1971

It was over 39 years ago that a young, talented member of the Cambria Heights High School Football Squad received an injury that would confine him to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. It was a typical late October evening in 1970 when this injury took place. It’s victim was Ken Lantzy, for who this All-Star Classic is named.  After his injury, Ken’s family was faced with extremely large medical bills and costs of hospital care. It was, however, at this time the Cambria Area Football Coaches Association (CAFCA) stepped in to help.  The idea of a benefit football game seemed the most logical. Little did the coaches realize this game would be played 35 times.  In the beginning this game was two fold. First to help defer the medical bills facing the Lantzy family, and secondly to promote high school football in our area. Thus, a trust fund was established and all proceeds from this game would go into this fond. The game would feature an All-Star Team from each division of the coaches association.  Outstanding high school athletes were chosen from all schools and the first game was set for August 16,1971.  A crowd of nearly 5,000 attended the initial contest. These fans saw the North walk away with the contest, winning easily 30-0. Al Pacifico’s (Penn Cambria) Yankees out gained Mike Yewcic’s (Conemaugh Valley) Rebels 283-55 in Total Yardage. The North’s outstanding player’s were Paul Swartz (Richland) and Jude Basile (Forest Hills) the South tabbed Lester Reitz (Bishop McCort) and Rich Zepka (Windber) as outstanding

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 16 6 2 6 30
South 0 0 0 0 0

1972

On August 5, 1972 the area high school football civil war was fought again. Approximately 6,500 fans turned out to witness the South even the series with a 24-6 crushing of the North. The North opened the scoring in the first stanza when Tom Taormina (Richland) blocked a punt and George Nagel (Cambria Heights) pounced on the pigskin in the end zone. Head coach Ron Carnicella (Johnstown) southern stars exploded for 18 fourth quarter points. Highlighted by Dave Bruce’s (Conemaugh Twp.) 44 yard touchdown scamper. Emil Demarco (Richland) was the north’s mentor and suffered only on the scoreboard as the south’s lead on total yardage was a slim 34 yards 260-226.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 0 0 6 18 24
North 6 0 0 0 6

1973

On Saturday June 9,1973 two major changes had occurred in the coaches’ sponsored benefit game. The first being the game date. The coaches decided the game be held in June to aid with conflicts that arise in August as they prepare to open camps at their respective schools. The second difference was that the Easter Seal Society would receive the benefits and proceeds from the game. However the Ken Lantzy name was retained as the game’s title.As the third contest opened it became apparent that the South would be heavily favored. Joe Badaczewski, (Conemaugh Twp.) the South’s head coach, had the option of perhaps the best trio of quarterbacks to ever play in this contest. Dave Rizzo (Windber), Ron Hosteller (Conemaugh Twp.) and Tom Yewcic (Conemaugh Valley) racked over 300 yards by air to lead the South to a 21-0 white- washing of the North. Jeff Bruce (Conemaugh Twp.) scored twice as the South amassed almost 400 total offensive yards while the Chuck Sponsky’s (Forest Hills) North squad was held to less than 100.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 0 0 0 21 21
North 0 0 0 0 0

1974

June 10,1974, year number four, and the song “The South’s Gonna Do It Again,” proved correct as the Ron Carnicella (Johnstown) led Southerners defeated Chuck Gironda’s (Northern Bedford) Yankees 20-12. Nearly 3,000 fans saw a Southern aerial display explode for 20 first quarter points. Led by signal callers Jack Buchan (Johnstown), Doug Hostetler (Conemaugh Twp.), Kevin Berkey (Windber) and receivers Tony Ramirez (Johnstown), Mike Adams (Johnstown) and Benny McDay (Johnstown) the South traveled 231 yards through the air. The North led by Fred Glascow (Northern Bedford) couldn’t get their running game going as they were checked by a stingy South defense for only 32 yards rushing.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 14 6 0 0 20
North 0 0 12 0 12

1975

On June 7, 1975 the Cambria Area football coaches again gathered the best area high school football talent and assembled here at Windber Stadium. As part of the halftime activities the president of the Cambria Area Football Coaches Association presented Ken Lantzy with one of the gameballs. The game pitted the young head coach for the North against a seasoned veteran of many campaigns. Tom Krisko (Portage) was the North’s mentor & Joe Flori (Windber) was at the helm of the South squad. More than 2,000 fans saw a defensive struggle as the South scored a slim 7-6 victory. With the South leading 7-0 early in the fourth period, the North pulled to within one point when Brian Clement (Forest Hills) brilliantly returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown.  The North was then faced with the option of going for the 2 point conversion and the victory or playing merely for the tie. Krisko’s crew gambled and lost as the South’s defense rose to protect the victory.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 0 0 7 0 7
North 0 0 0 6 6

1976

June 4, 1976 brought yet another change to the Ken Lantzy charity game as this was the first and only contest that was played on a Friday night. The South, coached by Pat Sherlock (Westmont) came away with a 20-0 victory over the North. Chuck Gironda (Northern Bedford) was the head coach of the North.  Artrell Hawkins (Johnstown) scored all 3 Southern ID’s on carries of 3, 9, and 4 yards. The more than 3,800 fans on hand saw the North lead in first downs, 10-7, and net rushing yardage, 103-94, but lose on the scoreboard.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 0 0 0 0 0
South 13 0 0 7 20

1977

For seven straight years the Southern Alleghenies brought the best area school football talent to the Windber Stadium to play for charity. On June 11, 1977 Fran Zima (Bishop McCort) led 61 Yankees on to the green surface while Don Bailey (Forest Hills) trotted out on 37 Confederate representatives. The number of players, however, had no bearing on the outcome of the contest as the North won a squeaker 7-0. Mike Chobany (Portage) scored the games only touchdown & Mike Waksmunski (Cambria Heights) converted the only PAT attempt. Chobany’s T.D. was set up by a Brent Bowser (Northern Bedford) interception. The South came within inches of scoring in the third quarter as Chip Moore (Central) stopped Doug Stilwell (Indiana) just shy of pay dirt. The South led in all offensive categories but the North prevailed on the scoreboard.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 7 0 0 0 7
South 0 0 0 0 0

1978

On June 10,1978 George Pasierb (Shade) led the South to a 12-0 victory over the Jim Gardner (Bellwood-Antis) directed Northerners. This game also introduced another change in the sponsorship of the contest as the Johnstown Area Shrine Club gratefully accepted all proceeds for the Shriner’s hospitals and burns centers. More than 2,500 fans saw Bill Elke’s (Windber) fumble recovery set up the first score for the South. Dave Bahoric (Bishop McCort) capped a 33 yard scoring drive by reaching pay dirt on the two yard plunge in the first period. Brian Retry (Johnstown) scored as time expired to close out the game’s scoring.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 6 0 0 6 12
North 0 0 0 0 0

1979

On June 3, 1979 coach Bernie McQuown (Indiana) led his Southerners past Steve Magulick (Northern Cambria) and the North by a 13-6 margin. Pat McQuaide (Indiana) scored two touchdowns, but Roger Shepko (Windber) was named the Most Valuable Offensive Player. Shepko gained 47 yards of the first Southern scoring drive which covered 68 yards. Mark Hull (Forest Hills) almost pulled off a miracle finish midway through the fourth period. While at the helm, Hull went five for five in passing the North 67 yards for their only score. Noted for outstanding play on the defensive side was Robbie Miller (Bellwood). Miller played excellent pass coverage and protected his corner all night long. Net yardage in the contest was nearly even 145-131, the South gaining the advantage.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 0 0 0 6 6
South 0 0 0 13 13

1980

On the beautiful June 7,1980, a young rider from the Patton, Pennsylvania area provided the answer to the question, Ken Who? (Ken Vescovi, Cambria Heights), a six foot-two inch tight end nearly single handedly provided the offensive punch that led the North to its third victory in this ten year classic. Vescovi scored 17 of his team’s 23 points in leading the North to a 23-20 victory. The North jumped out to a quick 13 point lead in the first half. A stingy Yankee defense, led by Tom Carney (Bishop Carroll), held the Southern offense in check until late in the second stanza.In the second half, Dennis Stahl (Meyersdale), the Rebels’ head coach led the South on a come-back trail. With eight minutes of the third period remaining, the South took the lead for the first time 14-13. However that was short-lived as Vescovi booted a 27 yard field goal later in the period that put Steve Magulick’s (Northern Cambria) Northern squad in front to stay. This game proved to be the most explosive from the offensive and point productive side of any of the previous games. With Vescovi scoring two touchdowns, kicking a 27 yard three pointer, and kicking two PATS, he took the MVP trophy back to Patton. Carney carried away the defensive award.Other highlights of this game are numerous. Here are a few: Guy Finelli (Altoona) blocking Mike O’Ship’s (Shade) punt in the second quarter; Rich Price (Johnstown) with an 87 yard punt return; the Rich Dahoda (Laurel Valley) and Kevin Zwick (Conemaugh Township) air show; and finally the outstanding play of quarterback’s Scott Borsuk (Johnstown) and Brian D’Andrea (Northern Cambria).

