“For a summer night in June when everybody’s got all kinds of other things to do, the turnout was fantastic,” said East head coach Brandon Sammons, who heads the Blanchester program. “The kids were loose. They were light. They were jamming in the locker room, having fun, joking around.
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
“We were like, ‘Should we try to focus them?’ And we thought, ‘No, it’s an all-star game. Let’s let them have some fun.’ ”
Most of the serious work got done during the practices leading up to the game, according to Lebanon safety Ryan West.
“Almost everyone on our team made it to every practice,” West said. “We heard their players only made like five of their practices. Practice makes perfect.”
He had three solo tackles to aid an outstanding defensive effort by the East, which squeezed the West ground attack into minus-25 yards on 42 carries.
PAST COVERAGE
2016: East 21, West 12
2015: East 40, West 20
2014: West 63, East 43
Middletown’s Marquise Petty and Will Thomas contributed to the East triumph, Petty in the secondary and Thomas with a 24-yard touchdown reception from Summit Country Day’s Zairn Davis in the fourth quarter.
“Getting that win in the last high school game of my career, it feels great,” said Thomas, a wide receiver. “It lived up (to my expectations). It was a lot of intensity, and it was fun.”
Offensive lineman Nick Finley of Lakota East and wide receiver Braxton Rodenberger of Franklin were also part of the resounding win for the East.
The West trails 24-18 in the series and has now dropped 10 of the last 11 decisions.
“Even though the score didn’t pan out to be what I wanted, I still had fun,” said Hamilton cornerback Domonick Johnson, who had the game’s only interception when he picked off Davis in the second quarter.
“Nobody in my family ever played in an all-star game, so that was a great experience for me. I was nervous at first, but once I got a few snaps in, I started opening up and getting into the game.”
Monroe’s Alex Bannister and Talawanda’s Andrew O’Donnel both notched a solo tackle for the West —Bannister’s resulted in a loss. Ross linebacker Eric Allgeier registered a solo tackle, two assists and 1.5 tackles for loss.
“I had a few tackles … I wish I would’ve had a few more. I just wasn’t fast enough,” Allgeier said. “It was still a neat experience. I’m happy I got to play with all these young men. It’s good to come together with everybody in Cincinnati and learn what they have. It’s good to lead right into college ball.”
The West offense had a difficult time sustaining drives. Hamilton’s Eric Jackson and Talawanda’s Logan Kamphaus were the primary quarterbacks, though North College Hill’s Franklin Steward Jr. directed the lone scoring drive and hit Aiken’s Dequan Freeman for a 21-yard touchdown with 2:47 left to avoid the shutout.
Jackson completed 8 of 9 passes for 109 yards while running 15 times for minus-22 yards. Kamphaus was 2 of 10 for 14 yards and ran three times for minus-17 yards.
“When we did have protection, we had success throwing the ball,” said West head coach Chris Mobley, the head man at Hughes. “But we only had one practice with five offensive linemen there, and that showed tonight.
“We definitely felt like we did have better skill players, but they were just a little too tough for us up front. I’d say the trenches were the difference.”
Princeton’s Jamal Hines had 10 total tackles (seven solos, three assists) for the East. Hines and fellow lineman Sammy Myres of Turpin each collected 4.5 tackles for loss.
Sammons wasn’t surprised by his team’s defensive showing.
“They gave us trouble in practice,” said Sammons, noting that he ran the offense and Sycamore coach Scott Dattilo was in charge of the defense. “We had a pretty decent offense, but they were beating the crap out of us. Most nights in practice, we were like, ‘We’re either really good defensively or we’re terrible offensively.’
“Those guys on defense, they were just some quick, athletic, talented kids. I’d love to coach those kids all the time. We were over here having a little fun late in the game saying, ‘Let’s put some yum-yum sauce on it. Let’s go get some more yum-yum.’ They were hungry tonight. They ate well.”
Said West, “Our defensive line was controlling the line of scrimmage. When you do that, they can’t even get the ball off sometimes. It’s super fun to play defense in a game like that.”
The East offense was led by quarterback Tristan Greene of Blanchester. He was the top rusher with 45 yards on 15 carries while completing 5 of 12 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown to Khadim Fall of Sycamore.
The halftime score was 9-0, and those East points all came in the opening quarter. West punter Jerred McGuire of Fairfield mishandled a punt snap and the ball went out of the end zone for a safety with 3:32 on the clock, and Maysico Tribble of Riverview East added a 15-yard touchdown run less than three minutes later.
“The defense kept it close for us, but after a while, the offense caught up to them and we started scoring touchdowns,” Thomas said.
His TD — and the third of three extra points by Mason’s Andrew Hauer — gave the East a 23-0 advantage with 7:18 remaining.
“It wasn’t originally to me, but me and the quarterback, we’ve got a little chemistry,” Thomas said. “So when he called the fade, he just looked my way and gave me the opportunity, and I went up and got it.”
Thomas and Petty are headed to Georgetown (Ky.), Finley is going to Findlay, West will attend Wittenberg, and Rodenberger has committed to Cumberlands.
“My whole senior season was great,” West said. “Lebanon made the playoffs for the first time in 14 or 15 years. Then I got selected to the all-star game, and then we won the all-star game. It’s been a blast.”
Johnson’s interception came on a long pass attempt by Davis.
