Columbus - The 64th Annual Ohio High School Football Coaches Association North-South All-Star game looked like most of the previous 63 games. The North outclassed the South 49-7 in Ohio Stadium in the nation’s longest-running high school football all-star game to improve its record to 38-23-3.

But that didn’t deter Logan’s Jon Neff, who played a majority of the snaps for the South’s undermanned defensive unit. Neff, a three-year starter at defensive end for the Purple and White, played all along the defensive line and at linebacker.

“It was a little different playing off the line, I hadn’t really done that before. But with three guys going D1 on our defensive line, I knew I had to be flexible,” Neff explained. “It was a lot of fun to try and play different positions.”
The lone bright spot for the South came late in the second period when Marion Franklin’s Tyrell Massey returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, cutting the North lead to 28-7. It was the last kickoff Massey would see, as the North squibbed every kick-off the rest of the afternoon.

Bowling Green-bound quarterback Alex Pidcock, fresh off a Division II state championship with Sylvania Southview, had a productive afternoon scoring one touchdown rushing and threw another touchdown pass to lead the North offense.

Anthony King of Defiance Ayersville and an Ashland University signee, also ran for a pair of scores for the North offense. But despite great games from King and Pidcock, Dale Peterman of Youngstown Ursuline, a Syracuse signee, was named the North’s offensive player of the game.

Garrett Gronkowski of Avon, another Ashland University signee, was named the game’s MVP after intercepting two passes and running for long returns to set up two first half North touchdowns.

Massey was named the South’s offensive player of the game while Mike Hilty of Olentangy Liberty, a University of Cincinnati signee, was the South defensive player of the game.

Neff, a defensive end for the Purple and White last fall, is planning on a track and field career at the next level, passing on football. Although he is still making college visits before choosing a school, there is no doubt Neff will remember his experience in the North-South All-Star game.

“I made a lot of great friends. This team had such great comradery, it was just a ton of fun,” Neff said after the game. “I had a great week with these guys. When we all first got here, I think some of us were a little nervous, but we really came together as a team and had great chemistry coming into the game.”

North   14 21 7 7—49

South     0  7  0 0— 7

Scoring Summary

North: Montarae Williams 25 run (Bryan Visingardi kick)

North: Derek Hoebing 9 pass from Ryan O’Rourke (Visingardi kick)

North: Dale Peterman 41 pass from Alex Pidcock (Visingardi kick)

North: Anthony King 1 run (Visingardi kick)

South: Tyrell Massey 95 kickoff return (Adam Castin kick)

North: O’Rourke 1 run (Visingardi kick)

North: King 5 run (Visingardi kick)

North: Pidcock 8 run (Visingardi kick)