South outlasts North in Lezzer Lumber Football Classic for second consecutive year

Central Mountain graduate and South player Rocco Serafini makes a tackle on a player on the North team in Sunday evening Lezzer Lumber Football Classic in State College.
TIM WEIGHT/For The Express

STATE COLLEGE– The Central Pennsylvania Football Coaches’ Association (CPFCA) hosted the 40th annual Lezzer Lumber Classic on Sunday evening. Despite Central Mountain’s four players and Bald Eagle Area’s nine, the North team dropped its second consecutive game to South, 21-8 in the North-South senior matchup at State College’s Memorial Field.

Central Mountain senior running back Rocco Serafini, wide receiver Connor Foltz, lineman Brayden Diehl and lineman Dylan Baker represented the Wildcats. Wide receivers Cam Watkins, Gavin Burns, Kahale Burns and Nick Wible along with running back Cameron Dubbs, linebacker Alex Lefebvre, defensive lineman Austin Moyle, Caleb Lanning and lineman Eric Clark represented Bald Eagle Area.

Serafini claimed Offensive Most Valuable Player honors and Kahale Burns Defensive Most Valuable Player for the North team. Kahale was also awarded the CPFCA scholarship and Gavin the M&T Bank scholarship.

“It was a tough game but it was really just a fun week and we met a lot of new people, a lot of new studs that I played with,” Serafini said after the game. “It was a super fun week of practice and the game was also fun. Nothing to complain about.”

Serafini, who is headed to Bloomsburg to play football in a couple of months, was his typical self, racking up his tackles and even issuing a sack during the second quarter. Just before the sack, former teammate Connor Foltz resembled his senior days as a Wildcat, registering a 20-yard kick return following South’s first score.

“I played on one side of the ball this game but I wasn’t mad about it. Linebacker is where I’m going to be in college,” Serafini said. “I play the same whether I’m (in State College) or at Malinak Stadium. I play 100% every play and that’s the only way I know how to do it.”

Kahale and Gavin flew all over the field as the two combined for eight receptions for 60 yards as Kahale scored North’s one and only touchdown in the third quarter on a 12-yard reception from Clearfield quarterback Will Domico. Gavin had five receptions for 31 yards while Kahale had three for 29 yards.

While both teams got off to slow starts, South’s ability to convert on third downs-where it totaled 22 first downs to North’s 13-slowed North’s momentum to get the ball moving through the air or on the ground. After trailing by nine points in the first half, North came out with a fiery edge to begin the second half.

Kahale, Penns Valley’s lethal running back in Ty Watson and Domico helped the Wildcats march down the field with good field position following Foltz and Serafini’s defensive work. Kahale caught a ball from Domico and took it to the right sideline before cutting back to the left, picking up blockers to lead him to the end zone as North had some life until it ran out of time mid-way through the fourth quarter.

North couldn’t capitalize on other drives down the field and South managed the clock well over the final eight minutes to seal the deal.

“It’s tough for both squads, they come out and they’re tired because they’re not in football shape, and of course our guys (Bald Eagle Area) are in baseball shape,” Bald Eagle Area and North’s coach Nagle said. “I thought both teams played very well, game of inches. I think we had some plays that we could have made and plays we did make and that was pretty much the difference. Two good talented teams going after it, it was a good game.”

Both teams got off to slow starts as South led just 3-0 after the first quarter on Hollidaysburg’s Caden DeLattre’s field goal to put it ahead. North had sub-zero (-15) yards at the end of the first quarter while South was held to 15.

At the beginning of the second quarter the North squad had a chance to fire back at South with the first drive of the quarter, but instead went three-and-out. South took advantage of North’s defense by forcing North to jump offsides and on the shorter distance first and second downs, South capitalized to move the chains.

Even on a few fourth-and-short scenarios, Hollidaysburg and South coach Homer DeLattre’s team converted those to not only keep the clock running but keep the ball out of North’s hands. South eventually scored to close the half and put pressure on North to put some points on the board if it wanted a chance to win.

