BROCKWAY — They heard it all week.
The South All-Stars had a loaded roster.
With seven players from the Redbank Valley team that reached the PIAA Class A championship game and has garnered any number of postseason awards, Karn City’s AA All-State First Team fullback Luke Garing and a caravan of the best players in District 9 — and in Pennsylvania — the South had the better team for the 7th Annual Frank Varischetti All-Star game, on paper.
But that didn’t bother the North All-Stars’ head coach Chris Dworek.
In just five practices, Dworek invited the outside noise into practices and persuaded his roster to play with a chip on its collective shoulder.
Dworek’s squad responded.
The North All-Stars pounded the ball on the ground, rushing for 208 yards and came up with timely defensive stops in the final three quarters to rally past the South, 21-13, at Frank Varischetti field on Friday night.
“I heard it. The kids heard it. I made sure they heard it,” Dworek, the St. Marys coach by day, said. “We used it all as momentum and motivation for us. We have good players. They have good players. And we adjusted.”
BY THE final horn, the North whisked away any lingering doubt. But during its first possession, it appeared it was outmanned, turning it over with a fumble.
After a mishandled snap gave the ball to the South, Redbank Valley’s star receiver-quarterback duo leapt at the chance to grab an early lead, as they had all year.
With 10 minutes to play in the opening quarter, Redbank Valley’s Bryson Baine hit his teammate, Marquese Gardlock, for a 38-yard walk-in touchdown on fourth-and-14. Gardlock ran a crisp route, faking to the outside of the left hash before cutting inside and streaking between the safeties for a touchdown.
The duo connected again on an identical play on their next drive, but a penalty wiped a 60-yard touchdown strike and opened the door for the North after an abysmal start.
Penalty flags showered the field all night for both squads. Despite the matchup being just an All-Star game with limited stakes featuring the best players in District 9, tensions ran high.
The South totaled 10 penalties for 104 yards and the North posted eight for 51 yards. And on three occasions, the South had touchdowns wiped away due to penalties.
Traditional offense did not get the job done for the North in the early going. After two turnovers and two turnovers on downs on its first four possessions, Ridgway’s Dom Allegretto finally made a splash play.
After one of his punt return touchdowns had been taken back after a penalty in the first quarter, Allegretto took a punt in the second quarter from the opposing 45-yard line, jabbed right and took off down the left sideline to tie the game, 7-7. Allegretto dragged three defenders with him into the end zone to set the tone for the North.
“All those guys, not panicking, not caving into emotion, it was just really a good sign for them,” Dworek said. “Nobody had their head down. So, it was cool to see them just keep battling, get the momentum back really.”
After a three and out by the South, on the next possession, the North found its poison, hammering the South’s line with outside and inside handoffs. Allegretto eventually finished the possession with a two-yard touchdown run to give the North a 14-7 lead with 1:44 remaining in the first half.
Allegretto kept the pace into the second half and others in the North backfield followed suit.
Ridgway fullback Cam Marciniak and Smethport quarterback Noah Lent got in on the action as the trio alternated carries, using option plays to keep the South defense off balance.
Marciniak finished the night with 11 carries for 116 yards and Lent picked up 50 yards on nine totes. Allegretto benefited from the committee backfield, punching in his third touchdown of the day, second rushing, with 5:10 remaining in the third quarter to cap off a seven-minute drive.
Allegretto finished with 34 yards on 10 carries and three scores on his way to earning the North’s Offensive Most Valuable Player honors.
“All of the runners had unique strengths,” Dworek said. “So, they’re easy to coach. We just asked them which plays they liked and which they felt comfortable with. The way they ran was special.”
With the running game taking time off the clock, the North’s defense worked to contain the South’s high-octane passing attack. The North limited passing action over the top by playing their safeties and linebackers deep and coming up and making tackles in space.
The North defense shut the South out in the third quarter, and not until a shanked punt skipped out of bounds at the 20-yard line, did it surrender a second-half score.
Garing, who had a strong night on the ground rushing for 108 yards on 17 carries, punched in a two-yard run for a touchdown with 5:27 remaining.
The South finished with just 177 yards passing after collecting 76 of them in the opening quarter. In addition, the North picked up two timely sacks and forced and recovered a fumble. Hunter Wall earned the North’s defensive MVP honors by collecting a sack and recovering a fumble.
“It was just a heavyweight battle,” Dworek said. “Both teams have good players, so we took their best shots early and adjusted well. The kids did a super job picking up the physical stuff on defense and got some confidence going and then steamrolled after.”
Down eight after the Haring score, the South attempted to get the ball back with a failed onside kick. Little did it know that would be its final opportunity.
The North ran the ball down to the South’s 17-yard line before a trainer came running onto the field, with just over three minutes remaining, to warn of incoming lighting, ending the game in that moment.
Postgame, Dworek’s emotions poured out as The North earned its fifth victory in seven tries to take a commanding lead in the series, despite the mismatch provided by the outside noise.
“People have different reasons for coaching, but it’s about memories for me,” Dworek said. “So to be a part of this and try to give those kids special memories was great. Wherever I go North now I’m going to look for my players.”
