UNION, NJ — 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 on 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 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 High School, 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 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 the COVID-19 pandemic.
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 High School 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 all 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.
Now with less than two minutes left and no more timeouts, the North started at its own 30 after a decent return by Taylor. LaMorte then ran for five yards.
The North then gained a first down at the South 30, with LaMorte passing to Taylor for four more yards. A completion of 16 yards to wide receiver Chris Gioia gave the North first-and-10 at the South 16 with 1:28 on the clock. A holding penalty on an incomplete pass on first down pushed the North back to the South 27. Another incomplete pass made it second-and-20 from the 27 with 19 ticks to go.
Then LaMorte dropped back and fired the ball over the middle, seeking his intended receiver at the South five. Roseborough stepped in for the game-clinching interception and the South was victorious for the first time since before the pandemic.
Notes: Longtime Cranford assistant coach Joe Hubert was honored at halftime with one of the annual awards recognizing the service of the top coordinators in the state. Hubert has been with head coach Erik Rosenmeier for all three of the program’s North 2, Group 3 sectional state championships in 2011, 2015 and 2021 and as the team’s defensive coordinator Hubert is an integral part of Cranford’s success.
47th Annual Phil Simms North-South All-Star Football Classic
North (21-21-2) 06 00 06 06 – 18
South (21-21-2) 00 13 00 06 – 19
First Quarter:
North: Jaysyn Reid 10 run, kick failed (N 6-0)
Second Quarter:
South: Demetris Williams 5 pass from Owen O’Toole, Ian Spicer kick (S 7-6)
South: Nasir Davis Jackson 15 pass from Derek Anderson, kick failed (S 13-6)
Third Quarter:
North: Mark Boyd 13 pass from Charlie LaMorte, pass failed (S 13-12)
Fourth Quarter:
North: Antoine Blount 63 pass from Charlie LaMorte, pass failed (N 18-13)
South: O’Toole 1 run, pass failed (S 19-18)
2025 North-South MVPs
North offense: No. 10, Charlie LaMorte, West Orange, QB, (6-2, 220)
North defense: No. 50, Terrence Hanratty, Bernards, LB, (6-0, 210)
South offense: No. 10, Derek Anderson, Woodbridge, QB, (5-10, 165)
South defense: No. 19, Bryan Anderson, Woodbridge, S, (5-11. 170)
2025 Ken Trimmer Award for Excitement and Enthusiasm
North: No. 53 Dean Mangiocavallo, Randolph, DT, (6-3, 300)
South: No. 52 Blaise Boland, Toms River North, OLB, (6-0, 225)
North-South Scoreboard
Series Tied Once Again At 21-21-2
2025: South 19, North 18 – at Kean University
2024: North 20, South 18 – at Kean University
2023: North 10, South 6 – at Kean University
2022: North 21, South 16 – at Kean University
2021: No game because of the COVID-19 pandemic
2020: No game because of the COVID-19 pandemic
2019: North 24, South 23 – at Kean University
2018: South 38, North 16 – at Kean University
2017: South 30, North 22 – at Kean University
2016: North 7, South 0 – at Kean University
2015: South 23, North 21 – at Kean University
2014: South 20, North 14 – at Piscataway High School
2013: North 54, South 8 – at Kean University
2012: North 14, South 7 – at Kean University
2011: South 21, North 14 – at Kean University
2010: North 17, South 3 – at Kean University
2009: South 7, North 0 – at Kean University
2008: North 31, South 25 – at Rutgers Stadium
2007: South 14, North 7 – at Rutgers Stadium
2006: North 31, South 16 – at Rutgers Stadium
2005: North 9, South 7 – at Rutgers Stadium
2004: North 26, South 21 – at Rutgers Stadium
2003: South 3, North 0 – at Rutgers Stadium
2002: No game was played at Rutgers
because of inclement weather before kickoff.
2001: North 24, South 0 – at Rutgers Stadium
2000: South 20, North 5 – at Rutgers Stadium
1999: South 22, North 19 – at Rutgers Stadium
1998: North 33, South 31 – at Rutgers Stadium
1997: South 28, North 24 – at The College of New Jersey
1996: South 32, North 23 – at Rutgers Stadium
1995: North 37, South 15 – at Rutgers Stadium
1994: South 21, North 16 – at Trenton State College
1993: South 9, North 8 – at Giants Stadium
1992: North 7, South 7 (tie) – at Giants Stadium
1991: North 26, South 12 – at Giants Stadium
1990: North 14, South 10 – at Rutgers Stadium
1989: South 24, North 0 – at Rutgers Stadium
1988: South 12, North 9 – at Rutgers Stadium
1987: North 21, South 10 – at Rutgers Stadium
1986: North 20, South 17 – at Rutgers Stadium
1985: North 10, South 10 (tie) – at Rutgers Stadium
1984: North 7, South 0 – at Rutgers Stadium
1983: South 41, North 7 – at Rutgers Stadium
1982: South 16, North 7 – at Rutgers Stadium
1981: South 32, North 0 – at Rutgers Stadium
1980: North 13, South 6 – at Rutgers Stadium
1979: South 34, North 13 – at Rutgers Stadium
Photos by JR Parachini