UNION COUNTY — There was no stopping Jake Lowry on Sunday, Nov. 12.
Summit High School football fans who were there at Upper Tatlock Field saw his explosiveness at its best.
Four touchdowns. A game-high 187 yards rushing.
When Lowry sprinted for a 52-yard touchdown run in the third quarter for his fourth and final score of the day, Summit took the lead for good.
Lowry’s outstanding running helped lead the host Hilltoppers to a 32-30 triumph against Pascack Valley High School in last year’s first North 2, Group 3 Regional Invitational Tournament championship game.
Summit won its final three games to finish better than .500 at 6-5 and take home a trophy, despite not qualifying for the state playoffs.
Lowry, who rushed for a team-leading 1,204 yards, was a big part of that.
On Sunday, June 11, before he continues his playing days in college at Division 3 University of Chicago, Lowry will get to represent the rich tradition that Summit football is once again.
Lowry is one of eight players from Union County high schools on the North roster for this year’s annual Phil Simms NJ North/South All-Star Football Classic.
At the event’s Media Day at Kean University, where the game will take place at 6 p.m., Lowry said that he will be a running back at Chicago. On the initial North roster, Lowry (5-10, 180) is listed as a defensive back.
Lowry had 11 tackles last year, including one for a loss, a forced fumble and one interception when he played on defense in the secondary for the much-improved Hilltoppers.
Summit won six of its final eight games in 2022, following a rare 0-3 start.
“This means a lot to play in this game,” Lowry said. “I heard a lot about it.”
Summit head coach Kevin Kostibos, who at Media Day made sure to shout out “Go North,” is on the North’s executive committee, along with his father, Barry, a longtime coach at several schools. Kostibos is a 1999 Hanover Park graduate who played for the Hornets and then in college at Johns Hopkins University.
Kostibos has been the head coach at Summit since 2013 and has guided the Hilltoppers to their last two state championships in 2013 and 2018, both in North 2, Group 3.
“There’s a lot of history at Summit, which is known as an esteemed program,” the well-spoken Lowry explained.
Lowry also considered Johns Hopkins and some Ivy League schools. His father, James, and mother, Camellia, met at the University of Chicago’s graduate business school. When asked if he didn’t mind being that far from home, he smiled and said, “Not at all.”
Home, as far as the game being played in Union County, is where Lowry will play his final high school game.
“Yeah, with the game being close to home at Kean, I’ll look forward to having the support of my teammates here,” Lowry said.
Phil Simms, who played in one of these kinds of all-star games following his senior year in high school in 1973 in Kentucky, before playing at Morehead State, spoke to the players and their parents.
Keeping his speech short, Simms made it clear that the parents should be proud of their sons for being selected to play in the game and that he looks forward to another outstanding battle between some of the best players in the North clashing with some of the best from the South.
The South leads the series, which began in 1979, 20-19-2, so a win by the North will tie things up.
Union County players on the North roster
9-Omar Ibrahim, Union Farmers, DB, (6-2, 180)
10-Matt Sims, David Brearley Bears, DB, (6-0, 185)
17-Jake Lowry, Summit Hilltoppers, DB, (5-10, 180)
50-Dillon Thompson, Linden Tigers, DE, (6-2, 220)
53-Gerald Baker, Elizabeth Minutemen, DT, (6-3, 330)
82-Brett Makowsky, Arthur L. Johnson Crusaders, PK, (6-0, 160)
5-Kyon Simonson, Hillside Comets, RB, (6-1, 210)
2-Samir Cherry, Plainfield Cardinals, WR, (5-6, 160)
Union County coaches on the North roster
Scott Miller: head coach at David Brearley High School since 2002.
Miller is a 1987 David Brearley Regional High School graduate who played for the Bears with head coach Bob Taylor, with David Brearley winning the North 2, Group 1 state championship Miller’s junior and senior seasons of 1985 and 1986.
Barris Grant: head coach at Hillside High School since 2016.
Grant is a 1997 Irvington High School graduate who played for the Blue Knights with head coach Gil Bragg, when the 1995 squad went 8-1.
2022 MVPS
North Offense: Raeden Oliver, East Orange Campus
North Defense: Dashawn Lawton, Newark West Side
South Offense: Cole Kozlowski, Manasquan
South Defense: David Onuoha, Matawan
2019 MVPS
North Offense: Azhuan Dingle of Bayonne
North Defense: Christopher Stultz of East Orange Campus
South Offense: Jacari Carter of Sayreville
South Defense: Eric Cowan of Manchester
2018 MVPS
North Offense: Andrew Luehs of Verona
North Defense: Nasir Givens of Orange
South Offense: Nahsir Morgan of Atlantic City
South Defense: Ji’Ayir Brown of Trenton
2017 MVPS
North Offense: Isiah Byrd of Roselle
North Defense: Harrison Fernandez of Union City
South Offense: James Joseph of Seneca
South Defense: Amir Murray of Willingboro
2016 MVPS
North Offense: Mike Pimpinella of Pascack Valley
North Defense: Keneek Tomlinson of East Orange Campus
South Offense: Tyreek Jackson of Clayton
South Defense: Dashon Burdett of Collingswood
2015 MVPS
North Offense: Juwan Dolbrice of Linden
North Defense: Tevaughn Grant of Paterson Eastside
South Offense: Vincent Mota of Long Branch
South Defense: Justin Thompson of Palmyra
2014 MVPS
North Offense: Joe Slattery of Cedar Grove
North Defense: Jason McRae of Roselle
South Offense: John Chamberlin of Williamstown
South Defense: Chris Noesges of Manalapan
North-South scoreboard
South leads series 20-19-2
•
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