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 0 8 6 6 20
North 6 7 3 7 23

1981

A superior defensive effort in the second half, lifted the North squad to a 10-7 victory over the South in the 11th annual Ken Lantzy All-Star game Saturday, June 6,1981. The large crowd saw the top-heavy with running backs South team roll tip 91 yards in offense and a 7-0 first half lead. All but nine of that came on the ground. In the second half, North Star coach Art Younkin’s club had just 20 offensive yards, all of it on the ground. The Dan Bailey-Vie Campaign coached North team battled back from a half-time deficit with an unusually smooth passing attack for an all-star game. Hollidaysburg quarterback Dave Donaldson keyed the come-back throwing for 58 yards in the second half and a key two-point conversion that iced the game. The South squad never crossed mid-field in the second half, as runners like Laurel Valley’s Denny Henderson, Conemaugh Valley’s Randy Toth, Jim Miller of North Star and Westmont’s Mike Chabon were bottled up. Only M.C. Williams of Indiana was able to solve the South’s defensive puzzle, leading all ground gainers with 76 yards. The teams traded the ball twice at the start, before the North lined up for field goal attempt that was blocked by Larry Poor of Everett. Younkin’s team took over, but was forced to punt. Bill Maloney of Hollidaysburg fumbled the kick, and Conemaugh Township’s Jim Garlesky recovered at the North 35-yard line.The losers continued to be impressive offensively before the half, as Williams broke the longest play of the game, a cutback run of 42 yards. He got three more on the next play, but two incomplete passes ended the threat. In the second half, the North dominated the proceedings. They took the opening kickoff and registered two first downs before punting it away. That’s when the North defense took over, allowing just 16 yards and a first down on five running plays. On its next possession, the South managed only six yards before punting to the North 26-yard line. That’s where the winners started their clinching drive.Fedore had 40 yards rushing for the winners, with Layo adding 36. Overall, Donaldson was five of 10 passing, with one interception. A trio of South quarterbacks were only able to complete one pass, that in the first half. Besides Williams’ game high rushing total, North Star’s Miller finished with 20 yards and Toth 10.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 0 0 0 10 10
South 0 7 0 0 7

1982

Parlaying the running of Bishop McCort’s Dave Seidel and an alert defense that recovered two fumbles and intercepted a pass, the South ended a two-game Ken Lantzy All-Star losing streak with a 17-6 conquest of the North June 7 in Windber Stadium.The game had its turning point when it was postponed for two nights from a Saturday to a Monday night. The favored North squad was stripped of the Forest Hills players. The Rangers were gathering Sheepskins at graduation ceremonies instead of lugging leather at Windber Stadium. The South, which did not lose the ball on a fumble or interception, nursed a 7-6 lead at halftime. Seidel, who led the Rebels with 45 yards rushing in 11 carries, scored in the third period to give the winners some insurance points.Coach George Pasierb’s winners scored first when Greater Johnstown’s Brian Wright latched on to a 22-yard payoff pass from Windber’s John Sanow. The North responded with an 84-yard, 15 play march. It was capped by a nine-yard touchdown toss from Northern Cambria’s Brian Moriconi to Blacklick Valley’s Bob Mallin.Everett’s Tom Waltman booted a 22-yard field goal on the first play of the last chapter. It was set up when the South’s Tim Simanski of Westmont Hilltop recovered a fumble from quarterback George Moore of Glendale. The South had a 130-96 margin in net yards rushing. The losers of coach Don Bailey, who had a 13-9 edge in first downs, completed 7 of 15 passes for 72 yards compared with three of seven for 54 yards for the winners. Joe Bonatesta of Northern Cambria led the losers with 54 yards rushing in 9 carries.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 0 6 0 0 6
South 0 7 10 0 17

1983

The 13th annual Ken Lantzy Southern Alleghenies Coaches Association North-South Classic at Windber Stadium added another letter to the A, B Cs of Football-D for defense.The North scored with 3:23 left in the second period for the lone touchdown and only the third scoring opportunity in the game to carve a 7-0 victory. It was win No. 3 in four coaching stints for Don Bailey of Forest Hills in the annual Ken Lantzy Classic.There were exchanges of three fumbles that set the stage for the game’s only score.Portage’s Frank Jubura recovered a South bobble on the losers eight. Four downs later, the South grudgingly yielded the six-pointer when Hollidaysburg’s Terry McCready bulled over from the one. Tom Maloskey converted.The defense dominated the contest and this was evidenced in the passing stats. The winners’ quarterbacks, Bill Corrente of Portage and John Chicoli of Forest Hills connected with eight passes in a combined effort of 17 tosses. They gained 90 yards. Not much but 11 more than the fumble-prone losers.The South drove to the North 16 but a combination of stout Yankee defense and the lock spragged the scoring effort of coach Shandor’s Rebels. The game ended as the threat died.With the accent on the passing game this year, the 1983 score could become the North- Squad game’s last shutout for a long time to come… Kevin Donahue of Conemaugh Township was selected the Outstanding Defensive Player, Phil White of Forest Hills was voted top on offense.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 0 7 0 0 7
South 0 0 0 0 0

1984

Ligonier Valley’s Chris Keck, a6-4 quarterback at Dartmoth last winner was the standout on offense for the South in a 24-7 conquest of the North in the 1984 Ken Lantzy Finest Forty All Star Game at Windber Stadium. Eric Craig of Indiana, who impressed with his linebacking and punting for the North, was the defensive whiz for the losers. Both received a $500 scholarship grant.Keck completed 16 of 25 passes for 159 yards in the game that drew an estimated 2500 fans. The North was limited to a net gain of 16 yards in 17 thrusts at the line. The South had a 17-9 margin in first downs.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 6 8 0 10 24
North 7 0 0 0 7

1985

For the first time in 15 years, the Ken Lantzy Finest Forty North-South Game will be held at The Point Stadium.More than a shift from Windber Stadium, the game has a few other new features. In addition to each player receiving a wrist watch, the top offensive and defensive player from both the North and South squads will receive a $500 scholastic grant to be used to defray the cost of a college education.The idea for the game started 14 years ago when Ken Lantzy, A Cambria Heights student was injured while playing against Windber. The North proved to be the better “Mudders” on June 15, 1985, defeating the South 1 0-0 at the Point Stadium.The Yankees’ success in the 15th annual classic snapped a two-game losing streak and reduced the South’s 9 lead to 9-6.North coach John Jacoby of Conemaugh Valley and his staff “made all the right moves” in the second half after the teams had slogged heir way to a scoreless tie after two periods. The North grabbed a 2-0 lead less than five minutes after the second-half kickoff when Rebels’ quarterback Mike Gress was a sack victim in the end zone.A fumble recovery set up the game’s only touchdown in the fourth quarter. Marching from their own 28, the winners, behind the passing of quarterback Cubby Davis of Hollidaysburg, moved to the South 36. A running play and a face-mask fine against the losers put the football at the 16. Davis then fired a 16-yard TD pass to Steve Miller of Bellwood-Antis. A two-point pass-Davis to tight-end Les Sheesley of Blaclick Valley-set the final score.Despite the rain, nearly 4,000 fans turned out for the classic, expecting to be treated to a traditional hard-hitting game. They were not disappointed.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 0 0 2 8 10
South 0 0 0 0 0

1986

Quarterback Chris Fusco of Altoona Area High School lobbed a one-yard touchdown pass to tight-end Jeff Polites of Cambria Heights with just 11 seconds left, giving the North a 21-17 victory in the 15th annual Ken Lantzy, Finest 40 All-Star Football Game before a record 4,400 people June 14,1986 at the Point Stadium.The deciding touchdown came less than six minutes after the underdog South appeared to have pulled off an upset when Greater Johnstown’s Dave Dabbs recovered a North fumble at the losers’ seven, snuffing out a 66-yard drive with 6:05 left in the game and the South sporting a 17-14 advantage.Trailing 14-3 at halftime, the South used a 35-yard return of an interception by Ferndale’s Alan Eisenhuth to ignite their comeback effort. Eisenhuth’s theft gave the South a first down at their own 41 and at the same time stopped a North drive that had arrived at the South’s 31.Fourteen plays later, Vo-Tech quarterback Brian Bowser tossed a three-yard touchdown pass to Ligonier Valley speedster Michael Anthony. Bowser misfired on an attempt for a two-point pass.A fourth-quarter fumble recovery by Rick Rager of Conemaugh Township set up the South’s go-ahead touchdown.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 0 14 0 7 21
South 0 3 6 8 17

