South Scores Big in Second Half to Take the 2023 SCFCA North v South Senior All Star Game

Tagged under: All-Stars, District 11, Gameday Hub, News

Daniel Reed | November 23, 2023

In what started out sorta slow, with the score 14 to 6 at halftime, suddenly opened up in the second half with the South outscoring the North 29 to 6 to win the 2023 SCFCA NvS Senior All Star game 35 to 20 behind a powerful running attack from the game’s South Offensive MVP Parrish McFarland(Pottsville Crimson Tide), who scored three touchdowns in the game, Luke Stevenosky from Minersville, and Blue Mountain’s Payton Fasnacht, both of which would score one of their own as well, all on the ground.

McFarland’s touchdown runs of 13, 11, and 10 yards is what would land him the games’ MVP on offense for the South. At times the defense for the North just couldn’t bring the little man down. McFarland told me after the game that he plans to attend college to “play football and major in either Sports Medicine, Exercise Science, or Chiropractic”.

Austyn Fields of Blue Mountain was the defensive MVP for the South, running down the offense of the North, including a big sack to seal the game on a fourth down attempt by the North. Pine Grove’s Lane Lehman was also a huge contributor in this game on both sides of the ball, recording a sack of his own in the final quarter. Fields, who is already enlisted in the Army National Guard, will continue his schooling hopefully at Penn State Schuylkill, but will keep his options open if there are any schools in Pennsylvania looking for somebody who can lead a defense.

The North would start the game off slow as well, until the second quarter when they would put the first points on the board when North Schuylkill’s QB-Trevor Minalda would connect with teammate Collin McGee for 41 yards and the score. I talked with Spartans receiver McGee after the game some about what his plans are after high school, he plans to “attend a PSAC school, somewhere like Lock Haven, Bloomsburg, Millersville”. The South would finally reach the end-zone following a fumble by the North, when Parrish McFarland would score his first touchdown of the game, from 13 yards out, a missed point after attempt would have the score 7 to 6 North leading.

Before the half would come to an end, the North would put one more score on the board with a 26 yard pass from Marian Catholic’s Bruce Hopeck to Shenandoah Valley’s career leading receiver to put the North up 14 to 6, eventually being the score at the half.

To start the second half, the South would get the ball, and 11 plays later, Pottsville’s McFarland found the end-zone, this time from 11 yards out. Lane Lehman would convert the two-point attempt to tie the game at 14 a piece. The North would respond and retake the lead when another pair of teammates connected, Nick Ryan and QB-Ben Dempster for 26 yards making the score now 20 to 14 following a blocked PAT with about 2 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter.

The final quarter of play was all South, scoring 21 unanswered points, rounding out the final scores of the evening were Minersville’s power back Stevenosky from 22 yards out, McFarland from 10 yards, and Fasnacht rumbling in from 49 yards out to put the South in front 35 to 20.

With the victory, the South closes the series gap but still trails the North 20-16-1 over the 37 year history. This is also the South’s 5th win in the series in the last 8 meetings. You can watch the entire replay of the game by just clicking the image box below and it will redirect you to the STREAM page for the game.

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