EAST MEETS WEST, West wins 35-25!
By Larry Blustein
National Recruiting Columnist
Jan. 7, 2007
CELEBRATION, FLORIDA - With just seven seconds remaining in the first half of the inaugural East Meets West all-star high school football game on Saturday, Jan. 6, West quarterback G.J. Kinne (Gilmer, Texas) looked over to receiver Malcolm Williams (Garland, Texas) and pointed. Seconds later, Williams was diving into the end zone with a 60-yard scoring strike.
It was that kind of football that highlighted the first ever MSL Sports event that attracted hundreds to Walt Disney World?s Wide World of Sports Complex as the West went on to beat the East squad 35-25.
While much of the country had watched other all-star games over the weekend, it was the East Meets West game that ended up taking center stage as over 80 players, heading to Texas, UCLA, Miami, Georgia Tech, Wisconsin, Michigan and many other major schools across the country, put on a show with over 800 yards of offense and big time plays.
?Great game,? said East head coach Don Soldinger, who had coached many stars at the University of Miami throughout the years. ?I wish we could have won this game, but the kids played great and did some tremendous things.?
While they spent the week checking out Central Florida and the Disney Resort area, the players were all business when they arrived for the first ever game, which was truly a showcase of talent and ability.
?We hit the jackpot with this game,? said MSL Partner and game organizer Chuck Muncie, who spent time on the sideline with longtime friend Kellen Winslow. ?I had the pleasure of getting to know just about every player this week - on both teams - and we couldn?t have asked for a better group.?
It was a game that certainly had its share of stars. Players like Foswhitt Whittaker (Pearland, Texas), who was one of seven University of Texas commitments in the game. Whittaker ran for 133 yards and scored a touchdown. His ability to break tackles helped to give the West squad an edge all day.
Whittaker finally got into the end zone with 2:01 left in the game on a 5-yard run.
?This was a great game,? Whittaker said. ?It was a time I will always look back on for the rest of my life. I made friends this week that I know will last a long time.?
The East got on the board in the first quarter when Wes Byrum (Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, Florida) hit a field goal from 34 yards away for a 3-0 lead with 8:23 left in the first quarter.
Purdue commitment Dan Dierking (Wheaton, Illinois) gave the West a 7-3 advantage with a 1-yard run with 2:57 left in the opening period. University of Oklahoma-bound Jimmy Stevens (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) added the extra point.
Byrum, who also took part in the Offense vs. Defense game in Fort Lauderdale earlier in the week, connected from 44 yards away with 6:53 in the first half to cut the lead to 7-6.
The West started to take advantage of East mistakes the rest of the first half as Texas Christian University commitment Jai Cavness (Houston, Texas) ran it in from the 2 for a 14-6 advantage. Then came the play with just nine seconds left in the first half.
?I had been open all half,? said Malcolm Williams. ?I knew I could get open.?
Kinne, who is also headed to the University of Texas, spotted Williams and put it right in his hands for a 21-6 advantage.
?That was a huge play for us,? said West Head Coach Ron Lynn. ?When you have great athletes, you can do some amazing things.?
The late score got the East squad?s attention. When North Carolina-bound Ryan Houston (Charlotte, North Carolina) took it in from the 1 with 10:46 to play in the third quarter, the lead was cut to 21-12.
But like they had all game, the West squad would not back off. University of Tennessee commitment B.J. Coleman (Chattanooga, Tennessee) found Brandon Collins (Brenham, Texas) open from the 4 with 13:21 left in the game for a 28-12 advantage.
?That was a huge play for us at the time,? said Coleman, who was 6 of 8 for 95 yards. ?We needed to keep the pressure on. They had a very good offense, too.?
Down by 16, the East got defensive when University of Wisconsin-bound linebacker Kevin Rouse (Joliet, Illinois) stepped in front of a pass and returned it 20 yards for a score and cut the lead to 28-18 with 9:08 remaining.
Whittaker?s scoring run was the difference, although the East added a late touchdown when Israel Troupe (Tifton, Georgia) caught an 11-yard scoring pass from University of Virginia-bound quarterback Peter Lalich (Springfield, Virginia).
Lost in all the offense were stellar defensive efforts on both sides of the ball. West linebacker Earl Patin (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) was by far the best defensive player on the field on this day. The 6-2, 225-pounder had a game-high 16 tackles.
