Area players selected for North-South all-star game

When Jack Bailey walked off the turf at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Nov. 30 after Kirtland had won the Division VI state championship, he figured he’d never get to play football again with his buddies. He was wrong. Bailey is one of three Kirtland Hornets named to play in the annual North-South football games, sponsored by the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association.

Joining Bailey, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound two-way lineman who has signed to play football at Kent State, are fellow Kirtland All-Ohioans Joey Torok and Kalid Alabsi.

Two North-South games are scheduled for April 27 at Massillon’s Paul Brown Stadium. The big-school game (for Divisions I-III) is at 4 p.m., with the smallschool game (for Divisions IV-VII) at noon.

“It’s going to be a great time,” Bailey said. “This last time is one I’m going to really cherish, playing with a fellow lineman (Alabsi) and the best running back I know (Torok). I’ve been playing with my buddies since I was little, so this is going to be special.”

Bailey is on the North team, coached by New Middletown Springfield’s Sean Guerrero. One of the assistants on the team is Gilmour’s Chris Kosiorek.

Also on the North’s small-school team are a trio of All-Ohioans from Perry — Jacob Allen, Cameron Rogers and Jake Reid — and the Division V offensive player of the year in Ohio, Gilmour’s C.J.

Charleston and first-team All-Ohio linebacker Jack Kosar.

“That sounds like a pretty good team, doesn’t it,” Bailey said with a laugh. “I know all the kids from Perry are good athletes, and Charleston is obviously great. From the looks of it, we’re going to have a pretty good team.”

Reid, a two-time AllOhioan, is excited about getting to play in the allstar game with longtime teammates Allen and Rogers, too.

“Our season didn’t really end the way we wanted it to,” Reid said of the Pirates’ regional semifinal loss to Girard, “so this will be a good last hurrah with Cam and Jacob. We’ve been playing for as long as I can remember, so it’ll be good to have one last game with my brothers.”

The coach for the North in the big-school game is Norwalk’s Todd Fox.

Representing the area are Lake Catholic’s Nate Rieple and Kenston’s Bransen Stanley and Mitch Sotera.