1987

The 17th edition of the Ken Lantzy All-Star Football Game was another victory for the North- its third in a row-and it came about in an unusual way.The North defeated the South, 25-13, because the team with the most-accurate passer couldn’t provide enough protection. The North squad, behind quarterback Rick Hoover, pulled a victory out of the hat when it completed only 5 of 17 passes. Two of those bombs, though, were touchdown passes of 43 and 56 yards. The victory was the eighth in the series for the North. The South still holds a narrow 9-8 all-time lead.Part of the reason for the North’s victory in 1987 was the North’s all-star noseguard Deran Smith, a Forest Hills graduate. Smith led an intense defensive rush against the South and returned a fumble 15 yards for the North’s first touchdown.Smith and another Forest Hills product, Ken Matlin, were named the most-valuable players for the North. The MVPs on the North’s offensive squad were Hoover, of Altoona, and tight end Scott Zellem of Indiana Area. For the South, the MVP selections were Jim Arnold of Chestnut Fidge and Ryan Jones of Greater Johnstown on the defense and Paul Romanchok of Windber and Bill Snyder of Somerset, offense.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 6 0 12 7 25
South 7 6 0 0 13

1988

All through the week of practice, players and coaches alike wondered aloud what might happen if Greater Johnstown’s speedy James Mathews found some daylight on a kickoff return for the South. The questions were answered in the second quarter of the 18th Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Game when Mathews broke loose on an 85-yard kickoff return, just 17 seconds after the North had grabbed a 3-0 lead on Dave Burmeister’s 34-yard Mathews’s brilliant return triggered a 14-3 victory for the South, ending a three-year domination by the North.Burmeister, a standout at Glendale Area, booted his field goal after he had caught a 50-yard pass from Blairsville quarterback Paul Emanuel.The South tacked on another TD in the third period when Richland’s Sean Callihan scored on a one-yard dive and Jack Frazier of United pulled off a surprise when as a holder on the PAT attempt, he picked up the ball and ran for the two extra points.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 0 3 0 0 3
South 0 6 8 0 14

1989

It was a case of better late than never in the 19th Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Game held June 18 at the Point Stadium. Despite being postponed 24 hours because of a week of rain and aBonJovi rock concert that turned the Point into a sea of mud, the Classic attracted an estimated 4,400 persons. And no one left disappointed.South coach Jerry Davich of Greater Johnstown never doubted that this team could put the ball in the air and after three quarters, neither did North coach John Hayes of Bellwood-Antis.South quarterbacks Donnie Fyfe of Chestnut Ridge and Alex Roebuck of Greater Johnstown threw for 243 yards and three touchdowns as the winners built up a 28-0 lead before being forced to stave off a late North comeback in a 28-12 victory.Fyfe threw a pair of TD passes of six and 45 yards to Greater Johnstown’s Chuck Wyatt. Roebuck connected on a 10-yard scoring aerial to Richland’s talented receiver, Kevin D’Ambrosia. Richard Shockey of Meyersdale accounted for the other South touchdown on a one-yard run.Hayes went to his powerful Blue Devil passing combination of quarterback Todd Hirt to wide-receiver Jason Lamertina to launch the North comeback attempt. Hirt connected on 10 of 19 passes in the final quarter, including TD tosses of 39 and 15 yards to Lamertina, but it was too little, too late.Doug Miller of Somerset Area was the defensive standout, making nine tackles and intercepting one pass. Tom Smith of Bishop McCort chalked up five tackles and recovered a fumble. Brian Koontz of Northern Bedford produced six tackles for the North defense.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 0 0 0 12 12
South 0 6 8 14 28

1990

The 20th Lantzy Classic was a case-in-point as to why football gjunes are decided on the field rather than in pregame press clippings.The South has been blessed with an over abundance of offensive talent, evidenced by the fact that Bedford Area’s brilliant runningback Keith Williams had been shifted to defense early in the practice week.There was some early conjecture that this game might materialize into the most lopsided contest ever in the series. But, the North had different ideas. And by the opening kickoff, North coach Chuck Lucidore (Penn Cambria) has his troops emotionally primed. While, the South did prevail, the 15-0 victory didn’t come easy, and a crowd, estimated at 4,500, was treated to an outstanding game.After both teams slugged it out in a scoreless first quarter, the South finally dented the Point Stadium Scoreboard with 1:47 left in the first half. Eight plays after defensive end Mike Marshall (Bedford Area) recovered a North fumble at the N-45, fullback Steve Bellack (Bishop McCort) completed a five-yard sprint to the end zone and Jeff Hess (Greater Johnstown) kicked the extra point.Both Lucidore and South head coach Dennis Stahl (Meyersdale) agreed that the pivotal play occurred on the first play of the second half when South quarterback Chad Fetzer (Bishop McCort) and speedy wideout Rob Veney (Greater Johnstown) caught the North defense napping and completed a 38-yard pass to the North 20.Two plays later, halfback Chris Palumbo (Windber Area), who enjoyed a banner evening, broke loose on an 18-yard touchdown run that saw the shifty runner elude three would-be tacklers. Fetzer’s run for the two-point conversion set the final score.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 0 0 0 0 0
South 0 7 8 0 15

1991

The North and South battled relentlessly for most of four quarters before the 21st Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Football Game was decided with just 1:52 left on the Point Stadium Clock.A couple of Mainline area stars-quarterback Shane Leahey of Bishop Carroll High School and running-back Travis Kargo of Portage-finally handed the North its ninth win in the Classic by combining on a 43-yard touchdown pass.The aerial provided the game’s only points in a 6-0 North win. It marked the lowest scoring game in Lantzy history.The North threatened last in the first quarter when quarterback Dave Brocious (Purchase Line) broke loose on a 37-yard run and advanced the ball to South 19- Only a saving-tackle by the South’s James Bush (Greater Johnstown) prevented a TD. Unfortunately Brocious fractured his left collarbone on the play and was lost to the North for the rest of the game.The North threatened again late in the second quarter when it marched to the South 15, where Jason Buggey of Homer-Center watched his 33-yard field goal attempt sail wide to the right with 15 seconds left.Neither team launched a serious scoring threat in the second half until Kargo stepped into the right corner of the end zone with Leahey’s winning pass.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 0 0 0 6 6
South 0 0 0 0 0

1992

The North and South all-star teams combined for a Ken Lantzy Finest 40 game record 80 points in the 1992 contest. The North defeated the South 51-29 before an estimated crowd of 5,000 at Point Stadium.The teams scored the more points in two quarters that had been scored in the previous two Lantzy games combined. The 80 total points in this game were more than the cumulative total of 78 points scored in the previous four Lantzy games.The North’s running game accounted for a big night from Central Cambria’s Rick Hoffman, who gained 142 yards on 21 carries and scored twice, and Homer-Center’s Matt Lee, who’s 135 yards on 12 attempts, including a 44-yard touchdown, for an average of 11.3 yards a carry. Lee was named the North’s offensive player of the game. North quarterback Rick Artley completed 6 of 11 passes for 153 yards on two TDs.Perm’s Manor’s Matt Gates hit 3 of 6 for 80 yards and a TD. The big play of the game came when the North scored on a 80-yard pass play from Artley to Forest Hill’s Greg Myers with four seconds left in the first half and the South leading 14-12. The big play turned the momentum to the North’s favor.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 6 12 12 21 51
South 7 7 7 8 29

1993

Johnstown High standouts Geroy Simon and Justin Misner-Britt proved that a 1-7-1 Trojans season didn’t mean that JHS was without talent. Simon, who went on to play collegiality at Maryland, and Misner-Britt put on a show, as the South beat the North 41-14.Simon returned a punt 60 years for a touchdown to give a South an early 7-0 lead. He had four receptions for 99 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown catch of a pass from Windber’s Scott Lybarger.Simon also rushed for 12 yards and was even the holder on extra-point kicks by Lybarger. Misner-Britt had two pivotal catches for 57 yards, including a 17-yard TD that gave the South a 27-14 lead for four seconds before halftime. His athletic ability showed on a 40-yard reception, which he ran down to catch in over-the-shoulder fashion, before bowling over a defensive back who had coverage.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 7 7 0 0 14
South 10 17 7 7 41

