Saturday night's Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star football game played at Johnstown's Trojan Stadium was the highest scoring contest in the 39-year history of the series, and the South all-star squad used big plays on offense, defense, and special teams to come away with a 50-38 victory.

The South jumped out to a 21-0 first quarter lead before the North fought back in the second quarter to pull within 28-26 at the half. However, two consecutive third-quarter touchdowns helped the South regain momentum and pull away for the win.

Richland wide receiver Tim Ripple caught five passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns to earn offensive back MVP honors for the South, while North Star's Cory Kaltenbaugh completed 5 of 10 passes for 150 yards and three touchdowns. Eric Lowry of Bishop McCort was the South's leading rusher with a game-high 91 yards and two scores.

"Our offensive line executed, and allowed our skill players to make big-time plays," said South coach Ken Salem of Bishop McCort.

Homer-Center quarterback Garrett Sisak threw a pair of touchdown passes for the North, while Northern Cambria's Andrew Paronish rushed for 51 yards and one score to earn the North's offensive back MVP award.

"We got down 21-0 but recovered from that shell shock," said North coach Ken Bussard of Central Cambria. "But we got in a hole again and couldn't recover twice."

Kaltenbaugh connected with Ripple on an 82-yard touchdown pass just 18 seconds into the game, and following an interception on the ensuing North possession, Kaltenbaugh hit Luke Zellem for a 13-yard score just over one minute later.

Lowry's 12-yard touchdown at the 6:28 mark added to the South's edge, but the North answered on the following series with Paronish's 17-yard touchdown run that made it 21-7.

Blairsville quarterback Justin McGinnis's 1-yard sneak pulled the North within seven early in the second quarter, but the South's Taylor Holby of Blacklick Valley immediately answered by returning the ensuing kickoff and sprinting 93 yards for a touchdown.

Scott Mehall of Forest Hills capped off a 15-play drive with a 1-yard score that made it 28-20 with just over four minutes left in the half. Bryon Stanek of Cambria Heights subsequently intercepted a Kaltenbaugh pass on the following series and returned it to the South 19. The next three plays lost a combined seven yards, but on fourth down Bedford's Zack Hess outjumped two defenders in the back of the end zone and snared a 26-yard touchdown pass from Sisak at the 1:51 mark. The two-point conversion failed, and the South held a slim 28-26 halftime lead.

The South struck quickly on their initial offensive snap of the third quarter on a perfectly executed flea-flicker. Kaltenbaugh threw deep and hit Ripple in stride for a 43-yard score, and on the South's next possession, Johnstown's Quadir Christian capped off an eight-play drive with a 2-yard run that made it 43-26.

Lowry's second touchdown with just under five minutes left to play completed the South's scoring, while the North added two late scores on a 10-yard pass from Sisak to Everett's Cory Waltman and a 5-yard touchdown run by Central Cambria's Andrew O'Saben.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

North - 7 19 0 12 - 38

South - 21 7 15 7 - 50

First Quarter

South- Tim Ripple 82 pass from Cory Kaltenbaugh (Matt Beckman kick) 14:42

South- Luke Zellem 13 pass from Kaltenbaugh (Beckman kick) 13:47

South- Eric Lowry 12 run (Beckman kick) 6:28

North- Andrew Paronish 17 run (Alex Patterson kick) 4:02

Second Quarter

North- Justin McGinnis 1 run (Patterson kick) 12:34

South- Taylor Holby 93 kickoff return (Beckman kick) 12:20

North- Scott Mehall 7 run (kick failed) 4:18

North- Zach Hess 26 pass from Garrett Sisak (run failed) 1:51

Third Quarter

South- Ripple 43 pass from Kaltenbaugh (Zellem pass from Jack Schrey) 12:33

South- Quadir Christian 2 run (Beckman kick) 6:38

Fourth Quarter

South- Lowry 3 run (Beckman kick) 4:57

North- Cory Waltman 10 pass from Sisak (run failed) 2:26

North- Andrew O'Saben 5 run (pass failed) 1:35

Individual Statistics

Rushing

North- Waltman 1-7, Mehall 10-24, Pisarchik 5-41, O'Saben 11-30, Lieb 9-57, Sisak 9-33,

Kmetz 3-minus 2, Clapper 3-5, Paronish 6-51, McGinnis 5-7.

South- Christian 8-22, Lowry 10-91, Ling 3-12, Link 2-4, Duray 1-minus 7, Schrey 1-9.

Passing

North- Sisak 4-11-1-91, McGinnis 2-11-0-80

South- Kaltenbaugh 5-10-1-150, Duray 6-10-0-35, Schrey 0-1-0-0

Receiving

North- Hess 2-68, Waltman 3-90, Paronish 1-13

South- Ripple 5-150, Zellem 2-18, Valchef 2-19, Adam 1-8, Lowry 1-5

Interceptions

North- Stanek 1-23

South- Hall 1-10

Team Statistics

N S

First Downs 24 17

Rushing 62-253 25-131

Passing 6-22-1 11-21-1

Passing Yds 171 185

Total Yds 424 316

Fumbles-lost 1-0 2-1

Penalties 7-57 6-77

Punting 6-38 4-40