Johnson, Lomax Lead the North Past Singler, Widing, and the South

The North All-Stars used their big-play ability to take the 2009 edition of the Les Scwhab Bowl, defeating the South All-Stars 32-14. The 62^nd. Annual meeting of the graduating seniors of the states' largest schools Saturday, June 20, at Hillsboro stadium dodged all of the day's showers, but had a fall football-cool feel, despite being played in early summer.

Barlow's Malcolm Johnson, bound for Boise St., and Lake Oswego's Jack Lomax, headed for Oregon State in two weeks to start summer drills, gave the near capacity crowd a taste of things to come right off the bat. Johnson took the opening kickoff out to the 24, and Lomax and Johnson led the North on a 12 play, 76 yard scoring drive to take an early lead the North would never relinquish.

(Photos added.)

1st. Qtr.

Lomax capped the drive with a one yard scoring sprint out of the shotgun formation three and a half minutes into the game, despite struggling to find former Laker teammate and future OSU target Micah Hatfield during the drive and on the conversion attempt. The North lacked an extra point kicker, and went for two on every opportunity on the night, but failed on each of their first four attempts.

Century's Josh Garlington's (9) catch set up the first North score,

but Garlington came down out of bounds with a potential TD catch.

Southridge's Paul Tuma, bound for Western Oregon and the Wolves, capped a stout defensive start against the South, forcing a 1-2-3-punt first possession. Canby's Laurence Calcagno uncorked a 60 yard punt with the stiff west wind at his back, and the South defense responded with a three down stop of their own.

What looked like an opportunity to get back in the game for the South ended quickly, when Roosevelt's Terrell Malley picked off a pass by Thurston's Portland State bound Tym Pearson.

Roosevelt's Terrell Malley (25) intercepts a pass.

The pickoff touched off a series of miscues that carried into the second quarter. Beaverton's Michael DeHaan took over at quarterback, but an illegal pass brought up a fourth and six at midfield. Despite rules that prevented rushing the punter, the North gambled, and came up short, handing the ball back to the South at their 47 yard line.

Canby's Brian Widing, bound for Willamette this fall, came on at quarterback for the South, but when Redmond's Taylor Johnson was stopped to force a fourth down, the South returned the favor of the North's gamble.

High school football sees a lot of dangerous gambles, and the availability of some of the best offensive tools in the state in all-star games further encourages aggressive play. The flaw in the theory is overlooking the fact that the best defensive players available are looking back across the line, and Widing's pass became the second interception the South served up in the opening quarter, when Westview's Josh Hill snapped up the errant pass.

Corvallis defensive end Tonu Caspino, despite suffering a bruised right knee early, continued to demonstrate the speed and range that would earn him the South lineman of the game award. Caspino, who is headed for Eastern Arizona Junior College, flushed DeHaan from the pocket on one play, and was in on the tackle in the secondary on the next play.

"This field is so hard, I just hammered my knee into it," Caspino commented. "But I just kept doing what I can. I had to."

DeHaan demonstrated repeatedly his ability to stay alive, and drove the North into the South red zone as the first period ended, but the South forced a fourth and goal at the three. The North's lack of a place kicker prompted another fourth down gamble, and another turnover, as Bend's Zane Cable picked off DeHaan.

2^nd. Qtr.

Pearson served up his second interception of the game to give the ball right back to the North, and Lomax quickly found Lincoln's Ryan Lacey for a three yard touchdown, and a 12-0 lead less than two minutes into the second quarter.

"One of the best things about this game is getting to meet and make new friends of great players, and play with them," Lomax observed. "Ryan Lacey is one of those great players, and one not everyone may have heard of before."

Lincoln's Ryan Lacey (23) caught 4 passes for 74 yards for the North.

McKay's Tony Gonzalez banged the ball down to the two, and West Albany's Matt McHenry finished off the drive with a two yard scoring dive, capping a 63 yard drive that took just under three and a half minutes. Pearson's extra point kick pulled the South back within 12-7.

McKay's Tony Gonzalez (34) works the ball down to the 2 yard line for the South.

Lacey dropped a Lomax toss early in the following drive, but a great block by Southridge's John Wall, who is headed to Portland State, sprung Lomax for a keeper out to midfield. Lomax underthrew Hatfield, but then finally found his favorite target, and a 24 yard completion put the North on the South one yard line, and Lomax capped the drive to put the North up 18-7 with just over six minutes left in the first half.

Lake Oswego's Jack Lomax (7) scores from 1 yard out for the second time in the game.

The South's apparent advantage on the line continued to dematerialize, as California bound Charles Siddoway from Sheldon was shookup a second time, and the South went no where on the ensuing drive. Calcagno found the stiff west wind as much of an obstacle as it had been an aid on his 60 yard effort, as the wind and backspin resulted in an 18 yard punt.

Johnson and Hatfield's attempt at a reverse resulted in a fumble, but a 34 yard DeHaan completion to Lacey, followed by another Lacey catch, had the North poised to strike again as the half wound down.

DeHaan found Century's Josh Garlington, another Portland State bound player, to get to the seven, but after an incompletion, the North took time with 37 seconds left. A controversial spot on a keeper forced fourth down, and another timeout, and a big stop by South Medford's Daniel Kinney on Lomax kept the South in the game. Kinney, a former Cascade Christian player, is also bound for Jerry Glanville's Vikings, and also will compete in track.