1994

The 24th edition of the Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Game really was two games in one. The South carried the first game, leading 33-0 after three quarters. The North won the fourth, scoring 28 points in the find 15 minutes. Add the numbers and you have a 33-28 South victory.Veteran Laurel Valley coach Gerry Page notched his first Lantzy Game victory. Conemaugh Township’s Don Haines, named the South’s outstanding offensive back, threw for two touchdowns. Somerset’s Ben Walter and Bedford’s Bill Benbow each ran for touchdowns, and Johnstown’s Mike Hardison returned an interception 65 yards for another score.The North came back behind Portage’s Eric Maul, who hit 10 of 20 second-half passes for 186 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was named the North’s outstanding back. Cambria Heights’ Adam Weber scored on two runs

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 7 13 13 0 33
North 0 0 0 28 28

1995

For 43 minutes, it seemed as if a field goal would be enough to win the 25th Ken Lantzy Finest 40 game. But that changed when the South went to Westmont’s Herb Aust and the belly play in second half. Aust gained 100 of his game-best 124 yards over the final 17 minutes of play and scored two TD’s in the South’s 14-3 victory over the North before a crowd estimated at 5,000.The North’s Jess Houser booted a 20-yard field goal in the first half. Aust scored on a 26-yard TD run with 2:00 left in the third quarter. The Hilltop running back added a 29-yard TD late in the game.The South also scored on a safety, when Ferndale’s Jeff Cypher tackled Penn Cambria’s Corey McConnell in the end zone. Conemaugh Township’s Rick Matsko punted 44 yards to pin the North deep in its own territory to set up the safety.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 0 0 6 8 14
North 0 3 0 0 3

1996

There was plenty of action from the opening kickoff to the final play, as the North pulled out a 35-32 win.The North scored on its third play when Blairsville’s Sam Lezzi ran 54 yards for a touchdown. On its next possession the North scored again a 1-yard plunge by Central Cambria’s Eric Lucas. The South roared back, scoring on their next series, with a 4-yard run by Westmont’s Shawn Noon. The South pulled even before the half on a 66-yard pass from Jay Gervinski of Bedford to Bishop McCort’s Shawn Newcomer.In the second half the North jumped out in front again picking off a South pass and using only one play to score as the Altoona connection hooked up on a 26-yard pass from Todd Bank to Greg Geishauser. But the South came back gain to narrow the lead to 27-24. The North scored again and held off a late rally by the South to win.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 14 0 13 8 35
South 0 14 10 8 32

1997

There were plenty of fireworks at Windber Stadium for the Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star football game. In the end the North proved to be more explosive the South, in pulling out a 25-14 win.The North got on the board first when Dave Secriskey scored on a one yard plunge and then added a two point conversion to take an 8-0 lead. The North moved again with a 13 play drive ending in a 12 yard sweep and an extra point to set the score at 15-0.In the second half the North scored first on a 25 yard field goad, but the South came roaring back. First on a 75 yard drive and a one yard run by Don Thomas, then a five yard run by Scott Flowers and a two point conversion by Chris Locher put the score at 18-14. But on the Norths next possession a 59 yard pass to Brian Eredler put the game away and net the final at 25-14.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 8 7 3 7 25
South 0 0 6 8 14

1998

Chestnut Ridge graduates, Jon Claar and Greg Feather capped their scholastic careers in grand fashion. Feather caught four passes for 156 yards and 3 TD’s of 46, 70 and 34 yards. Claar completed 5 of 7 passes for 166 yards and two of the Feather touchdowns.It was the North scoring touchdowns early with its punishing rushing attack. The North gained 107 yards rushing in the opening 15 minutes including a 5 yard TD run by Bellwood’s Don Lingenfelter and a 2 yard keeper by Matt Miller.Patience was a virtue for the South as they owned the second quarter by scoring three passing touchdowns, two by Jon Claar and one by Justin Secrest to lead at halftime 21-14.In the third quarter the South built its lead to 35-14 on a one yard plunge by Dave Deneen and a 34 yard TD pass, Secrest to Feathers that set the final score as the South defense held the North offense to only 7 first downs over the final three quarters.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 14 0 0 0 14
South 0 21 14 0 35

1999

On Saturday night, the South squad broke open a close contest in the second half, taking advantage of North mistakes and excellent offensive execution to earn a victory.The first half was close with each team trading touchdowns, the South on a 34 yard pass from Keith Respet to Nick Schario and a sustained drive by the North, highlighted by a fake punt on a fourth and two, which resulted, several plays later, in a 21 yard touchdown pass, Brian Cence to Justin Karabinos. The South then added a score on a 12 yard pass from Matt Statler to Justin Thiel, which was set up by a 60 yard run by Nathan Leach.The South had a 14-7 halftime lead, but the momentum turned when the South capitalized on the North’s errant play. Early in the second half a bad punt snap went out of the end zone for a safety, and on the North’s next series a quarterback sack resulted in a fumble which was returned for a touchdown and suddenly the South had a 23-7 lead.By the end of the third quarter, the score was 38-7 on a one yard run by Zak Ickes and a two yard touchdown by John Burda.The scoring was closed out in the fourth quarter with each team swapping 1 yard touchdown runs, the South by Joe Cannoni and the North by Justin Beyer.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 7 7 24 7 45
North 7 0 0 6 13

2000

The South squad came out clicking on all cylinders and rolled to a 48-20 win for their third straight victory in this all-star classic. The South was on the board first via 46 yard pass from Conemaugh Township’s Paul Beyer to Richland’s Bill Rose. After an interception by Bishop McCort’s Kevin Sheridan the South struck again on a 3 yard run by North Star’s Michael Kovach. The North then moved the ball on a 62 yard 10 play drive to score and narrowed the South lead to 14-6. The two squads traded possessions and the South capitalized on an eleven play drive with the final 20 yards covered by Nick Rizzo of Windber to set the halftime score at 20-6.Starting the second half, the North fumbled and the South recovered and promptly scored from 9 yards out on a reverse to Bill Rose to increase the lead to 27-6. The South scored again after a stalled North drive, when Paul Byer hit Meyersdale’s Nate Meyer on a 64 yard bomb, which set the score at 34-6. The Forest Hill’s connection Dave Poldiak to Josh Rearick, accounted for 2 scores to bring the total to 34-20 South. Two More South scores put the game away and the final at 48-20.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 0 6 14 0 20
South 14 6 21 7 48

2001

A three game winning streak by the South was ended last night on a come from behind 26-25 North victory.The South opened the scoring as Windbers Jeff Slatcoff unleashed a 72 yard bomb to Chris Bedell of Greater Johnstown for a 7-0 lead. But the North came back with its own score on a long drive which ended with a John Bednarski 1 yard run to bring the score to 7-6. In the 2nd quarter the South used its passing game to again score with a 3 yard pass Walt Shutack to Rob Kolson, which set the score at half time 13-6 South.In the 2nd half the South again scored first on another long pass of 68 yards, Slatcoff to Bedell for a South 19-6 lead. In a see-saw battle the North retaliated with an 11 play drive capped by a 2 yard run by Blairsville’s Jarrod Highberger. Back again came the South with a 10 yard scoring pass to Victor Callahan from Jeff Slatcoff as the South increased their lead to 25-12. As before, the North roared back with a 38 yard pass from Forest Hill’s Derek Bailey to Damion Buterbaugh of Northern Cambria to close the gap to 25-18. Then to set the final score, Jason Hardwick ran a punt back 52 yards for a score to bring the North a victory in dramatic fashion.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 7 6 12 0 25
North 6 0 12 8 26

2002

The North used a strong running game to beat the South 40-20 in the 32nd Annual Game. The North started the scoring on a 5 yard run by Chad Schilling after a fumble recovery at the 26. The South then recovered a North fumble and in sixplays turned it into a 2 yard touchdown by Everett’s Josh Levy. On the North’s next possession they used five play drive to score again on a 36 yard pass from Wes Krider to Ryan Minor. The North continued to roll by using a nine play drive to score on a 4 yard run to make the score 21-7 at the half. But in the third period the South regained some momentum and scored on their own 9 play drive ending in a Joe Arcurio to John Duray 11 yard pass making the score 21-14. But the North put the game away by scoring three consecutive times, two on runs of 3 yards and 18 yards and a pass from Penn Cambria’s Dan Peters to Scott Ball of Central Cambria to set the score at 40 to 14. A late score by the South put the final at 40 to 20 in favor of the North.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 6 15 0 19 40
South 7 0 7 6 20

