JOHNSTOWN – The North’s dominated the South, 20-0, in the Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All Star Classic all-star game Friday night at Trojan Stadium, the home of the Greater Johnstown Trojans, the 50th edition of the all-star game, which featured graduated senior football players from District 5 and 6, including Heritage Conference teams.
It was the first Ken Lantzy shutout since the South beat the North, 33-0, in 2008.
Here’s Jake Slebodnick with the recap on Cat Country 106.3.
Saltsburg’s Gino Bartolini of the North and Blairsville’s Zak Artley, Jacob Faser and Devin Witmer of the South became the last players to don the helmets of those schools in an organized football game.
The North scored once in the first quarter and again in the second to give the North a 13-0 lead at halftime. Spochart connected with Wyrwas on a 39-yard touchdown pass as time ran out in the first quarter, then Spochart ran up the middle for a 15-yard score with 6:34 remaining in the second quarter.
Homer-Center quarterback Ben Schmidt, who will be suiting up for IUP in the fall, led all players with 32 yards on 10 carries in the first half, but the North defense kept Schmidt in check in the second half. He finished the game with 44 rushing yards on 14 attempts and completed just one of six passes for three yards. He was intercepted twice.
Schmidt’s Wildcats teammate Travis Mock picked off a Spochart pass near the goal line to prevent a possible third first-half touchdown for the North with about two minutes left. He returned the interception 18 yards. After the game, Mock received the South’s Defensive Back MVP award.
Homer-Center receiver Drew Kochman caught two passes for two yards for the South, and United running back Hunter Cameron made a nice gain of 10 yards to pick up the South’s initial first down in the first quarter, but then didn’t take another handoff.
Witmer caught two passes for 27 yards, and he didn’t see the experience as bittersweet.
Purchase Line’s Josh Syster gained 43 yards on 11 carries and caught two passes for nine yards for the North. Northern Cambria’s Gavin Dumm received the South’s Defensive Line MVP award.
The game was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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