By DAN BARILE
Eagle Times Correspondent
CASTLETON, Vt. — The 23rd annual North/South All-Star Football Classic provided plenty of fireworks throughout the afternoon at Vermont State University Castleton, even though North never trailed throughout the contest.
Unlike North’s comeback victory last season at Norwich University, this year’s edition of the game appeared like it was destined to be a defensive battle with the score standing at 13-0 through three quarters.
South found paydirt twice in the final quarter, but they were unable to make up any ground as North reached the endzone three times in the final frame to come away with a 33-14 victory.
Things were looking pretty grim for South as they trailed 19-0 in the fourth quarter when a high snap recovered by North gave them the ball at South’s 7-yard line with 7:09 remaining.
It took North just two plays to power the ball across the goal line, putting the game nearly out of reach with 6:23 left to play.
Despite the deficit, South refused to fold. Bellows Falls quarterback Eli Allbee went to the air on the first play of the ensuing drive, completing a beautiful bomb for Mount Anthony’s Dreland Carey for 52 yards. Middlebury’s Avery Carl punched the ball in from three yards out to cut the deficit to 26-6.
Following a quick score by North, Rutland’s Noah Bruttomesso took a turn behind center and engineered a 3-play 55-yard drive that concluded with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Burr & Burton’s Tommy Sheldon.
In addition to Allbee, nine other local players took the field for South. Springfield Head Coach Todd Aiken led the South squad and was joined by Cosmos standouts Trevor Carl, Hunter Ferland, Dillan Lacasse, and Cameron Williams. Bellows Falls was also represented by Carson Clark, Will Hallock, and Josh Streeter, and Windsor’s Justin Draper and Joey Gaudette also donned the green jerseys for the South.
The victory was the third straight for North, who now holds a 12-11 lead in the series. Fair Haven Head Coach Adam Perry will lead the South next season as they look even the series with their northern counterparts.
