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The North squad captured its third straight Max Dell Cup on Friday, June 20, defeating the South 44-36 in the District IV UPMC North-South All-Star Football Game in a thrilling back-and-forth battle.

But the action on the field wasn’t the only highlight of the night.

Five legendary coaches were inducted into the District IV Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and Mount Carmel native and Kansas City Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach returned home to serve as this year’s honorary captain.

The South struck first on its opening possession. On first-and-10, quarterback Kaiden Maurer stepped up in the pocket and connected with Monty Fisher in the flat for the game’s first touchdown. After a successful two-point conversion, South jumped ahead 8-0.

North answered quickly with a big play of its own, leaning on the ground game. Christian Banks took the handoff to the outside, followed his blockers, and found a wide-open lane to the end zone. After converting the two-point try, North evened the score at 8-8.

Both teams traded blows throughout the first half, battling for every yard. By halftime, North held a narrow 24-22 advantage.

During the halftime ceremony, the District IV Coaches Association welcomed five new members into its Hall of Fame: Bob Veach Sr., Carmen DeFrancesco, George Curry, Jack Young III, and Scott McLean.

Back to the action in the second half: North came out of the locker room strong, adding another touchdown in the third quarter to extend its lead.

South refused to go away.

Facing third-and-eight deep in the red zone, quarterback Wyatt Brosious stood tall against pressure and delivered a pass to Landen Murray near the end line, setting up a crucial conversion attempt. Rolling right, Brosious fired a laser to Dalton Schadel for two points, tying the game at 30-30.

The fourth quarter remained a heavyweight fight, with neither side giving an inch. Then came the deciding drive.

Using a punishing ground attack to drain the clock, North marched inside the 10-yard line. With under 45 seconds remaining, Danny Dowell powered through the right side and into the end zone, breaking the tie and putting North ahead for good.

South had one final chance to respond, but North’s defense stood firm, sealing a 44-36 victory and securing a third consecutive Max Dell Cup.

Congratulations to all the outstanding athletes and coaches who made this year’s game memorable.

For more information on the District IV Coaches Association Hall of Fame and this year’s MVP winners, visit PIAAd4Football.com. Game statistics were provided by Circle W Sports.