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Shrugging off the result

By Shane Preston
The News-Herald

Section C

SPORTS
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
ecords fell and the scoreboard lit up in the 32nd Annual Michigan High School East/West All-Star Game in Alma on Saturday. Unfortunately, five local representatives were on the wrong side of a rout. Lansing Catholics Cooper Rush led the West All-Stars to a 59-7 drubbing of the East All-Stars. The West All-Stars scored the most points in All-Star game history and Rush set a new record for passing yards (241) and connected with Shane Barron for a 95-yard touchdown pass for the longest passing play in the games history. For the game, the West outgained the East 461-78 and put the game out of reach early by taking a 31-7 lead into the half. The Easts lone score came on a six-yard touchdown pass from Garden Citys Tyler Steele to Grosse Pointe South tight end

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Downriver football stars have fun despite lopsided nal

Marty Moesta midway through the second quarter. The West then rattled off 38 unanswered points to close the game, including a 55yard interception return by Petoskeys Joe Robbins with less than a minute remaining for the games final score. Roosevelts Hunter Matt was one of the lone bright spots for the East squad as the former Bear made his presence felt at linebacker by leading all defenders with 11 total tackles. We exchanged playbooks, so we just ran their scout all week, Matt said. From there it was just practicing their reps and trying to execute when I was on the field. Trentons Mike Czarnecki saw time at safety for the East and also served as one of the gunners on the punt team. Allen Parks Anthony Brilla started at center and also played on the defensive line with Riverviews Blake Smith and Trumans Norman Cyr. Despite the lopsided outcome, the local

players were able to take a lot out of a week of practices with new teammates. As the week went, it was a great time and we made some new friends, Brilla said. The end result wasnt what we wanted, but it was a great time. Matt echoed Brillas sentiment. When we first got here, people would stand in the room and not talk, Matt said. By the second or third day, everyone would be in each others rooms and hanging out all night. We became really close over the last couple days. Though their final taste of prep football turned out to be a little sour, these Downriver athletes were able to create one more memory before heading off to college. Football is a game that brings people together and I feel like Ive known these kids for a year, maybe even more, and its just been a week, Czarnecki said. The game didnt go the way we thought it would, but it was a great experience and Ill remember it forever.

Five Downriver grads played in the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association East-West All-Star game. They were (clockwise from top left) Roosevelts Hunter Matt, Riverviews Blake Smith, Trentons Michael Czarnecki, Allen Parks Anthony Brilla and Trumans Norman Cyr. Matt, Czarnecki and Cyr have already made commitments to play college football in the fall.
Photos by Dave Chapman