UNION - Well, it lasted for a year.
That is the only lead the North has had in this football all-star series as the South came back in the fourth quarter to edge the North for its first win in seven years.
It was an interception at the South 10 on the final play of the game by South safety Khajauan "Peaky" Rosborough of Atlantic City that clinched the South's first triumph since 2018.
The South came back in the fourth quarter with the game's final points on its third touchdown of the contest to edge the North 19-18 in the 47th annual Phil Simms North-South High School All-Star Football Classic held Sunday, June 8 at Kean University's Alumni Stadium.
Despite throwing his third interception of the game as he led the North down the field almost to the winning points, quarterback Charlie LaMorte of West Orange (and Bucknell University bound) still earned North Offensive MVP honors for his play under center. He threw two touchdown passes.
LaMorte completed a beautiful 63-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Antoine Blount of Elizabeth with 6:40 left to put the North back ahead 18-13. The throw was about 50 yards in the air down the right sideline, with Blount making a spectacular two-handed catch and then escaping the South player attempting to bring him down.
LaMorte also completed a touchdown pass in the third quarter to pull the North to within one.
This was the South's first win since a 38-16 triumph at Kean in 2018. The five games after that one have been decided by five points or less.
The series is now tied once again at 21-21-2. There were no games played in 2002, because of inclement weather, and in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid-19.
South linebacker Cameron Bailey had an interception at the South two-yard line late in the first quarter to prevent the North from going up by two scores.
After the South tied the game with 10:29 left in the second quarter on a five-yard touchdown pass from Owen O'Toole to Demetris Williams and then went ahead on an Ian Spicer extra point kick, the North immediately struck back.
However, Shakir Taylor's long kickoff return for a touchdown was called back due to a holding penalty.
South safety Bryan Anderson came up with an interception with 7:04 to go in the second quarter. Fifteen-minute quarters were played. Way too many flags were thrown.
That helped lead to the South scoring its second touchdown and extending its lead to 13-6. This time Derek Anderson threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Nasir Davis Jackson.
Anderson and his brother Bryan, coached at Woodbridge by state championship winning coach Joe Goerge, were named the South Offensive and Defensive MVPs.
Three-point extra point attempts from a further distance by the North after its first touchdown and by the South after its both fell short and wide.
After the South was held scoreless during its first possession of the second half the North scored its second touchdown with 8:55 left in the third quarter. It was the first of LaMorte's two touchdown passes, this one from 13 yards out to Mark Boyd. The two-point attempt on a LaMorte pass complete to running back Jackson Jankowicz was stopped short on a tackle by South cornerback Montel Anderson.
North cornerback Joel Perez came up with an interception at the North one-yard line with 4:31 remaining before the fourth quarter.
With 9:33 left in the game, the South had a touchdown called back this time. It was a 23-yard pass caught in the right corner of the end zone by Royalty Riley that was negated by a holding penalty. On the same drive the South attempted a 41-yard field goal that was wide left.
The North answered with what would be its final points. LaMorte threw long along the right sideline and Blount beat his single coverage for the far-distance, go-ahead touchdown. The North then went for two, but LaMorte's pass to wide receiver PJ Coffey fell incomplete and the North had to settle for an 18-13 lead, its second of the game.
Looking to hold the South now in the game's final six-plus minutes to wrap an unprecedented fifth straight win in the series, the North gave up a long pass to its 30 right away on first down.
An interception in the right corner of the end zone by Perez with 2:29 to go was ruled an incomplete pass. The North was also penalized on the play for an illegal blitz.
On the next play, Williams gained four yards up the middle to give the South a first-and-goal at the North 1 with 2:06 left.
Williams was stopped short up the middle on first down and again on second. The North defense, sparked by tackle Michael Scotti of Cranford, prevented O'Toole from scoring on third down.
Getting just enough room to push forward, O'Toole scored from the one on fourth down with 1:45 remaining. A photographer's camera clearly showed that O'Toole's knee was down before the goal line. The South's two-point pass attempt to tight end Joseph Grasso was short of the end zone and the South remained ahead 19-18.
