South picks up 10th straight win over North in 33rd Annual Rotary South All-Star Classic
A closer than expected bout saw the proverbial favorite pull away in the second half of the 33rd Annual Rotary South All-Star Classic.
After being down 6-0 to a North rushing attack that committed to running the football, the loaded South squad walked away with a 20-14 win at Edison Stadium Wednesday night.
For the North side, Island Coast’s Keon Anderson was named MVP as he rushed for both of his team's touchdowns in the first and fourth quarters. Anderson rushed 44 times for 352 yards and a touchdown this season for the Gators, who finished 2-7.
“It was honestly a blast, get that last chance to put on the pads," Anderson said. "See what these boys are made of, see what I'm made of for the last one. Big bang."
It took a while, but the South side finally got going in the second quarter, when Fort Myers quarterback Carson Esposito connected with South Fort Myers wide receiver Jerry Cooper from 25 yards out from a fourth-and-5 to tie the game at 6.
Just over six minutes later, Estero do-it-all standout Kirk Talley tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Greg Delaine, a Georgia Tech commit, to double the lead right before halftime. Talley was named as South’s MVP for throwing a touchdown and closed out the game by taking an intentional safety to bleed out the clock.
"It was fun, got to play with a lot of guys who I never played with before," Talley said. "Coming out, throwing a bunch of guys together, just going out there, trying to get everybody the ball. Make plays and just get a win, and we did that.
"Definitely feels good. I know I was blessed with talent. So, I just go out there and make plays when my number is called and do the best I can for myself and my team."
Dunbar running back Deondrick McCutcheon put the finishing touches on the win, as the physical running back pounded his way in on a goal-to-go situation to stretch the lead to 20-6 with 11:11 remaining in the game.
McCutcheon was a part of a 1-2 punch for the Tigers, and ended his senior season with 798 rushing yards and five scores, splitting duties with Barry White (865 yards, 5 TDs).
With the win, the South extends its win streak to 10 games and leads the all-time series 25-7-1 over the North.
Follow Southwest Florida Sports Reporter Alex Martin on Twitter: @NP_AlexMartin. For additional coverage of sports across Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: South wins 10th straight over North in annual Lee County all-star high school football game