?I couldn?t have asked for a better Christmas vacation,? Patin said. ?The game was great, but we all had so much fun down here in Orlando this week. I wish I could do this all over again.?
In addition to Patin, other West defensive stars included University of Iowa-bound Cody Hundertmark (Humboldt, Iowa), who had five tackles and two sacks, and University of Nebraska commitment Demetrious Davis (St. Joseph, Missouri), who also had five tackles.
The East also had some impressive defensive players such as Notre Dame commitment Kerry Neal (Bunn, North Carolina), who finished with 9 tackles, and Rutgers commitment Al-Ghaffaar Lane (East Orange, New Jersey), who finished the game with 8 tackles and a sack.
SCORING SUMMARY:
EAST - Wes Byrum 34 FG, 8:23 (1)
WEST - Dan Dierking 1 run (Jimmy Stevens kick), 2:57 (1)
EAST - Wes Byrum 44 FG, 6:53 (2)
WEST - Jai Cavness 2 run (Jimmy Stevens kick), 5:40 (2)
WEST - Malcolm Williams 60 pass from G.J. Kinne (Jimmy Stevens kick), :09 (2)
EAST - Ryan Houston 1 run (pass failed), 10:46 (3)
WEST - Brandon Collins 4 pass from B.J. Coleman (Jimmy Stevens kick), 13:21 (4)
EAST - Kevin Rouse 20 interception return (pass failed), 9:08 (4)
WEST - Foswhitt Whittaker 5 run (Jimmy Stevens kick), 2:01 (4)
EAST - Israel Troupe 11 pass from Peter Lalich (Wes Byrum kick), :23 (4)
STATISTICS
FIRST DOWNS:
East: 17
West: 21
RUSHING:
East: 33-135
West: 39-161
PASSING:
East: 15-24-1
West: 12-18-1
PASSING YARDS:
East: 306
West: 247
TOTAL OFFENSE:
East: 441
West: 408
INDIVIDUAL STATS East
Rushing: Jonathan Dwyer (8-60), Darren Evans (9-31), Dale Martin Jr. (9-30), Ryan Houston (3-9), Cannon Smith 4 (minus 22).
Passing: Peter Lalich 9-11-0 (142 yards), Wesley Carroll 3-5-0 (133 yards), Cannon Smith 3-8-1 (31 yards).
Receiving: Nick Provo (2-69), Ron Gronkowski (1-48), Tony Logan (2-45), Dane Sanzenbacher (3-40), Toney Clemons (3-33), Israel Troupe (2-25), Jonathan Dwyer (1-9), Chaz Cervino (1-22).
Punting: Michael Groody (4-41.4)
Defense: Kerry Neal (9, Sack), Al-Ghaffaar Lane (8, Sack), Rennie Curran 4, C.J. Peake 4, Vince Harris 4, Kevin Rouse (3, Interception), Jerimy Finch 3, John Brown 3, Andrew Dailey 3, V.J. Floyd 2, Jatavious Jackson 2, Demarcus Van Dyke 2, Justin Sims 1, Junius Lewis 1, Daniel Williams 1, Aaron Henry 1.
West
Rushing: Foswhitt Whittaker (18-133), Jai Cavness (12-26), G.J. Kinne (6-15), Brock Mansion (2-4), Dan Dierking 3 (minus 4), B.J. Coleman 2 (minus 2).
Passing: B.J. Coleman 6-8-0 (95 yards), Brock Mansion 3-7-1 (87 yards), G.J. Kinne 2-3-0 (71 yards).
Receiving: Malcolm Williams (3-119), Brandon Collins (5-70), Alonzo Adams (1-32), Reggie Dunn (1-16), Frank Avery (1-16), Jai Cavness (1-14).
Punting: Chris Hagerup (6-46.5).
Defense: Earl Patin 16, Cody Hundertmark 5 (2 Sacks), Demetrious Davis 5, Akeem Ayers 4 (1 Sack), Billy Winn 4 (1 Sack), Jared Crick 4 (2 Sacks), Harrison Smith 4, Lamark Brown 4, Jordan Bernstine 4, Frank Alexander 2 (1 Sack), Star Lotuiele 2, Jonathan Calhoun 2, James Rodgers 1, Eric Brunner 1, Chris Whitney 1, Ahmard Howard 1.
