HUNTSVILLE – The special teams' play of the South All-Stars turned out to be the difference Friday night en route to a 12-0 win over the North in the 50th playing of the Alabama North-South All-Star Football Classic at Alabama A&M's Louis Crews Stadium.
The North-South Classic was first played in 1948. The South now holds a 28-20-2 edge in the series.
The football clash closed the 12th Alabama All-Star Sports Week, which included all-star competition in baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, volleyball, and boys and girls basketball. The Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association, the coaches’ organization within the Alabama High School Athletic Association, hosted the event.
Pike County running back Darrell Reynolds returned a punt 78 yards down the left side line–breaking two tackles inside the 10 to waltz into the end zone for the clinching score with 6:15 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The South, head coached by Williamson's Bobby Parrish, got its first touchdown thanks to its own punt coverage. Stanhope Elmore punter Brye French’s punt was fumbled by D’Eric Jackson of Oxford at the North 20. Northview’s Patrick Reynolds, who caused the miscue, scooped up the loose ball at the 18 and ran untouched into the end zone for the score with 9:11 remaining in the first period. The extra point run failed, but the South had the lead for good.
Another fumbled punt in the second quarter set up a 25-yard field goal try by the South, but the kick was wide. The South also missed a 30-yard try in the second half.
The South defense throttled the North offense all night, limiting the Blues to just 31 yards rushing and 61 passing while forcing three fumbles and an interception.
Reynolds, the second Pike County player to earn South MVP honors in two years, rushes for 26 yards on six carries with a long of 19 yards. He also returned three punts for 104 yards, including his 78-yarder in the final quarter.
Auburn’s Richard Ross was the South’s leading rusher with 35 yards on six carries. Benjamin Russell’s Cutts was 3-of-17 passing for 24 yards. The South managed just 117 total yards with 93 rushing.
Gulf Shores linebacker Gary Johnston led the South defense with 10 tackles. Prattville’s Clarence Morris, who had four stops, also had the interception.
Jonathan Sillers of Briarwood had 20 yards rushing on six carries for the North. Calera quarterback Paul Winterbottom was 9-of-16 passing for 59 yards with Adrian Marcus of Thompson making three catches for 34 yards.
North punter Pablo Makepeace, the North MVP, averaged 40.1 yards on nine punts with two inside the 20 and one dead at the 1-yard line.
Defensively, Hazlewood’s Don Jones had eight tackles, Chandler Tyree of Oxford had seven and Deon Lacey of Hueytown had seven stops including three for losses.