LOCKWOOD — Conditions at Lockwood High School were far from ideal on Saturday for the 2023 Class B all-star football game, but the South found a way to grind out a 14-8 win over the North.
"(Our defense) was exceptional," South head coach Travis Rauh said. "I felt really good about the kids we had over there and the scheme we had. Joe Horn, our defensive coordinator, did a phenomenal job getting them prepared this week, so I felt we matched up very well there."
Scoring got started when Eureka's Remington Little sacked South quarterback Ryan Racht and the ball popped free out of the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety. The North made it 8-0 with a 1-yard touchdown run from Eureka's Caleb Utter.
The South managed to score just before the end of the first half on a long pass from Racht to Whitehall's Sage Buus, making it 8-6 as the teams entered the locker room.
The South kept the momentum in the second half, as an opening drive interception from Jefferson's Zach Zody set up a 1-yard Racht touchdown run to put the South up 14-8.
The North had a chance in the closing minutes to potentially tie the game, but Guy Lesh of Baker sacked Utter to put the final nail in the coffin.
"They could have complained, because we're a spread team and all of the sudden we're playing left-handed," Rauh said of the weather. "They kept fighting and showed a lot of mental toughness. Ultimately, they made enough plays to win the game."
The South offensive MVP was Racht, while Lesh took home defensive MVP honors. Utter garnered the North's offensive MVP award, while Bigfork's Manny Baldi won the defensive MVP.
The North now leads the all-time series 18-16.
