2023-24 REVIEW NCCA East-West All-Star Games
Football • East 35, West 7 December 16, 2023 • Jamieson Stadium
The East all-stars dominated both sides of the ball on its way to a 35-7 victory over the West in the 76th NCCA East-West All-Star Football Game, the first to be played in December rather than July. In the first quarter, the East moved the ball behind the running of Scotland High’s Zay Jones and Laney High’s Tyjhere Crudup, and quarterback Joel Sheehan of Holly Springs High contributed with a 21-yard scramble on third-and-14. Sheehan then hit D.H. Conley High receiver Isaiah Crumpler for a gain of 24 yards that moved the ball inside the West 5-yard line. Crudup then made his way to the end zone and, after Pine Forest High’s Juan Hernandez added the point-after, the East took a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. The West then went three-and-out on its opening possession, and after a punt by Mount Airy High’s Walker Stroup, the East took over on its own 31-yard line, but they also had to punt, and the West took over on their own 25-yard line. The West got its second possession going when Crest High quarterback Nytavious Huskey completed a 32-yard pass to Reagan High’s Cassidy Harvin, moving into East territory for the first time. After Huskey hit Harvin again for another 11 yards to the East 34, he mishandled the next snap, but recovered it for an eight-yard loss. The West then switched quarterbacks, with Draughn High’s Elijah Tillery entering the game and, after one incomplete pass, hitting Harvin for a 42-yard touchdown pass. South Point High’s Charlie Birtwistle added the point-after to knot the game at 7-all with a little more than a minute to go in the quarter. Both teams’ next possessions resulted in punts before the East put together another scoring drive. A 4-yard pass from Sheehan to Crumpler and a six-yard rushing gain from Crudup gave the East a first down. Sheehan then hit South Brunswick High’s Jordan Davis and then Crumpler, taking the East to the West 28-yard line. Two plays later the East called a trick play that resulted in Northern Nash High wide receiver Randall King throwing a 28-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Crumpler over the middle. After the successful point-after, the East led the West 14-7 at just under two minutes to go in the half. Huskey and the West were able to move the ball on the West’s next possession, moving the ball 36 yards to the East 24 before Huskey slipped and was stopped for a loss by Leesville Road High’s Braxton Lassiter on a third-and-one. On fourth-and-four, Huskey again slipped before throwing an incomplete pass to turn the ball over on downs. The next possession for both teams went nowhere before the East, with a minute-and-a-half to remaining in the half, moved the ball from its own 29-yard line before spiking the ball on the West eleven-yard line with one second to go. The West then blocked Hernandez’s field goal attempt to end the first half. The West went three-and-out on its opening possession of the second half. Cape Fear High’s Landon Sargent then blocked Stroup’s punt, and the East took over at the West 33-yard line. Quarterback Kendrick Pollock of Northside-Jacksonville High completed a pass to King for a first down at the West 20-yard line. A couple of plays later, the West’s Dillan Earp of Hibriten High intercepted Pollock at the West 16-yard line. The West took over, moving the ball to its own 43-yard line before turning the ball over on downs.
Quarterback Tyler Davis of Gray’s Creek High directed the next drive for the East. Triton High’s Javon Cowan picked up a first down, and Crudup rushed for a first down on the next play. Crudup then scored his second touchdown of the game from 13 yards out. After the point-after, the East took a 21-7 lead with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Huskey then threw two well-aimed passes that were both broken up by excellent defensive play by the East defensive backs. Stroup then booted a 50-yarder, and the East took over at their won 11- yard line. The East moved the ball to their own 33-yard line, but on third down, East running back Cowan took a direct snap, hit a hole, and broke along the left sideline for a 67-yard touchdown run. After the point-after, the East led 28-7 with 2:27 to go in the third quarter. The East attempted an onside kick that was recovered by the West at the 50. However, on third-and-long, Rolesvile High’s Russell Sykes sacked Huskey for a loss, and the West again had to punt, ending the third quarter. The East moved the ball from its 30-yard line to the West’s 25 before Cape Fear High’s Rico McDonald fumbled and the West’s Thomas Dobias of Randleman High recovered the ball on the 30- yard line. However, the West immediately turned the ball over when Da’Shawn Brown of Salisbury High fumbled after a 2-yard rushing gain. The East’s Sheehan was then picked off by West safety Walker Stroup, but the West was unable to move the ball and had to punt it back to the East. On the next play after the change of possessions, Cowan scored his second long touchdown of the game, running 48 yards up the right sideline. With the point-after, the East took a 35-7 lead with just under two minutes to play in the game. The West then moved the ball into East territory before quarterback Tanner Moore of Alexander Central High was picked off by Brandon Crutchfield of Heritage High. The East was then able to run out the clock. The East offense dominated the game, accounting for 514 total yards compared to the West’s 159. The East was paced by the passing of Sheehan, who was 13-17-1 for 157 yards, and the rushing of Cowan, who rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries. Cowan was named Offensive MVP of the game for his efforts. On the West side, Huskey accounted for 83 yards on 10-19 passing, but he was sacked twice. Only two West rushers had double-digit numbers: West Iredell High’s C.J. Ferguson rushed for 10 yards on 3 carries, and Tanner Moore rushed for 11 yards on 2 rushes. Isaiah Crumpler led the East receivers with 88 yards and one touchdown on six catches, and the West’s Cassidy Harvin of Reagan High was the game’s top receiver with 91 yards. The East defense was equally dominating. It was anchored by Anthony Battle of Lee County High who had eight tackles, Alex Evans of Clinton High who had six tackles, and Ladon Sargent of Cape Fear High who had five tackles. Sargent was named Defensive MVP of the game. Walker Stroup of Mount Airy High and Thomas Dobias of Randleman High each had one interception for the West, and Brandon Crutchfield of Heritage High had one interception for the East. The win makes two-in-a-row for the East, but the West still holds the all-time lead of 41-32-2.
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2024 East-West All-Star Football Game Program
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