Landon Varnes, Cayden Burger help South All-Stars to 20-15 win in 75th Bernard Blackwell game
GULFPORT — The South All-Stars ran their winning streak to 4 years in the annual Bernard Blackwell North/South All-Star game for MHSAA seniors.
Behind a second half offensive surge and stingy defense, the South All-Stars rallied past the North All-Stars 20-15 Saturday afternoon.
The South All-Stars now lead the series 37-29-5.
“Feels good to get a win,” South coach Blake Pennock said. “I’ve been in these games before and they always come down to the last second, and the South keeps coming out on top. This is awesome to coach in a game like this with the history it has, and the players involved it was a lot of fun.”
There were several standouts on either side.
The North All-Stars got on the board first, as Winona 3A Mr. Football winner Chase Richardson threw a backwards pass to South Panola’s Michael Johnson, who then tossed a 45-yard touchdown pass to Houston’s Jalen Washington. The successful two-point conversion gave the North an 8-0 lead with 7:32 left in the first quarter.
The North stretched their lead to 15-0 with 38 seconds left in the first half as Olive Branch’s Raheem Vance hit Union’s Keon Hutchins on 62-yard touchdown pass.
The South All-Stars responded just before the half, when Jeff Davis County’s Dee Darby took the ensuing kickoff 91 yards for touchdown as time expired in the second quarter.
The South cut the North’s lead to 15-13 with 2:07 remaining in the third quarter, when Hattiesburg’s Tavares Wade scored on 3-yard run.
The South took the 20-15 lead on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Brandon’s Landon Varnes to Petal’s Cayden Burger with 4:50 left in the fourth quarter.
“We were able get things going in the second half on offense and defense played great,” Pennock said. “This was a fun game to be a part of and come out on top.”
Varnes finished 11-of-22 passing for 111 yards with a touchdown to lead the South.
“We came out here to have fun and that’s what we did,” Varnes said. “A we came out on top. “It meant a lot to me to be a part of this game with a lot of talented players and coaches.”
Burger had 4 catches for 78 yards with a score and was named the South’s Offensive MVP. Picayune’s Jabari McWilliams was named the South’s Defensive MVP.
“It felt good, and we only had three days of practice, so we competed and showed out and win a game with guys I’ve never played with before,” Burger said. “Landon and I had a connection all week at practice, and he threw me a great ball and it was a touchdown.”
Vance had 82 yards passing with a touchdown to lead the North All-Stars.
Hutchins was named the Offensive MVP for the North, and Vicksburg’s Tyler Carter was named the defensive MVP for the North.
“It was a tremendous games on both sides,” North coach Randal Montgomery (of North Panola) said. “The kids played their hearts out and did everything we asked them to do. It was a lot of fun, and we had a tremendous week building relationships with coaches and players.”