The half ended when Pearson's pass to Hatfield couldn't lead to a broken field escape, with the North up 18-7.

3^rd. Qtr.

Pearson couldn't move the South to start the second half, going 1-2-3-punt. However, Lomax overthrew an open Hatfield on a fly route, and was off target looking for Hatfield on a fourth down gamble. Widing fared no better on South's next series, despite excellent field position, and Calcagno's punt went for a touchback.

A reception by Mt. View's Pat Cashman (19) gave the South good field position, but the South couldn't capitalizeon the opportunity.

Sherwood's Kevin Hausner (36) closes in to make the tackle.

The North would then change the game, on a pair of huge plays by their stars.

Johnson busted through the middle of the South defense for a 46 yard carry, and Lomax, who had repeatedly struggled to find Hatfield on midrange and longer routes, hooked up on a bubble screen route, and Hatfield went 24 yards for the touchdown at the 8:52 mark. A wildcat formation failed to produce the conversion, but the North had climbed to a 24-7 advantage.

Barlow's Malcolm Johnson (5) gained 46 yards to set up the only score of the third quarter.

Lake Oswego's Micah Hatfield (1) scores for the North.

"Speed kills," Lomax said afterwards, "and we have a lot if it. We had to find ways to use it."

Century's Scotty O'Connor sacked Widing to stop the next South series, and the North shifted to a clock eating strategy. They went 1-2-3-punt, but a Pearson fumble that John Byers of David Douglas covered thwarted the South.

The North defense pressured Thurston QB Tym Pearson (7) all night.

Clock eating led to another fourth down for the North, but DeHaan missed an open receiver, handing the ball back to the South with 2:54 left in the quarter.

Jacob Bohince (33) of Hood River picks up yardage for the North.

Widing found Singler for a first down, and Gonzalez, bound for Western Oregon, picked up 16 yards to the North 40. But a loss, an incompletion intended for Singler, another incompletion, and a holding penalty forced the South to punt on the first play of the fourth period.

4^th. Qtr.

The North went 1-2-3 punt, and the South mounted a rally. Pearson had been largely ineffective through the air, so he switched to using his legs, and 21 and nine yard keepers got the South into the North's red zone.

Thurston's Tym Pearson (7) rushed for more yards (75) than he threw for (68) for the South.

Pearson found Singler in the right corner of the end zone for a 19 yard touchdown, and Pearson added the extra point to pull back within 24-14 with over 11 minutes left.

South Medford's Mitch Singler (23) catches a touchdown pass for the South.

"I got that one for our (the South's) side of the OSU group," Singler said, referring back to Lomax and Hatfield's scores.

But the North answered with the drive to put the game away. Jesuit's Anthony Blake, bound for Holy Cross, picked up a key first down, as the North ate away at the clock, and clawed their way out towards midfield. Johnson then delivered another big play, darting right, then back to the left, and breaking away for a 52 yard sprint to the end zone.

Barlow's Malcolm Johnson (5) follows blocker Matt Nylen (81) of Clackamas on a 52 yard scoring run.

Hill finally found a way to score on a conversion, and the North went up 32-14 with 8:14 left in the game.

"That was a lot of fun," Johnson acknowledged. "I had kind of a slow start, but kept doing what I was doing. I think people didn't realize how good our line was at first."

Pearson picked up a first down on an 18 yard third down pass to McHenry, but after multiple incompletions, the next pass to McHenry came up short, and the South turned the ball back over with 6:27 to go.

West Albany's Matt McHenry (22) picks up a first down as David Douglas' Jon Byers (20) closes in to make the tackle.

Lomax and Widing each had a pair of unsuccessful drives to eat up the rest of the game clock. Calcagno did uncork a 52 yard punt, and finished with 263 yards punting.

North's win avenged South's 24-6 winlast year, which had broken a three game North winning streak. The North now has an overall 31-27-4 edge in the series.

Tuna was named the North's lineman of the game, joining Caspino in the lineman awards. Singler, as the game's leading receiver with 114 yards, and Johnson, who rushed for 121 yards, and finished with 150 total yards, were the backs of the game.

Lomax, who completed 18 of 28 passes for 178 yards, and two touchdowns, and also carried for a pair of scores, was named the George Shaw MVP of the game. "We came together for four and a half days, with one goal, to come out with a win," Lomax explained. "This was not just to showcase me, but all these guys."

North            6  12   6   8  -  32

South            0   7    0   7  -  14

Q1

North - Jack Lomax 1 yd. run (pass failed) 11:29

Q2

North - Ryan Lacey 3 yd. pass from Lomax (pass failed) 13:21

South - Matt McHenry 1 yd. run (Tym Pearson kick) 9:51

North - Lomax 1 yd. run (pass failed) 6:13

Q3

North - Micah Hatfield 24 yd. pass from Lomax (run failed) 8:52

Q4

South - Mitch Singler 19 yd. pass from Pearson (Pearson kick) 11:05

North - Malcolm Johnson 52 yd. run (Josh Hill run) 8:14

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