If you have anything to add to this story, contact Larry Blustein at LBlustein@mslmanagement.com
National Recruiting Columnist
Jan. 7, 2007
CELEBRATION, FLORIDA - With just seven seconds remaining in the first half of the inaugural East Meets West all-star high school football game on Saturday, Jan. 6, West quarterback G.J. Kinne (Gilmer, Texas) looked over to receiver Malcolm Williams (Garland, Texas) and pointed. Seconds later, Williams was diving into the end zone with a 60-yard scoring strike.
It was that kind of football that highlighted the first ever MSL Sports event that attracted hundreds to Walt Disney World?s Wide World of Sports Complex as the West went on to beat the East squad 35-25.
While much of the country had watched other all-star games over the weekend, it was the East Meets West game that ended up taking center stage as over 80 players, heading to Texas, UCLA, Miami, Georgia Tech, Wisconsin, Michigan and many other major schools across the country, put on a show with over 800 yards of offense and big time plays.
?Great game,? said East head coach Don Soldinger, who had coached many stars at the University of Miami throughout the years. ?I wish we could have won this game, but the kids played great and did some tremendous things.?
While they spent the week checking out Central Florida and the Disney Resort area, the players were all business when they arrived for the first ever game, which was truly a showcase of talent and ability.
?We hit the jackpot with this game,? said MSL Partner and game organizer Chuck Muncie, who spent time on the sideline with longtime friend Kellen Winslow. ?I had the pleasure of getting to know just about every player this week - on both teams - and we couldn?t have asked for a better group.?
It was a game that certainly had its share of stars. Players like Foswhitt Whittaker (Pearland, Texas), who was one of seven University of Texas commitments in the game. Whittaker ran for 133 yards and scored a touchdown. His ability to break tackles helped to give the West squad an edge all day.
Whittaker finally got into the end zone with 2:01 left in the game on a 5-yard run.
?This was a great game,? Whittaker said. ?It was a time I will always look back on for the rest of my life. I made friends this week that I know will last a long time.?
The East got on the board in the first quarter when Wes Byrum (Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, Florida) hit a field goal from 34 yards away for a 3-0 lead with 8:23 left in the first quarter.
Purdue commitment Dan Dierking (Wheaton, Illinois) gave the West a 7-3 advantage with a 1-yard run with 2:57 left in the opening period. University of Oklahoma-bound Jimmy Stevens (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) added the extra point.
Byrum, who also took part in the Offense vs. Defense game in Fort Lauderdale earlier in the week, connected from 44 yards away with 6:53 in the first half to cut the lead to 7-6.
The West started to take advantage of East mistakes the rest of the first half as Texas Christian University commitment Jai Cavness (Houston, Texas) ran it in from the 2 for a 14-6 advantage. Then came the play with just nine seconds left in the first half.
?I had been open all half,? said Malcolm Williams. ?I knew I could get open.?
Kinne, who is also headed to the University of Texas, spotted Williams and put it right in his hands for a 21-6 advantage.
?That was a huge play for us,? said West Head Coach Ron Lynn. ?When you have great athletes, you can do some amazing things.?
The late score got the East squad?s attention. When North Carolina-bound Ryan Houston (Charlotte, North Carolina) took it in from the 1 with 10:46 to play in the third quarter, the lead was cut to 21-12.
But like they had all game, the West squad would not back off. University of Tennessee commitment B.J. Coleman (Chattanooga, Tennessee) found Brandon Collins (Brenham, Texas) open from the 4 with 13:21 left in the game for a 28-12 advantage.
?That was a huge play for us at the time,? said Coleman, who was 6 of 8 for 95 yards. ?We needed to keep the pressure on. They had a very good offense, too.?
Down by 16, the East got defensive when University of Wisconsin-bound linebacker Kevin Rouse (Joliet, Illinois) stepped in front of a pass and returned it 20 yards for a score and cut the lead to 28-18 with 9:08 remaining.
Whittaker?s scoring run was the difference, although the East added a late touchdown when Israel Troupe (Tifton, Georgia) caught an 11-yard scoring pass from University of Virginia-bound quarterback Peter Lalich (Springfield, Virginia).
Lost in all the offense were stellar defensive efforts on both sides of the ball. West linebacker Earl Patin (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) was by far the best defensive player on the field on this day. The 6-2, 225-pounder had a game-high 16 tackles.