2003

In dramatic fashion the South came back to win in a 30-28 contest. With little scoring in the first half the North managed to score a touchdown on a 59 yard drive capped by a 44 yard pass by Nate Crookshank. In the second quarter the South intercepted the North and on the first play scored on a 12 yard halfback pass, Alex Shroyer to Jonathan Matson which set the halftime score at 7-7.With the start of the second half the fireworks began with the North scoring twice in the first minute of play. The first on a kickoff return of 84 yards and a 28 yard pass, Crookshank to Steve Verba on their next possession. The South answered with a 1 yard run by Chad Shoemaker to make the score 21-14 North. Crookshank again hooked up with another receiver, Brian Shope for another touchdown setting the score at 28-14. In the fourth quarter the South dominated with a Chad Shoemaker 6 yard run and 27 yard fumble recovery return by Rob Sakmar which then set the score at 28-27 North. This set up the final score on a 33 yard field goal by John Curle with 7.3 seconds left which gave the South an exciting victory.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 0 7 7 16 30
North 7 0 21 0 28

2004

Defense is not usually the strong suite of an all-star football game. But the crowd witnessed a defensive showcase as the North beat the South 7-0 at the 34th annual game. In the first half, the North offensive had 43 yards on the ground gaining 28 yards on three rushes. The South has 48 yards on 22 carries in the first half. The last time the Lantzy Game was scoreless at the half was in 1991, the lowest scoring game (6-0) in Lantzy History.Jonathan Buggey of Homer-Center picked off a Chris Roberts pass with 10.9 seconds remaining in the third, returning the ball to the 16 and setting up the North Score. The North’s scoring drive was capped by a 3-yard run of Todd Koenig of Bishop Carroll.Tyler Ribblett of Conemaugh Valley kicked the extra point to account for the game’s scoring. A turnover at the end of third quarter led to an eight-play North drive for the games only score in a 7-0 victory.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 0 0 0 7 7
North 0 0 0 0 0

2005

Blairsville running back Matt Strope gained 141 yards and earned two scholarships during Saturday’s Ken Lantzy finest 40 All-star Football Game.The John Hoptins University-bound Strope was a key cog in the North squad’s 21-14 victory over the South at Trojan Stadium.But Strope shared the moment with a hunch of guys who usually avoid the spotlight “Get me behind an offensive line like that, and I’m going to rumble,” Strope said. “We’ve got some big boys up front. All week they talked about speed, speed, speed for the South. We’ve got that offensive and defensive line. They’re huge. They Just laid the wood, pancakes all night.”The North rushed for 293 yards and beat the South at its own game.The South lineup included high-profile backs such as Greater Johnstown’s LaRod Stephens, Berlin’s Eric D’Carrion, Bishop McCort’s Shawn Lewis and Bedford quarterback Troy Harris.That group gained its yards: Stephens (88 yards), D’Carrlon (77) and Lewis (56).But In the end, the North’s balance and a big defensive stop by Bishop Carroll’s Chris Kline made the difference.Kline halted D’Carrion inside the 1 -yard line on a fourth-and-goal run with :01 on the clock.“Three plays in a row, they had been running on the toss on that side,” Kline said of Lewis dashes of 7 and 3 yards that got the South close. They were triple teaming me and pulling the guard.“The last time, my corner came up and took on the blockers. I hit D’Carrion and just stopped him before he got to the goal line. I saw the blue and I saw he didn’t get into the end zone.” The North built a 13-0 first-quarter advantage.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 13 0 0 8 21
South 6 8 0 0 14

2006

South coach Phil DeMarco credited defense for his team’s victory over the North in a high scoring 2006 game. The South gained an early advantage when Windber’s Matt Wilson intercepted and ran 47 yards to the North 18-yard line. Two plays later Bedford quarterback Kyler Ford scored on a1yard keeper and booted the extra point. John Kamzik of Richland intercepted and returned 32 yards setting up a touchdown run by Westmont’s Nick McKolosky.The North answered with Conemaugh Valley’s Vince Turner’s 42 yard run to the South 16 and Blairsville’s Zack Sabella took a reverse into the end zone. Bishop Carroll’s Brock Lauer threw to Matt Martella of Portage for a two point conversion on a fake kick to make it 14-8. Blairsville’s Nick Stone ran 52 yards to set up his own touchdown run on fourth down. Blairsville’s Adam Highberger scored on a conversion run after another fake kick to end the opening quarter with the North leading 16-13. Second quarter touchdowns by Westmont’s Brad Kanuch for the South and North’s Stone left the North leading 22-20. Then South QB Ford hit Greater Johnstown’s Xavier Thomas for a 31 yard touchdown pass and passed to Kanuch for the conversion and a 28-22 halftime lead.In the third quarter Shade’s Ben Leonard and Kanuch teamed on a 51 yard touchdown reception and Bedford’s John Marshall ran the conversion. United’s Sean Domer scored on a 6 yard run for the South early in the fourth to make it 43-22. With less than 10 minutes to play Highberger threw to Martella and Stone’s conversion run pulled the North within 13 points. Ford kicked a 30 yard field goal to make it 46-30. North’s Turner caught a 4 yard Highberger pass to close the scoring with seconds left to play.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 13 15 7 11 46
North 16 6 0 14 36

2007

With the his South team 85 yards away from the end zone and trailing by three points late in Saturday’s Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Football Game, Meyersdale quarterback Matt Stahl did what came naturally to him.Stahl looked for Red Raiders teammate Jeff Miller, a 6-foot-2 tight end on Meyersdale’s undefeated, District 5 Class A championship team.The duo clicked for three first-down passes, the last one good for a 26-yard score that sealed the South’s 14-10 comeback victory over the North at Trojan Stadium.“Anytime we had a close game during the regular season, Jeff was the target I was looking for,” said Stahl, who completed 7 of 17 passes for 110 yards. “It just so happened that we ran the boot pass and my reads went to the tight end. I saw him break open. He made the play.”The game-winning reception came on third-and-13. Stahl rolled to his left and threw across his body to Miller on the sideline.Miller caught the pass near the North 13-yard line, slipped a defender and ran to the end zone with 1:02 on the clock. Mike Muir booted the extra point.“Me and Matt have been together for four years, and we know what we’re each going to do,” said Miller after making five catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns. “He just put the ball on the spot. We were just going for the first down there. It was the route we wanted to run. I just spun off the defender.”A Miller catch for 12 yards converted a third-and-4 from the South 21 earlier in the drive. Miller grabbed a 27-yard pass on a fourth-and-4 to keep the march going with 2:56 left.“Matt will put the ball on the spot in any situation and I’m very confident in him,” Miller said.Greater Johnstown’s Aaron Brezovic of the South sealed the win with his fourth sack of the game with 11 seconds left.“We all played as a team and that’s what it came down to in the end,” Brezovic said.Brezovic, who had 291⁄2 sacks in his final two seasons, earned the South’s defensive line award.The North’s Logan Small broke a scoreless tie with a 14-yard touchdown run six seconds into the second quarter. Dylan Snowberger’s extra point made it 7-0. Small took the North’s offensive back award.The South, held without a first down through the opening 14:57, finally put together a 79-yard march keyed by Brandon Hody’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Miller. Muir’s extra-point tied the score. The North’s Snowberger booted a 37-yard field goal with 28 seconds left in the third quarter to make it 10-7. Other award winners were: North–Chris Lieb, Northern Cambria, defensive back; Matt McMurray, Altoona, defensive line; and Corey Leahey, Penn Cambria, offensive line. South–Jesse Feaster, Bedford, offensive back; David Komoroski, Ligonier Valley, offensive line; and Scott Lewis, Bishop McCort, defensive back.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 0 7 0 7 14
North 0 7 3 0 10

