South: Chris Walker 6-210 (35.0 ave.). North: Albert Peek 5-126 (25.2).
PENALTIES –South 2-20, North 6-46.
