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After a two year hiatus the District IV North-South All-Star game returned on Friday, June 24, which saw Team UPMC (North) shut out Team Geisinger (South) 36-0.

Previously the game has been played at South Williamsport High School and put on by the South Williamsport Lions Club. This year, The District IV Coaches Association put on the game and with Danville High School playing host.

It took each team a couple of possessions before the game’s first score. After bobbled punt return by Team Geisinger, Team UPMC recovered the ball and lit up the scoreboard one play later as Montoursville’s Rocco Pulizzi scored from 3 yards out. A botched snap on the extra point try was scooped up by Montoursville’s Maddix Dalena, who hit Bailey Hadzinikolov of Muncy in the end zone to complete the two-point conversion, giving Team UPMC an 8-0 lead with 3:34 remaining in the 1st quarter.

From that point on the flood gates opened for Team UPMC. On Team Geisinger’s next possession Canton’s Caiden Williams intercepted a pass from Mount Carmel’s Pedro Feliciano and returned it for the score, putting UPMC up 15-0. Later, with just 14 seconds remaining in the quarter, Loyalsock’s Naz Smith was left wide open in the secondary and hauled in a pass from Montgomery’s Logan Almeida to put UPMC up 22-0.

Team UPMC struck twice more in the game. With 7:12 remaining in the 1st half North Penn-Mansfield’s Cameron Fabian punched the ball in from a yard out then later in the 3rd Dalena snuck his way in from a yard out to make the score, 36-0 in favor of UPMC. It would be Team UPMC’s first win since the 2017 game.

Almeida led the North going 2-of-4 in the air for 71 yards and a score. Pulizzi carried the ball 9 times for 60 yards and Fabian finished with 32 yards on 11 attempts. Smith caught 4 passes for 81 yards.

For Team Geisinger, Feliciano finished 4-for-13 with 82 yards, Shikellamy’s Coltyn Sempko rushed for 11 yards on 3 carries, and Selinsgrove’s Nathan Aument caught 1 pass for 42 yards.

Player Awards

Ken Robbins Offensive Player of Game (North) – Rocco Pulizzi (Montoursville)
Ray Raffin Defensive Player of Game (North) – Bailey Hadzinikolov (Muncy)
Joe “Jazz” Diminick Offensive Player of Game (South) – Pedro Feliciano (Mount Carmel)
Bill Scott Defensive Player of Game (South) – Aidan Herb (Line Mountain)
Jack Young Coaches Award (North) – Isaac Harris (Muncy), Cooper Kitchen (Canton)
Max Shnyder Coaches Award (South) – Aaron Rothermel (Selinsgrove), Mike Zsido (Southern Columbia)
Russ Manney Most Outstanding Player – Naz Smith (Loyalsock)

View the complete game box score, provided by Circle W Sports.