2008

The 38th annual Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Football Game Saturday night at Trojan Stadium featured impressive passes, jarring hits and some jaw-dropping rushes.But this Lantzy game had something that no previous one had ever experienced – stoppage of play due to lightning.With 3:14 remaining in the third quarter, officials took the teams to the locker room and shortly thereafter, the game was called.The final score read South 33-0 over the North, the Rebels’ third straight victory.”We had a very talented team this year,” South coach Stacy Schmitt of North Star said. “The players were very unselfish and worked together as a team. That’s really the most rewarding thing, to see them come from different schools, jelling together. Our offensive and defensive lines really came together as a unit.”The South got on the Scoreboard at the end of the first quarter, mounting a seven-play drive from the 40-yard line.The drive was capped by a pass from Somerset’s Jordan Kaufman to Bishop McCort’s Matt Varga for a 10-yard score.Kaufman connected with Richland’s Dan Fenton for the conversion and an 8-0 lead for the South.The Rebels got three more scores in the second quarter on each of their three possessions.Tyler Edwards of Meyersdale scored from 34 yards out and Kaufman threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Windber’s Mike Webb.Some trickery by the South, had quarterback Jordan DeFrances of Bishop McCort lateral the ball back to Fenton, who then threw downfield to a waiting Varga for the 44-yard score.The South continued its momentum, taking the second-half kickoff in the end zone and marching to a score, keyed by runs by Kaufman (35 yards), Rockwood’s Tyler Baker (5) and a pass to Westmont’s Nick Khuri (12 yards).The drive was culminated by Reed’s 29-yard scamper for the touchdown.For the South, Reed finished with 123 yards on 11 carries and Edwards had seven rushes for 63 yards. Northern Cambria’s Jeremiah Dunchack topped the North rushing with six carries for 14 yards while Chris Hibbs of Blairsville had two catches for 26 yards.South award winners from the game included: Will Harris of Johnstown (defensive back); Shad Nair of North Star (defensive line); Brett Shippey of Bedford (offensive line); and Varga (offensive back). The North winners were: Jonathan Rajnish of Northern Cambria (defensive line); Sean Billings of Bishop Carroll (offensive line); Adam Petrosky of Central Cambria (defensive back); and Hibbs (offensive back). “We just got outmanned up front,” North coach Dave Small of Purchase Line said. “We had opportunities earlier in the game and weren’t able to capitalize on them.” Notes: Marion Center’s Alex Borst won the Paul Shandor award while Ligonier Valley’s Jon Cotchen was the Dave Rizzo award winner. … Conemaugh Valley’s Josh Siwy received the scholarship for scholastic achievement while Central Cambria’s Shane McGregor was the scholar-athlete recipient. Dave Seidel of Bishop McCort was the hon-oree coach. … There were dozens of area coaches – both past, present and future – on the sidelines or in the stands, watching what for many players was their last game as football players. … At halftime, Raymond Buchan of Westmont (Lantzy, 1991) and Rickie Hafer of Laurel Valley (Lantzy, 2000), who were killed in service to their country in Iraq, were honored.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 8 18 7 0 33
North 0 0 0 0 0

2009

A record number of points were scored in the 39th Ken Lantzy All Star Game.The South exploded in the first quarter as North Star quarterback Cory Kaltenbaugh tossed a short pass to Richland’s Tim Ripple who then ran 82 yards for a touchdown just 18 seconds into the game.Matt Beckman of Ligonier booted the extra point and Patrick Hall of Laurel Valley intercepted the next play from scrimmage, putting his team at the North’s 20 yard line.Matt Beckman of Ligonier booted the extra point and Patrick Hall of Laurel Valley intercepted the next play from scrimmage, putting his team at the North’s 20 yard line.South defensive end Brett Hankinson stopped a run and set up another scoring drive ending with a 12 yard run by Bishop McCort’s Eric Lowry, making it 21-0.But the North answered back with a 17 yard touchdown run by Northern Cambria’s Andrew Paronish followed by the extra point kicked by Alex Patterson of Marion Center.The rules permit a team down by double digits to receive the kickoff after a touchdown and the North took the ball again and drove 63 yards to score on a one yard sneak by Blairsville quarterback Justin McGinnis.The South deepened their lead on the next kickoff when Blacklick Valley’s Taylor Holby broke free and ran 93 yards for a touchdown on the kickoff to make it 28-14.A roughing the kicker penalty on a North field goal attempt put the North inside their own 10 and led to a 7 yard scoring run by Scott Mehall of Forest Hills.Then Bryon Stanek of Cambria Heights intercepted a pass at the 42 and returned it to the 19.Garret Sisak of Homer Center connected with Bedford’s Zach Hess who was able to dodge a defender and go for a 26 yard touchdown.By halftime it was anybody’s game at 28-26.The second half began with another burst of offensive power by the South. Johnstown running back Quadir Christian took a direct snap and then lateraled back to Kaltenbaugh who connected with Riple for a 43 yard touchdown pass.On the extra point holder Jack Shrey of Bishop McCort passed to Zellem for the conversion and the South gained a 10 point advantage.Later touchdowns by Christian and Lowry raised the South score to 50. The North scored again on a Sisak pass to Everett’s Cory Waltman and another touchdown by Andrew O’Saben of Central Cambria late in the game, leaving the score at 50-38, and all time high of points scored in the All Star Game.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 21 7 15 7 50
North 7 19 0 12 38

2004

Defense is not usually the strong suite of an all-star football game. But the crowd witnessed a defensive showcase as the North beat the South 7-0 at the 34th annual game. In the first half, the North offensive had 43 yards on the ground gaining 28 yards on three rushes. The South has 48 yards on 22 carries in the first half. The last time the Lantzy Game was scoreless at the half was in 1991, the lowest scoring game (6-0) in Lantzy History.Jonathan Buggey of Homer-Center picked off a Chris Roberts pass with 10.9 seconds remaining in the third, returning the ball to the 16 and setting up the North Score. The North’s scoring drive was capped by a 3-yard run of Todd Koenig of Bishop Carroll.Tyler Ribblett of Conemaugh Valley kicked the extra point to account for the game’s scoring. A turnover at the end of third quarter led to an eight-play North drive for the games only score in a 7-0 victory.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 0 0 0 7 7
North 0 0 0 0 0

2005

Blairsville running back Matt Strope gained 141 yards and earned two scholarships during Saturday’s Ken Lantzy finest 40 All-star Football Game.The John Hoptins University-bound Strope was a key cog in the North squad’s 21-14 victory over the South at Trojan Stadium.But Strope shared the moment with a hunch of guys who usually avoid the spotlight “Get me behind an offensive line like that, and I’m going to rumble,” Strope said. “We’ve got some big boys up front. All week they talked about speed, speed, speed for the South. We’ve got that offensive and defensive line. They’re huge. They Just laid the wood, pancakes all night.”The North rushed for 293 yards and beat the South at its own game.The South lineup included high-profile backs such as Greater Johnstown’s LaRod Stephens, Berlin’s Eric D’Carrion, Bishop McCort’s Shawn Lewis and Bedford quarterback Troy Harris.That group gained its yards: Stephens (88 yards), D’Carrlon (77) and Lewis (56).But In the end, the North’s balance and a big defensive stop by Bishop Carroll’s Chris Kline made the difference.Kline halted D’Carrion inside the 1 -yard line on a fourth-and-goal run with :01 on the clock.“Three plays in a row, they had been running on the toss on that side,” Kline said of Lewis dashes of 7 and 3 yards that got the South close. They were triple teaming me and pulling the guard.“The last time, my corner came up and took on the blockers. I hit D’Carrion and just stopped him before he got to the goal line. I saw the blue and I saw he didn’t get into the end zone.” The North built a 13-0 first-quarter advantage.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 13 0 0 8 21
South 6 8 0 0 14

2010

The North was hungry for a win after a four game losing streak and came out on top of an 18-16 score in the 40th game of the Ken Lantzy All Star classic. The North team scored first on a 7 yard pass from Zach Glessner of Forrest Hills to Altoona’s Josh Adams after a 73 yard march on 6 plays. The South pulled ahead after Richland’s Gino Ramires connected with Seth Zaman of Conemaugh Township for a touchdown capping 6 plays and then Dane Domonkos of Bishop McCort kicked the extra point. In the second quarter, Kyle Zambanini of Conemaugh Township intercepted Glessner, but moments later the North’s Erik Espe of Central Cambria picked off a Famires pass and returned it 22 yards for a score. A conversion run failed but the North had the lead a 12-7 in the second quarter when lightning and a heavy downpour disrupted the action and delayed the game nearly an hour.When play resumed, it was the start of the third quarter. Both teams had turnovers before a 22 yard field goal by the South’s Domonkos put the score at 12-10. In the fourth quarter, Ramires was intercepted by Travis Holby of Penns Manor resulting in a touchdown to advance the North’s lead 18-10. The South answered with a 6 play drive ending with a score on a Ramires to Domonkos pass. A two-point conversion failed and the south tried an onside kick, but Justin Lamantia of Marion Center recovered the ball for the North who ran out the clock for the final minutes.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
South 6 6 0 6 18
North 7 0 3 6 16

