North-South football: MVL makes its mark

MASSILLON — Three days around strangers in a place far from home didn't deter the four area football players in the Ohio North-South Classic on Saturday.

New Lexington's Lukas Ratliff, West Muskingum's Ty Shawger and River View's Jamal Watts and Brady Winner were among those who took part for the South squad in the Division IV-VII game, while West Muskingum head coach Nathan Brownrigg served as an assistant.

Both games were played at Massillon's Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. The Division I-III game was played prior.

It was Brownrigg's sixth All-Star experience, but his first in the North-South game. It is hosted annually by the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association, for which former Zanesville coach Chad Grandstaff serves as president. It is the largest coaches association in the country and the game is the longest running All-Star football game.

Brownrigg called it a "first class" experience and was impressed with the players. He coached offensive linemen on a staff that also included Van Wert's Keith Recker, Gallipolis Gallia Academy's Kole Carter, Fort Frye's Eric Huck and Cincinnati Gamble Montessori's Robert Rachel.

"The great thing about meeting these coaches that I have never met before, the reason they are successful is because they are really good dudes and really organized," Brownrigg said. "It has been great hanging out with those guys and getting to know them."

The South dropped a 27-18 decision, as its offense struggled with only 215 yards, including minus-2 rushing. But Brownrigg focused on the bigger picture.

"I think we were lucky — we had a really good group of kids," Brownrigg said. "We didn't have any personal fouls, and in a lot of games like this it gets that way. They were really character kids. If you watched the first game, the North got down 12 and basically quit and got all chippy and cheap. Our guys got down 17 and kept going."

Each of the local players made noticeable contributions.

Ratliff, a quarterback headed to Marietta, spent his day sharing time at receiver, his former position, and handling the full-time punting duties. He also contributed to kick returns.

He caught a pair of short passes, one on a last-minute scoring drive in the second quarter, a drive set up by his 36-yard punt that pinned the North at its own 9-yard line. He had just one pass thrown his way in the second half.

Shawger, a second-team All-Ohio pick in Division V, was a two-way starter for Brownrigg. He spent the majority of his day with the South fighting through a massive North offensive line from his inside linebacker spot. At 5-10, 195, he was giving up substantial height and weight.

He was in on four tackles in the first half alone and was also on special teams.

"That was the biggest five linemen, and sometimes seven, that I have ever seen or played against," Shawger said. "It was tough, but we tried to keep them off of us."

He left with a new appreciation for the talent around the state.

"It was pretty cool — I got to see a lot of really skilled dudes," Shawger said. "We got to play against an elite team and we scrimmaged the big school a little bit. And that was just crazy playing against them."

Shawger is the second West player in as many years to get a North-South invite, joining All-Ohioan Harley Hopkins, who starred for the South at linebacker in last year's game.

"He is obviously a great kid — a program kid for us," Brownrigg said. "He's another one, like Harley last year, that bought in to everything. I was showing these other kids pictures of him when he was a freshman running cross country, and how far he has come from there. That was awesome."

Winner, a 6-3, 245-pound defensive tackle, made a tackle-for-loss on a running play from inside of his own 5-yard line in the first quarter. North eventually settled for a field goal and a 3-0 lead.

Winner lined up frequently next to 6-4, 275-pound Cincinnati Madeira defensive end Grant Edgington, who is signed with Cincinnati. He said it was the best talent he has played with or against.

"The difference for me was the size," Winner said. "I'm one of the biggest guys in (the Muskingum Valley League), but here you're not as big. It was ok. (My performance) was under what I usually expect of myself, but I feel like overall it was good."

Watts opened the game at kick returner and rotated into a deep cornerback corps, where Steubenville's Ivan Buggs was named South Defensive MVP. He more than held his own with three pass breakups, including one on a wheel route in the end zone that saved a touchdown in the third quarter.

This, despite playing with a strained hamstring suffered earlier in the week. He will re-join the Black Bear track team in a few days.

"I didn't see much," Watts said of his end zone breakup. "I saw a guy come at me on the outside and he caught my eye. I took him down and I thought he was going for a touchdown, and it worked out."

Watts, who will join Winner at Division II Ashland in the fall, said he and Winner quickly broke bread with roommate Anthony Murphy, of Columbus Hartley, a 6-4, 225-pound linebacker who is signed with Howard. Murphy's play off the edge was among the consistent highlights for a South defense that allowed 431 total yards, including 253 rushing.

"It was a head rush, that's for sure," Watts said of the All-Star experience, which included three nights spent in a local hotel. "It was nice to meet everybody, meet new people and make new friends. It's like a one-time-only experience, especially getting to do it with your best friend (Winner)."

Winner said the game allows a head start on the type of talent and personalities they will see in a college setting. The majority of players in the game are either signed or verbally committed to college programs.

He and Watts were among 10 Ashland commits in the game.

"It's getting used to being social with teammates, and being around new teammates that you haven't been playing with," Winner said.

Brownrigg said the MVL players more than held their own.

"They fit right in," Brownrigg said. "Hopefully, it was a great experience for them. Three of them are going to play at the next level and have a chance to be really successful."

sblackbu@gannett.com; Twitter: @SamBlackburnTR

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: North-South All-Star football: MVL makes its mark