North runs through South
PUBLISHED: July 30, 2006 at 12:00 am | UPDATED: April 21, 2018 at 5:27 am
REDDING — Over the years, the annual Lions All-Star Football games have been closely contested. Not this year.
The North team, led by West Valley High running back Jordan Atwell, dominated from start to finish and beat the South All-Stars 34-7.
"I credit the coaching staff," said Corning's Darren Nye, the North's starting quarterback. "They worked hard for 10 days to get us ready."
Atwell totaled 109 yards on 18 carries, including a 17-yard touchdown rumble through a line of defenders to give the North a 34-0 lead with 4:07 to play in the third quarter.
Central Valley running back Nick Leedy, the Northern Section's Offensive Player of the Year, had nine carries for 74 yards with a 33-yard scoring run to give the North a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.
"With Atwell and Leedy in the backfield, we knew what we were going to do— run the ball," Nye said.
The North led 10-0 after the first quarter, 24-0 at the half and 34-0 after three quarters.
Chico's Will Camy and Pleasant Valley's Ryan Ratekin split time at quarterback for the South with little success, though Camy did orchestrate the South's lone touchdown drive, which culminated with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Robbie Brown (Lindhurst) in the fourth quarter.
"It's all of our last high school game, and we all wanted to finish it right to the end," said Camy, who went 4-for-8 for 61 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Ratekin's big play came early in the contest when he connected with Chico's Matt Carter on a 47-yard pass play on third-and-five late in the opening quarter. Ratekin finished 6-of-13 for 83 yards.
Otherwise, the South's signal callers spent more time scrambling from oncoming defenders than throwing passes because the North controlled both sides of the line of scrimmage for the majority of the game.
"We just didn't have the intensity they had," Camy said. "We were way too relaxed. They were ready to play, and we weren't."
As a group, the South had 26 carries for just nine yards, while Carter led the team with five receptions for 92 yards. Brown was second on the South with three catches for 43 yards and a score.
"You've got to give them credit, they were playing good coverage on us," said North coach Robert Wilson. "Bottom line is that they beat us up front."