2011

Defense ruled in the 2011 All Star game as the North squad nearly shut out the South. Both team’s offense struggled to score in the first half of the game. The only score came from a 26-yard field goal by Josh Chumrik of Bishop Carroll. The North took over in the second half of the game as Central Cambria’s Mitchell Brown intercepted a pass by quarterback Victor Manda of Blacklick Valley. Brown ran 25 yards for the touchdown. On their next possession, the North extended its lead with a three play 56-yard drive culminating in a 40 yard score by Nick Dudukovich of Forest Hills. Then came the North’s two point conversion run by Central Cambria’s Nick Wissinger to put two more points on the board. Two additional North scores came from a 2-yard touchdown run by Northern Bedford’s Preston Albright and a 4-yard run by Nick Wissinger.The South scored its only points with just minutes left in the game capitalizing on the interception of Caleb Vescovi’s pass by Richland’s John Klinar at the North’s 30 yard line. The South’s Hayden Stumpo of Conemaugh Township connected with Berlin’s Alex Will who ran it in for the score and saved the shutout.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 3 0 14 14 31
South 0 0 0 6 6

2012

An explosive South Team romped over an inconsistent North Team and scored 44 points to the North’s 6. The South began the scorefest about midway through the first quarter on a one yard run by Windber’s Colin Bryan. A two point conversion failed and the North was in great position at the start of the second quarter after receiving the ball on the South 24 due to a mishandled punt snap. But on the second play of the series, a fumbled snap gave the ball right back to the South. Then Rockwood’s Ben Miller threw a perfect pass down the middle of the field to Bishop Mcort’s Jerqual Wilson who easily covered the 76 yards for the score.The North got back in the game when Anthony Unger of Forest Hills scored on an 8 yard run. However, it was to be the only scoring drive of the game for them and the North offense was held to just 235 yards for the night.Greater Johnstown’s quarterback, Gervon Simon scored on a four yard run in the second quarter and a two yard run in the third. Ben Miller followed up with a 19 yard touchdown pass to Meyerdale’s Brandon Miller for a 36-6 lead at the end of the third quarter. Then Simon added the final touchdown on another two yard run in the fourth quarter.

Team 1 2 3 4 T
North 0 6 0 0 6
South 6 16 14 8 44

2013

The North put a decisive end to the South’s winning streak at the 43rd AllStar Game with a final score of 41-7. Coach Justin Wheeler challenged his team to play their last game as high school athletes in a way they would want to be remembered and the results were impressive. Cambria Heights running back Tyler Crawford finished with 108 yards on 13 carries with two scores. Forest Hills wide receiver Doltyn Snedden had four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown. Quarterbacks Danny Ferens from Penns Manor and Nathan Bearer from Cambria heights served as catalysts for the North offense. Ferens directed a 13 play drive on its second possession that led to a touchdown and an extra point kicked by Adam Polites of Northern Cambria for the first score of the game. On the second play of the South’s next drive Colton Mearkle of Everett picked off a pass which led to a score on a 25 yard run by Everett’s Barkley Rhoat. Another Polites kick ended the quarter with the North up by 14. They continued to march in the second quarter with a drive to the south 31 led by Bearer. An 11 yard pass to Polites on fourth down kept the drive going and led to 19 yard score by Polites. Just before the half the North scored again with a Ferens pass to Snedden and increased the lead to 26-0. The third quarter brought another North score on a Ferens 1 yard sneak. In the fourth quarter the South finally scored on a 10 play drive ending with a 5 yard run by Drew Glotfelty of Berlin and the extra point kicked by Brantley Rice of North Star. The North punched up its lead with another Crawford touchdown and an extra point by Tyler Gironda of Central Cambria, as well as a safety when Cody Kephart of Portage tackled Glotfelty in the end zone.

Team………………….1 2 3 4 T
NORTH ………………. 14 12 6 9 41

SOUTH …………………0 0 0 7 7

2014

Before the start of the 44th game a special tribute was paid to Jerry Page to honor his long years of service to SAFCA and the Ken Lantzy Game. Jerry coarched at Laurel Valley for nearly 30 years and this year he was wathcing hs son Greg Page coach the North team in the All Star Classic. But it was the South team led by coach Bob Landis that walked away with the victory. They established a lead in the first quarter and never let go. On the opening drive, Richland’s Matt Shaffer drove down the field in 7 plays capped by a 2 yard touchdown pass to Tyler Rugg of Bishop McCort. A conversion pass from Somerset’s Tanner Stull was hauled in by Dan Tomlinson of Windber. On the South’s next possession, Scott Fennel of Ligonier passed for 104 yards, but a slew of penalties resulted in no score and a Ken Lantzy Game first- a triple foul walk off. But the next possession took only one play to score on a 45 yard pass from Shaffer to fellow Richland Ram Kyle Flick and the south was up 14-0 at the end of the quarter. The North team got on the board early in the second when Kyler Diehl of Northern Bedford caught a 2 yard pass from Bishop Carroll’s Tyler Janosik on a halfback option pass.. The extra point failed and the South was able to score again on a 2 yard run by Shaffer before the end of the first half. The North made a big play on its second possession of the half when Diehl hauled in a pass from Blake Over of Northern Bedford and paraded down the field most of the 68 yard distance towards the goal. The resulting touchdown cut the South lead to 20-12. But the the South added 8 more points on a 22 yard pass from Shaffer to Flick follwed by a conversion. A fumble recovery by Richland’s Ben Verhovsek set up another score and touchdown runs of 19 and 25 yards by Richland’s Tanner Solarczyk increased the lead to 48-12. The North scored again just as the clock ran out on a 29 yard pass from Over to Bedford’s Kody Blevin.

Team 1 2 3 4 Final
South 14 6 14 14 48
North 0 6 6 6 18

2015

After a slightly sputtering start, the North team quickly took control of the game and built a lead that held up for a 34-12 win. The South team received the opening kickoff and drove to the 21 yard line aided by a 41 yard pass by Michael Bryja of Portage to Somerset’s Bryce Mostoller. But they lost possession on downs and the North took over to begin their assault. The first two carries by the North resulted in lost yardage. But after a timeout, the tide changed and QB Scott Thompson of Blairsville completed a pass to Homer Center’s Ean Lee and then a South penalty put the North at the 40. Thompson then completed passes to Jake Hurley of Penn Cambria for 15 yards, Shareef Blough of Forest Hills for 18 yards, and Lee for 34 yards. From the 7, Thompson passed to Matt Gormley of Bishop Guilfoyle to put the first points on the board. North scored again in the second quarter on a 21 yard pass from Thompson to Hurley and a conversion pass to Lee for a 14-0 lead at halftime. The third quarter saw another successful 14 play drive by the North, ending with a short run by Thompson for another 6 points. In the fourth quarter the South finally scored with a 28 yard touchdown pass from QB Michael Bryja of Portage to Johnstown’s Will Robinson. But the North answered with a nine play, 84 yard touchdown drive capped by a 14 yard run for the score by Thompson. Receiver Joe Donoughe of Forest Hills made the two point conversion that left the North ahead at 28-6. Donoughe scored again with a 30 yard run on the North’s next possession to make it 34-6. The South scored again on their final possession when QB Stephen Mort of North Star tossed a 22 yard pass to Conemaugh Township’s Luke Maurer.

NORTH ………………. 6 8 6 14 – 34
SOUTH ………………. 0 0 0 12 – 12

2016

A large crowd turned out on a beautiful evening to see a good contest between two teams that for the first time were not based on geographic location. This year each head coach had the opportunity to choose which schools to add to their team in a schoolyard type pick. The result was a good matchup that could have gone either way, but in the end the North was doomed by a series of turnovers in the first half. The South team scored just before the end of the first quarter after an 11 play drive ended in the first of two touchdowns by Braden Fochtman of Berlin, who finished the game with 185 yards rushing. The South dominated the first quarter with an interception by Cody Gill of of Conemaugh Valley and a fumble recovery by Conemaugh Township’s Austin Myers. In the second quarter, Chase Davis of Westmont had another interception for the South and they chewed up the clock with a 14 play drive ending in a 13 yard pass from Richland’s Jonny Kutchman to Berlin’s Zane Yanosky. The North had a chance on their next possession, but fumbled again and Hunter Bizjak of Conemaugh Valley recovered for the South. But shortly thereafter, the North’s Cyrus Lieb recovered a fumble and the North was poised to score, but a penalty and a fumble killed the drive and at halftime the score remained 12-0. The South scored again after the half with a two play drive and a 62 yard run by Fochtman. But then the North came alive with a 10 play drive ending in a touchdown by Bedford’s Zach Shaffer. The game rules gave the North the option to take possession of the ball again which led to another score to close the gap. By the fourth quarter they led the South by one point after Bailey Mumau scored with a 21 yard run. The South recovered the lead with a touchdown by Brandon Galasso of Conemaugh Valley along with a conversion pass from Somerset’s Dylan Barnes to Kyler Pyshnik, and a 29 yard touchdown run by Somerset’s Jake Heiple.

