Lufkin’s Taylor named offensive MVP with 6 catches, 2 touchdowns
FORT WORTH — Quarterback depth for the North All-Stars turned out to be a valuable asset.
Three quarterbacks threw touchdown passes in the second half to help the North to a 39-29 come-from-behind victory over the South in the 79th Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star game Tuesday night at Amon Carter Stadium.
The North stretched its series winning streak to three in a row and leads 42-31 all-time with six ties.
Tyler Jones, Nic Shimonek and Hagen Hutchinson shared in the glory with scoring throws to help the North overcome a deficit of three points in the fourth quarter.
Stephenville’s Jones, the North starter, accounted for the final touchdown pass midway in the fourth period with a 12-yard connection to Dylan Cantrell of Whitehouse.
The North went ahead 18-14 at the 1:30 mark of the third quarter on a 69-yard touchdown pass from Shimonek of Corsicana Mildred to Cantrell.
After the South regained the lead on a Trevicea Johnson touchdown run, Hutchinson from Class 1A Stamford improvised for the touchdown pass that put the North on top for good at 25-21 three minutes into the fourth quarter. Hutchinson first rolled to the right, but seeing nothing open, reversed field and lofted a 51-yard touchdown strike to Jabryce Taylor.
Taylor, of Lufkin, was named offensive MVP with 10 catches for 226 yards and two touchdowns. South linebacker Joshua Price of Fort Bend Hightower won the defensive honor.
Georgetown’s Jake Hubenak, bound for Oklahoma State, kept the South in striking distance by engineering three long touchdown drives. Johnson gave the South its final lead of 21-18 on a short touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
Southlake Carroll safety Tanner Jacobson, who has committed to Texas Tech, set up the second North touchdown with a pass interception. On the first play after the turnover, Lancaster’s Demarcus Ayers threw a 64-yard scoring pass to Taylor.
Mesquite’s Javon Jones, a linebacker headed for Arkansas State, forced the game’s only fumble.