North came out of the locker room prepared to make a comeback but could not take advantage of its opportunities. Just over one minute after Kahale’s score, South quarterback and Mount Union graduate Bryce Danish found Mount Union teammate Je’saun Robinson for a big 69-yard connection.

After the missed extra point South led 15-8 instead of a tighter, one-point game.

Danish then rushed in for a 12-yard rushing TD to extend South’s lead after North tried for a fake punt on fourth down that went unsuccessful. The 13-point lead heading to the fourth quarter was a big enough cushion for South and tough enough to mount a comeback for a mid-June game in 80-degree temperatures.

One advantage South had was that most of its players, compared to North, had built practice, connection and repetition time with each other. North’s team was filled with Bald Eagle Area players who missed practice all week preparing for a baseball state championship. So, the connection and timing with receivers, tabbed with being out of football shape, hurt the North team.

“It definitely plays a factor for sure,” coach Nagle said when asked about the North team not having a lot of camaraderie. “That definitely made some things hard, timing wise and stuff. There were a couple of routes where kids were open and both the quarterbacks weren’t used to the speed of our guys because they were playing baseball. It’s no excuse but it was a big thing. But honestly, their defensive line stymied us early. We got it going, we figured it out. But we just kept making a couple of mistakes in the passing or running game. They essentially made one extra play than we did.”

Bald Eagle Area had nine senior standouts represent the team after the performance and run to the state tournament it put on. While the game was more of a recognition and a last salute to the area’s top seniors, the Eagles were pleased to have one more game on the field together.

Sunday evening’s game represented the true closing of one chapter.

“I think it was big. The guys played really hard and wanted to play this last game. To have that amount of kids in the game was great for me,” coach Nagle explained. “It was hard enough saying goodbye to them in December, so I’m glad we got one more crack at it. We had fun. At the end of the day the scoreboard went to the other side but it’s all about having fun.”

The game was a full-circle moment for the Eagles and coach Nagle, who was named the CPFCA Coach of the Year after his outstanding year at BEA. Nagle led the guys to a special and memorable season, but the credit goes to all that were involved, not just Nagle himself.

“We have a great staff. It should be coaches and staff of the year,” coach Nagle said when asked about his CPFCA Coach of the Year award. “It’s big of course for Bald Eagle Area but we do this together and we did it as a full staff.”

South 21, North 8

NOR 3 6 12 0–21

SOU 00 8 0–8

SCORING

First quarter

SOU-Caden DeLattre 26-yard FG, 0:12

Second quarter

SOU-Bryce Danish 5-yard run (kick missed), 03:37

Third quarter

NOR-Will Domico 12-yard pass to Kahale Burns (kick good), 7:52

SOU- Bryce Danish 69-yard pass to Je’saun Robinson (kick missed), 6:54

Bryce Danish 12-yard run (two point conversion no good)

TEAM STATISTICS

SOU NOR

First downs 22 13

Rushes-yards 42-94 27-105

C-A-I 15-28-0 12-25-2

Passing yards 219 70

Total yards 313 75

Fumbles-lost 0 0

Penalties-yards 10-85 9-74

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: North–Ty Watson 12-75 yards; Camron Watkins 3-34 yards; Will Domico 6-11 yards. South–Jack Steiner 9-32 yards; Bryce Danish 18-26 yards, 2TD; Brady Ronan 8-26 yards.

Passing: North–Will Domico 10-16, 51 yards, TD, 2INT. Jackson Romig 2-8, 19 yards. South–Bryce Danish 15-28, 219 yards, TD.

Receiving: North–Gavin Burns 5-31 yards, Kahale Burns 3-29 yards, TD. Je’saun Robinson 3-87 yards, TD; Caden DeLattre 3-41 yards; Tyler Long 1-33 yards. Jacob Benton 4-29 yards, Brady Ronan 2-18 yards.