North upends the South in all-star classic

CB South's Mike Doty is upended by Pennsbury's Scott Woodward./ Photo by John Gleeson

By John Gleeson
Correspondent

All-Star football games by their very nature feature two dream teams, loaded with talent and enthusiasm. With the rules slightly modified to showcase the offensive performers, pure athleticism reigns supreme.
Last Saturday’s 34th annual Bucks County Lions Club All-Star game held at War Memorial Field in Doylestown was no exception. Seniors from the North and South of Lower Bucks County locked horns for 52 minutes as they battled for one final taste of high school gridiron glory. When the final horn sounded, the blue clad warriors from the north found themselves on the winning side of a 16-7 score.
Of the many stellar performers, Mike Doty of Central Bucks South certainly gave off the most radiant glow. The 6’4” Maine University-bound wide receiver snagged 11 passes good for 210 yards.
Doty’s effort was so dominant that he accounted for over half of the North’s 336 total yards and 12 of their 16 points. Not bad for one last scamper across the scholastic gridiron.
Doty did not wait to unleash his athleticism. On North’s initial possession, coach Steve Devlin opted to start with a little razzle-dazzle. When an end-around throwback pass to quarterback Sean McCartney fell incomplete, Devlin employed more conventional tactics. Drop your QB deep in the pocket, chuck the ball long, and let your big receiver make full use of his height advantage.
The wisdom worked to perfection. Sean McCartney spotted Doty working the left sideline against a smaller Scott Woodard of Pennsbury and lofted a bomb in his direction. Doty skied over his 6-inch shorter defender, tipped the ball in the air, and caught the deflection flat on his back.
The play netted 31 yards and put North on the South’s 14 yard line. Four plays and a holding penalty later, McCartney and Doty finished what they started when they hooked up on a 15 yard TD pass.
Coty’s effort certainly drew the praise of coach Devlin, “Doty is a stud. It was a pleasure to get to coach him for the last two weeks. Not only is he a great player, but he is a great kid. He always has a smile on his face.”
Doty gave all the North supporters reason to smile when he snagged his second TD, a 24-yard scoring strike from Pennridge’s Brad Herrmann, with 1:04 left in the third quarter. The tally gave coach Devlin’s squad a 9-point lead, all they would need to gain North its 20th victory in the series that started back in 1972. The victory also snapped a four-game win streak by the South.
Where Coty’s athleticism certainly stole the spotlight and earned his team’s MVP honors, North quarterback Sean McCartney could justifiably be recognized as the most versatile performer of the night. The 6’3,” 180-pound signal caller ran four times for eight yards, completed 9 of 12 passes for 145 yards and one touchdown. On defense, he intercepted a pass.
Of his many exploits, however, McCartney’s punt in the second quarter might well serve as his most memorable achievement. Facing a fourth down at midfield, McCartney rolled to his right and managed to get off a rugby style kick that rolled dead at their opponent’s one yard line. On South’s first play from scrimmage, CB West’s Matt McMurdo raced across the line of scrimmage and tackled Conwell Egan running back Joe Trotter in the end zone for a safety.
The South team, led by Truman coach Van Smith, boasted some pretty outstanding performances of their own. Pennsbury’s Steve Marck gave the South its only touchdown of the game when he hauled in a perfect toss from Conwell-Egan’s Matt Della-Croce for a 55-yard score. His fellow Falcon teammate Rich Applegate earned his team’s MVP honors for toting the pigskin 16 times for 66 yards.
Once again, the Dream Teams lived up to their billing, leaving local fans one last memory of some great local gridders.
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NOTES: The win was the North's first since 2004. The All-Star Game was founded in 1972 with the Bucks County Lions Club beginning it sponsorship in 1976. The North leads the series now with 21 wins and 14 losses. There were also three ties.
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LINESCORES
North All-Stars 7 2 7 0--16
South All-Stars 0 7 0 0--7
(June 6 at War Memorial Stadium)
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SUMMARY
N: Mike Doty 15-yd. pass from Sean McCartney (James McFadden kick)
S: Stephen Marck 55-yd. pass from Matt Della-Croce (Blake Montgomery kick)
N: Safety
N: Doty 24-yd. pass from Brad Herrmann (McFadden kick)
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TEAM STATS
North South
18 First Downs 13
118 Yards Rushing 103
218 Yards Passing 58
336 Total Offense 161
13-21-0 Pass/Comp/Int 2-10-2
8-90 Penalties 1-15
3-36 Punts 1-28
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INDIV STATS
SOUTH
Rushing: Richie Applegate 16-66; Rus Chichkin 2-11; Jordin Lollis 3-15; Joe Tretter 2-10; Terry Walker 9-6; Matt Della-Croce 1-1; Ron Vogelei 2-(-6). Totals 35-103.
Passing: Della Croce 1-2-1, 55 yards and TD; Vogelei 1-5-1, 3 yards; Walker 0-3-0, 0 yards. Totals 2-10-2, 58 yards.
Receiving: Steve Marck 1-55 and TD; Chichkin 1-3. Totals 2-58 and TD
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NORTH
Rushing: Devon Passman 9-58; Brad Herrmann 10-22; Sean Cunningham 5-9; Nick Devine 2-9; Sean McCartney 4-8; Ted Conrad 2-8; Mike Doty 1-3. Totals: 33-118.
Passing: McCartney 9-12-0; 145 yards 1 TD; Herrmann 4-5-0, 73 yards and 1 TD; Tom Johns 0-2-0, 0 yards; Passman 0-1-0, 0 yards; Doty 0-1-0, 0 yards. Totals: 13-21-0, 218 yards and 2 TD.
Receiving: Doty 11-210- 2 TD; Devine 1-6; Caleb Swartley 1-2. Totals: 13-218 and 2 TD.
Interceptions: Greg Kogut, McCartney.