“I tried to stay in my backpedal as long as possible,” Johnson said. “I saw the ball in the air, and when I tried to make a play on it, I hit it. Somehow the ball ended up in my hands. It just happened.”
Mobley was hoping to get this series headed back in the West’s direction, but he wasn’t upset by the loss.
“I feel great because these young men are going to be great professionals in life,” Mobley said. “I’m more happy about that than getting a win.”
Among the West college commits are Johnson (Bluffton), Allgeier (Otterbein), Jackson (Davenport), Kamphaus (Ohio Wesleyan), McGuire (Davenport), Bannister (Toledo), O’Donnel (Ohio Northern), Talawanda offensive lineman Kyle Broshear (Ohio Northern) and Edgewood linebacker Hunter Boggs (Urbana).
Boggs was unable to play because of a knee injury.
“It’s kind of sad that this is the last time I’m putting on the ‘R’ for the Rams, but I’m excited about what the future holds for me at Otterbein,” Allgeier said. “I’m grateful for the new coach we have at Ross, and I’m excited for my friends that are still back in high school because he’s going to get the program turned around. I’ll always be a Ram fan, until the day I die.”
West 0-0-0-7—7
East 9-0-0-14—23
E: Safety, ball went out of end zone after punt snap
E: Maysico Tribble 15 run (Andrew Hauer kick)
E: Khadim Fall 3 pass from Tristan Greene (Hauer kick)
E: Will Thomas 24 pass from Zairn Davis (Hauer kick)
W: Dequan Freeman 21 pass from Franklin Steward Jr. (Jerred McGuire kick)
RUSHING
WEST: Franklin Steward Jr. (North College Hill) 13-25, Monalo Caldwell (Colerain) 4-10, Ormoni Zanders (Taft) 1-2, Cooper Scholz (Oak Hills) 1-1, Lee Young (Mount Healthy) 2-(-1), Dequan Freeman (Aiken) 1-(-5), Logan Kamphaus (Talawanda) 3-(-17), Jerred McGuire (Fairfield) 2-(-18), Eric Jackson (Hamilton) 15-(-22)
EAST: Tristan Greene (Blanchester) 15-45, Brandon Conklin (Miami Valley Christian Academy) 1-11, Adam Phelps (Wilmington) 2-11, Ryan Bagnoli (Loveland) 3-9, Greg Corn (Madeira) 4-8, Maysico Tribble (Riverview East) 2-1, Terrence Smith (Princeton) 1-(-3), Zairn Davis (Summit Country Day) 2-(-14)
PASSING
WEST: Eric Jackson (Hamilton) 8-9-0, 109 yards; Franklin Steward Jr. (North College Hill) 2-2-0, 66 yards; Logan Kamphaus (Talawanda) 2-10-0, 14 yards
EAST: Tristan Greene (Blanchester) 5-12-0, 76 yards; Zairn Davis (Summit Country Day) 4-7-1, 49 yards; Will Thomas (Middletown) 0-1-0
RECEIVING
WEST: Gerald Smith (Harrison) 4-63, Eriquan Price (Aiken) 2-23, Tony Buckley (Hughes) 1-45, Dequan Freeman (Aiken) 1-21, Franklin Steward Jr. (North College Hill) 1-20, Monalo Caldwell (Colerain) 1-12, Cooper Scholz (Oak Hills) 1-6, Kenneth Jones (Gamble Montessori) 1-(-1)
EAST: Khadim Fall (Sycamore) 2-32, Maysico Tribble (Riverview East) 2-18, Brandon Conklin (Miami Valley Christian Academy) 1-39, Will Thomas (Middletown) 1-24, Caleb Bastin (Bethel-Tate) 1-18, Adam Phelps (Wilmington) 1-2, Ryan Bagnoli (Loveland) 1-(-8)
INTERCEPTIONS
WEST: Domonick Johnson (Hamilton)
FUMBLE RECOVERIES
EAST: Brant Fluehr (Amelia)
PUNTING
WEST: Jerred McGuire (Fairfield) 2 punts, 32.5 average
EAST: Tristan Greene (Blanchester) 4 punts, 36.5 average
MISSED FIELD GOALS
WEST: Jerred McGuire (Fairfield), 48 yards
SERIES RESULTS: EAST 24, WEST 18
1971 — West 23-12; 1972 — East 37-21; 1973 — East 20-8; 1974 — East 12-8; 1975 — East 14-7; 1976 — East 22-7; 1977 — East 35-14; 1978 — West 22-7; 1979 — East 17-14; 1985 — West 15-14; 1986 — West 15-8; 1987 — West 35-14; 1988 — West 10-6; 1989 — East 18-6; 1990 — West 24-20; 1991 — West 35-0; 1992 — West 25-7; 1993 — West 27-6; 1994 — East 8-3; 1995 — West 24-18; 1996 — West 19-17; 1997 — East 18-0; 1998 — East 23-14; 1999 — West 14-13; 2000 — East 18-7; 2001 — East 21-16; 2002 — West 21-17; 2003 — West 6-0; 2004 — East 26-13; 2005 — West 42-19; 2006 — West 35-0; 2007 — East 28-18; 2008 — East 41-21; 2009 — East 42-35; 2010 — East 21-13; 2011 — East 39-35; 2012 — East 17-14; 2013 — East 21-19; 2014 — West 63-43; 2015 — East 40-20; 2016 — East 21-12; 2017 — East 23-7
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