Bucks iions Classic a bonding experience for gridders
All-star football games inevitably showcase big hits and dazzling displays of athleticism. The available talent just naturally takes over. What is often overlooked, however, is the camaraderie that develops as players who are arch-rivals during the regular season band together for a common cause.
Anthony Bullaro, mennsbury wide receiver and track star, sums up the phenomena best. “It was fun to be able to get to play with a bunch of good players from multiple teams that we played against during the season. The fact that we all became friends in the end is pretty exciting. We all played well together and now, we plan to hang out with each other.”
Anthony will not have far to travel to hang out with several of his new friends. In the fall, he enters hutz- town where he will test his track and gridiron prowess on the collegiate level. There, he will be joined by three other South all-stars, Bensalem’s Jalen Nieves, Donnie Reed, and hevin Hopkins. “I’m pretty excited about that. I got a chance to play with them in the allstar game and now we’re going to play together in college.”
The foursome accounted for 2T2 of the South team’s 380 total yards. They also were involved in 18 of their team’s 35 points. Reed, who was named South’s Most saluable mlayer, hauled in four passes good for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Hopkins completed six of his 11 passes for T6 yards and two TDs. Bullaro was on the receiving end of the firVW HRSNinV VcRrinJ VWriNH.
With only two weeks practice, neither team could draw up a really complicated offensive scheme. The coaches needed the stellar athleticism to take charge. Anthony certainly recognized the situation.
“The offense was not WRR diIficuOW. AV D rHcHivHr, they would give me a route to run and I’d go out and run it. The wildcat formation was because of Shawn (mepper). They’d replace hevin Hopkins. They put Shawn back there because he sees the holes and takes it all the way.”
mepper rushed 11 times for 54 yards. The mennsbury workhorse’s most dramatic contribution came late in WKH firVW TuDrWHr wKHn KH took a direct snap and lofted a pass in the direction of Donnie Reed. Reed came back to snag the ball and then outrace the North deIHnVH WR VcRrH 6RuWK’V firVW touchdown.
With his team clinging to a T-3 lead late in the second TuDrWHr, AnWKRny BuOODrR stepped into the spotlight, catching a TD aerial from hevin Hopkins. “That was a fade route into the corner. Our coach (Mark Schmidt) said since they were playing inside leverage, I should give a little head-bob inside and break to the outside and he’ll throw it over your shoulder. I did that and caught the ball.”
Ahead 14-3 at halftime, coach Schmidt told his players to remain controlled. “HH VDid ‘dRn’W JHW in fiJKWV with them.’ They were starting with the trash talking. He said ‘keep playing the game we were playing and we’d come out on top.’”
The South certainly
re-
sponded to their coach’s advice as they struck early and often to open the second half. Two minutes after the intermission, Hopkins hooked up with his Owl teammate Reed for a 5Tyard scoring strike. With eight minutes left in the quarter, mennsbury’s Ryon Muse added to his team’s cause by scampering 24 yards to paydirt. Conwell(JDn’V CKDz CDVRn finiVKHG off South’s scoring when he ran 14 yards for a fourthquarter touchdown.
For Anthony, the winning formula was pretty basic. “The key was getting passes off and catching them. We scored on three passes.”
Though the 35-9 victory wDV GHfiniWHOy D JUHDW wDy WR end his high school football career, Anthony will value his new friends even more than the winning trophy.
♦♦♦