UNON COUNTY — In the afternoon, it was Amiyah Louis-Jiles, of Union High School, and Amira McNeill, of Linden High School, who displayed their athleticism.
Then, in the nightcap, it was Rahway standout Andrew Avent who provided a necessary spark in helping his team gain victory.
For only the third time and for the first time in nearly 30 years, the Phil Simms North–South All-Star Football Classic was at The College of New Jersey. For the third straight season, it was preceded by the North-South Girls Flag Football All-Star Game.
Both were contested in Ewing Township on Saturday, June 21, a switch from Kean University, which is now hosting World Cub practices.
It was a sweep for the North for the second time in three years. The North blanked the South, 34-0, in the Girls Flag Football game, to improve to 3-0 in the series. The North then edged the South, 14-6, in the football game to take a lead in the series for only the second time at 22-21-2. The North has won five of the last six games, dating back to the 2019 contest.
Louis-Jiles was the South quarterback in the flag football game, completing nine-of-18 passes for 67 yards. McNeill was a running back-wide receiver for the South and was coming off a second-team all-state season in which she rushed for 1,661 yards.
Avent, one of two players from Union County schools honored with an award for his outstanding play, rushed for a touchdown and then threw a touchdown pass to lead the North in the 48th annual affair. Games were not played in 2002 because of inclement weather and in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Four years of waiting paid off for Avent in his final scholastic high school game. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Avent lined up to receive the snap in wildcat formation in a third-and-goal situation from the six.
The Rahway star had run for nearly 2,000 yards in his senior season and had scored the North’s only touchdown of the game on a wildcat run earlier in the night.
This time, though, Avent had something else up his sleeve: a Tim Tebow-esque jump pass that floated past two South defenders and into the arms of Phillipsburg’s Sam Dech in the end zone, giving the North all the cushion it wouldneed to hold off the South.
“I’ve never been able to get that play to work and we’ve been trying it for four years,” Avent said with a smile. “It’s been something we tried in 7-on-7s and games and, for whatever reason, we just haven’t executed it.
“So, it was nice to end my high school career getting it right and it was a big spot in the game. We snapped the ball, it looked like it was covered, so I had to shuffle my feet a couple of steps to the side and the ball just got where it needed to go.”
On a glorious, late-spring evening celebrating more than 90 of New Jersey’s top high school football seniors, Avent was a standout, two-way performer for the North, rushing for a team-high 45 yards and accounting for both touchdowns, as his two-yard run just before halftime gave the North a 7-6 advantage.
Avent also put the finishing touches on the North triumph with a strip-sack of South quarterback Jason Lajara of Brick Memorial High School in the final minute of play, which was recovered by North defensive lineman Anthony Valera of Ridge High School.
“It means everything to be out here one last time,” Avent said. “Not everyone gets the opportunity to play in a game like this and I’m grateful to all my coaches and teammates for making it happen.
“Just to be out here with these guys, it’s tough, you know, because we don’t get a lot of time to practice together and you’ve got to figure out how to play as a team. We got along great and I thought we were a well-oiled machine out there.”
Avent was named the North’s Offense MVP, while Jerome Hayes Jr. of Bayonne High School picked up North Defense MVP honors.
Governor Livingston High School standout David Dorsett was selected as the North’s Top Offensive Lineman of the game.
The South won the previous two games played at TCNJ, including a 21-16 decision in 1994 and a 28-24 verdict in 1997. TCNJ was still called Trenton State College in 1994.
North-South Flag Football Scoreboard
North leads 3-0
2026: North 34, South 0 – at The College of New Jersey
2025: North 6, South 0 – at Kean University
2024: North 37, South 12 – at Kean University
North-South Football Scoreboard
North leads 22-21-2
2026: North 14, South 6 – at The College of New Jersey
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 Courtesy of Ayden Acebo and Steve Tober
