Bilinski Throws TD Toss In North Victory
INDIANAPOLIS – Trey Bilinski sure made his lone completion count in a big way Friday night.
The former NorthWood High School standout quarterback fired a game-tying 73-yard scoring strike to help his North team rally for a 21-14 win over the South in the Indiana North/South All-Star Classic at North Central High School.
Bilinski, who led the Panthers to a Class 4-A state runner-up finish in 2016, hit Matt Marley of West Lafayette in the second quarter with his touchdown toss.
The North team rallied from a 14-0 deficit to win the game for the third straight year.
Peter Morrison of Fort Wayne Concordia connected with Jake Young of Culver Academy for an 18-yard touchdown connection with just 14 seconds left in the game to give the North the victory. Morrison, who was chosen as the game’s MVP, drove the North 81 yards in 11 plays for the game winning score. The Concordia product finished 8-14 passing for 92 yards.
The North team was coached by Nate Andrews of NorthWood in the 51st annual contest, which features some of the top seniors from across the state. Andrews played in the All-Star game in 1996 following a standout playing career at NorthWood and was an assistant coach in 2009 while the head coach at Lapel High School. Former NorthWood coach Rich Dodson, Andrews’ stepfather, was the head coach for the North team in 2009. Andrews’ brother Trevor played on the North team in 1994 and his late father Jim was an assistant for the North on two occasions in the 1980s during his highly-successful run as the NorthWood coach.
The South took a 14-0 lead on a pair of touchdown passes by Chase Andries of Beech Grove. The North rallied within 14-7 on a scoring strike from Morrison to James Bisacky in the second quarter.
The North had a 324-206 edge in total yards and won despite having three turnovers to none for the South squad. Bilinski, who will play at Valparaiso University, was 1-9 for 73 yards.
The North team also included Caleb Newcomer of NorthWood, along with Goshen’s Rummel Johnson, Elkhart Central’s JT Webb, Jimtown’s Kenny Kerrn and the duo of Nate Boone and Keegan Hurst from Penn.
Mark Kerrn, a retiring assistant coach at Jimtown, served as a North assistant, while Kenny, his son, received the Hub Etchison Scholarship Award. The Award is presented annually to one son and one daughter of an active Indiana Football Coaches Association member.
The game, which is sponsored by the Indiana Football Coaches Association, benefits the Camp Riley and the Indiana Football Hall of Fame. The attendance Friday night was 5,268.
Aryuan Cain-Veasey of Michigan City led the North with 96 yards rushing on 13 carries. Al McKeller of Lawrence North, the MVP for the South team, paced all ball carriers with 122 yards on 23 tries.