?I couldn?t have asked for a better Christmas vacation,? Patin said. ?The game was great, but we all had so much fun down here in Orlando this week. I wish I could do this all over again.?
In addition to Patin, other West defensive stars included University of Iowa-bound Cody Hundertmark (Humboldt, Iowa), who had five tackles and two sacks, and University of Nebraska commitment Demetrious Davis (St. Joseph, Missouri), who also had five tackles.
The East also had some impressive defensive players such as Notre Dame commitment Kerry Neal (Bunn, North Carolina), who finished with 9 tackles, and Rutgers commitment Al-Ghaffaar Lane (East Orange, New Jersey), who finished the game with 8 tackles and a sack.
SCORING SUMMARY:
EAST - Wes Byrum 34 FG, 8:23 (1)
WEST - Dan Dierking 1 run (Jimmy Stevens kick), 2:57 (1)
EAST - Wes Byrum 44 FG, 6:53 (2)
WEST - Jai Cavness 2 run (Jimmy Stevens kick), 5:40 (2)
WEST - Malcolm Williams 60 pass from G.J. Kinne (Jimmy Stevens kick), :09 (2)
EAST - Ryan Houston 1 run (pass failed), 10:46 (3)
WEST - Brandon Collins 4 pass from B.J. Coleman (Jimmy Stevens kick), 13:21 (4)
EAST - Kevin Rouse 20 interception return (pass failed), 9:08 (4)
WEST - Foswhitt Whittaker 5 run (Jimmy Stevens kick), 2:01 (4)
EAST - Israel Troupe 11 pass from Peter Lalich (Wes Byrum kick), :23 (4)
STATISTICS
FIRST DOWNS:
East: 17
West: 21
RUSHING:
East: 33-135
West: 39-161
PASSING:
East: 15-24-1
West: 12-18-1
PASSING YARDS:
East: 306
West: 247
TOTAL OFFENSE:
East: 441
West: 408
INDIVIDUAL STATS East
Rushing: Jonathan Dwyer (8-60), Darren Evans (9-31), Dale Martin Jr. (9-30), Ryan Houston (3-9), Cannon Smith 4 (minus 22).
Passing: Peter Lalich 9-11-0 (142 yards), Wesley Carroll 3-5-0 (133 yards), Cannon Smith 3-8-1 (31 yards).
Receiving: Nick Provo (2-69), Ron Gronkowski (1-48), Tony Logan (2-45), Dane Sanzenbacher (3-40), Toney Clemons (3-33), Israel Troupe (2-25), Jonathan Dwyer (1-9), Chaz Cervino (1-22).
Punting: Michael Groody (4-41.4)
Defense: Kerry Neal (9, Sack), Al-Ghaffaar Lane (8, Sack), Rennie Curran 4, C.J. Peake 4, Vince Harris 4, Kevin Rouse (3, Interception), Jerimy Finch 3, John Brown 3, Andrew Dailey 3, V.J. Floyd 2, Jatavious Jackson 2, Demarcus Van Dyke 2, Justin Sims 1, Junius Lewis 1, Daniel Williams 1, Aaron Henry 1.
West
Rushing: Foswhitt Whittaker (18-133), Jai Cavness (12-26), G.J. Kinne (6-15), Brock Mansion (2-4), Dan Dierking 3 (minus 4), B.J. Coleman 2 (minus 2).
Passing: B.J. Coleman 6-8-0 (95 yards), Brock Mansion 3-7-1 (87 yards), G.J. Kinne 2-3-0 (71 yards).
Receiving: Malcolm Williams (3-119), Brandon Collins (5-70), Alonzo Adams (1-32), Reggie Dunn (1-16), Frank Avery (1-16), Jai Cavness (1-14).
Punting: Chris Hagerup (6-46.5).
Defense: Earl Patin 16, Cody Hundertmark 5 (2 Sacks), Demetrious Davis 5, Akeem Ayers 4 (1 Sack), Billy Winn 4 (1 Sack), Jared Crick 4 (2 Sacks), Harrison Smith 4, Lamark Brown 4, Jordan Bernstine 4, Frank Alexander 2 (1 Sack), Star Lotuiele 2, Jonathan Calhoun 2, James Rodgers 1, Eric Brunner 1, Chris Whitney 1, Ahmard Howard 1.
If you have anything to add to this story, contact Larry Blustein at LBlustein@mslmanagement.com
