Lions All-Star FB: South Surges Again
The South turned one of the most dramatic swings in recent Lions Game history into another signature comeback, erasing a 17-0 halftime deficit and rolling to a 30-17 victory over the North in the 44th annual Lions All-Star Football Classic at Wayne Schneider Stadium in Tracy.
It was the second time in three years that the South reeled off 30 straight points after trailing by more than two scores, and the win gave the Modesto / Merced / Turlock side four victories in five years in the series. The North still held the all-time edge, but after this result the margin stood at 24-19-1.
Danny Velasquez of Turlock, the game's MVP, led the turnaround with a huge second half. He finished with 122 rushing yards on 10 carries, completed 9 of 16 passes for 135 yards, and accounted for four touchdowns by throwing two touchdown passes and running for two more scores. Velasquez said the team simply stopped complaining and started playing, while South head coach Dustin Caropreso of Los Banos told his players at halftime that they were one play from changing the entire game.
The South's momentum turned sharply after a third-quarter interception by Devan Bass of Turlock Pitman, whose return of more than 50 yards set up the first touchdown of the comeback. On the very next snap, Velasquez hit Chris Brown of Modesto Christian for a 26-yard touchdown. Then, after getting the ball back on the game's 10-point rule, the South struck again on one of the night's most electric plays, a short pass from Velasquez that Cadrian McDaniels of Golden Valley turned into a weaving 39-yard touchdown.
The South kept the pressure on after a North fumble, taking the lead for good on a 35-yard touchdown run by Velasquez late in the third quarter. The final points came on another Velasquez touchdown run from 12 yards out and then on a safety, when Cullen Bearden of Oakdale and Johnathon Becerra of Merced combined to sack Jake Dunniway of St. Mary's in the end zone.
Bearden, the Defensive MVP, was just as central to the comeback as Velasquez. He finished with five sacks, one forced fumble, and seven tackles, while also being voted by his teammates as the South's Most Inspirational Player. Becerra added 2.5 sacks, and the South also got major defensive contributions from Bass, who had a second interception in the fourth quarter, Aaric Holt of Downey, and Cole Petlansky of Central Catholic.
The North looked in full control early. Dunniway and Jack Weaver of East Union both moved the offense effectively in the first half, and the North built its 17-0 lead behind a 46-yard field goal by Thomas Sidtikan of Ripon and two touchdown connections from Dunniway to Cutrell Haywood of Stagg. Haywood, who had been one of the region's most anticipated all-star pairings with Dunniway, ended up being named the Offensive MVP for the game.
Even with that star power, the North could not sustain drives once the South pass rush took over. Defensively, the North still had strong individual efforts from Bryce Kinsey of Ripon, Andrew Farley of Weston Ranch, and Isaiah Downes of Lincoln, with Farley earning the North's Most Inspirational Player honor, but the second-half surge belonged completely to the South.
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