SOUTH…………. 6 12 19 33
NORTH………… 0 0 14 20

2017

An unexpected, ferocious thunderstorm threatened to doom the 47th All Star game, but thankfully the skies cleared up just in time to provide a beautiful night for football. As the first annual Ken Lantzy All Star band prepared to take the field, the beating drums provided a prelude to the exciting night ahead. Many called this year’s game the most thrilling game yet. The North got on the board first with a score by Jake Grosik of Conemaugh Township on a 13 yard pass from Bishop Guilfoyle’s Josh Trybus. The South answered with a 28 yard touchdown by Tavis Price of Johnstown on a pass from Levi Cook of Bishop McCort. The South defense derailed any North attempt to stretch the lead and by halftime the North led by only one point. The South took over the lead late in the third quarter with an 80 yard run by Nick Hite of Penn Cambria. The fourth quarter turned into a real battle. Picks by Tanner Coughenour of Bedford and Johnstown’s Rushaud Jordan-Maines stalled the North efforts to catch up. The South upped their lead 28-14 on a Cook to Price hookup and a two point conversion by Westmont’s Ian Valente. The North scored again when Berlin’s Cole Booth caught a Trybus pass to score. The extra point was good and the North was closing the gap 28-21 with about 5 minutes of play left on the clock. An offside kick by Trybus was recovered by Steven Sheaffer of Everett, then after six plays Tristan Brant of Berlin scored. With the extra point good the North found themselves within one point of a tie game with 2:48 left to play. Coach Justin Wheeler called time out and decided to attempt the two point conversion. Trybus hit Booth again and the North took a one point lead. The south came roaring back with a 34 yard pass to Johnstown’s Elijah Brehm and nearly took back the lead, but two passes that were ruled incomplete stalled them at the 7 yard line. At that point all the North had to do was take a knee to seal the win.

NORTH ……….. 7 7 14 29
SOUTH ……….. 0 6 20 28

2018

For the 48thcontest the weather was beautiful, the crowd was huge, and the game was thrilling. The well matched teams battled it out to a near tie that was only broken in the final seconds. The North got on the board first with a spectacular 56 yard scoring pass from Johnstown quarterback Austin Barber to fellow Trojan Imil Britt. The extra point was kicked in by Carter Raupauch of Berlin for a 7-0 start. It took only minutes for the South to answer with a couple of big passing plays from Central Cambria’s Justin Bezek to Ligonier’s Jackson Daugherty that resulted in a touchdown, but the extra point was blocked leaving the score at 7-6. That score remained unchanged until halftime. In the third quarter the South scored on a 48 yard pass from Bezek to Luke Bennett of Central Cambria. Then Bezek and Portage’s Tom Randazzo teamed up for the two point conversion and the South took the lead at 14-7. The North tied things up at the start of the fourth quarter as Jonathan Long of Somerset took the punt and ran 50 yards to the end zone and Raupauch got the extra point. Fierce defense on both sides held that score at 14-14. Defensive highlights were 7 tackles by Noah Dillow of Chestnut Ridge and six stops including two sacks by Drew Boyer of Berlin. As the clock wound down to the final minutes it appeared the game would go into overtime. But Barber drove his team down the field and with 37 seconds left on the clock, Raupauch had the opportunity to kick the field goal that sealed the win for the North.

North ………….. 7 0 7 3 – 17
South ………….. 6 0 8 0 – 14

2021

Stuffing the South
North defense blanks South for Lantzy victory
BY PHILIP CMOR

Berlin Brothersvalley’s Will Spochart passed for two touchdowns and ran for a third in the 50th Ken Lantzy Football All-Star Classic on Friday night at Trojan Stadium. But after the final horn, it was his own North defense he was thanking. “All week, they were stacked, and they gave us a great look for our offense,” Spochart said. “I wouldn’t have wanted to go against them (in the game itself ). I wouldn’t want to go against them at all.” Instead, the North’s defense put a hurt on a South offense that featured plenty explosive elements like Chestnut Ridge’s Logan Pfister, Bedford’s Steve Ressler, United’s Hunter Cameron and Homer-Center’s Ben Schmidt to pitch the first shutout in the all-star game since 2008, 20-0. “It’s the best feeling in any game to get a shutout, but especially at all-star game,” Richland defensive lineman Nathan Kniss said. “It’s just an amazing feeling.” The North allowed just 150 yards in total offense. More importantly, it limited the South to 1-for-13 on third-down conversions and 1-for-5 on fourthdown attempts, putting its offense in great position to score the only points it needed. “They did a really good job in the secondary of covering guys, so I didn’t have the reads for the guys I wanted to hit throwing the ball,” said Pfister, who was 9-for-20 passing for 73 yards and a pair of interceptions. “Then their D-line just did a good job getting to me, making some plays.” Altoona safety Kyle Murray picked off three passes to take home the North defensive backfield most valuable player award.Tussey Mountain tackle Chad Morningstar was the team’s defensive line MVP, representing a unit that was constantly in the South backfield, holding their opponents to 2.2 yards per carry. “We just gelled really nicely. Our team as a whole really pulled together,” Kniss said. “We got to know each other over just a few days and we really gelled.” North coach Brandon Bailey even tested his defense by going for it unsuccessfully two times near midfield in the fourth quarter. The South took advantage the first time to drive to the North 6, when Kniss tackled Pfister for an 8-yard loss and Conemaugh Township’s Seth Rosey ran down Ressler 7 yards in the backfield. After an incompletion, Richland’s Jacob Sabol – who also won the Paul Shandor Memorial award – intercepted Pfister and ran the ball back 25 yards to the North 34. Known for turning out high-octane offenses as Richland, North coach Brandon Bailey was asked after the game if he was going to be focusing on stifling defenses now. “No,” Bailey said with a chuckle. “I had nothing to do with this.” Central Cambria’s Nate Wyrwas put the finishing touch on the North victory when he took a short pass from Spochart stiff-armed a defender and fought his way for a 12-yard touchdown with 8:39 left in the third quarter. Wyrwas caught both of Spochart’s TD throws, hauling in a 39-yarder in the first quarter that opened the scoring. Spochart wound up the game’s leading passer with 87 yards and its leading rusher with 57 yards to claim North most valuable offensive back honors. “It was a great week. We all gelled pretty close,” Spochart said. “To play as well as we did – the defense pitched a shutout, the offense played great – you could really tell it was a team feeling.” Spochart was at the controls for both North touchdown drives in the first half. Near the end of the first quarter, he found Northern Bedford’s Dalton Smith in the flat for a 24-yard gain to convert a third-and-8 to the South 39. On the very next play, Spochart went deep down the middle to Wyrwas. Wyrwas juggled the ball as he battled the defender inside the 3, then pulled it in and took a step into the end zone. “That really got our mojo going. Everything after that started clicking for us,” Wyrwas said. “It started with Spochart’s throw. It was abeautiful throw on the dot. It was good coverage, but the ball ended up in my hands, and I went in.” Two series later, after the North defensive line stacked up Homer-Center quarterback Ben Schmidt for a turnover on downs at the South 43, Spochart took a read option run15 yards nearly untouched to paydirt to cap a four-play drive. The South also gave up 15 yards on a pass interference penalty one snap before the score. The North had a chance to go up three scores, but Homer-Center’s Travis Mock stepped in front of a Spochart pass at the South 4. The North outgained the South 145-81 in the opening half. The South’s biggest play was a pass from Pfister to Meyersdale’s John Harvey covering 27 yards. Cameron was the recipient of the David Rizzo Memorial Award for the South. Richland’s Bryce Batche and Bedford’s Jaydin Vargas were the respective offensive line MVPs, while Northern Cambria’s Gavin Dumm won the South defensive line MVP. Mock was the South defensive back most valuable player.

North………….. 7 6 7 0 – 20
South………….. 0 0 0 0 – 0