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South's Hall tramples North behind big line

Dixie Hollins running back Andre Hall garners 154 yards on 18 carries and scores four TDs in the South's 55-38 win.

By PETE YOUNG

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 14, 2000

LARGO -- Andre Hall spent the previous two years as an athletic non-entity, academically ineligible to play high school football.

But Wednesday night, the 5-10, 180-pound senior from Dixie Hollins capped off a spectacular senior season by leading the South to a 55-38 win over the North in the Palms/Pinellas All-Star game.

The South, behind a bruising offensive line of Northeast's Adam Blizzard, Gibbs' Dusty Keseleski, Admiral Farragut's Adam Butcher, Boca Ciega's Lukasz Talalaj and Osceola's Ryan Straight and Chris Haase, had its way with the North all night.

They plowed holes that Hall, the county's leading rusher this season, as well Pinellas Park's Billy Henderson (12 carries, 109 yards) and Lakewood's Darren Felder (7-45) charged through time and again.

"It was a point to prove, that south county is better and that I'm one of the best backs around," said Hall, who gained 154 yards on 18 carries and scored four touchdowns.

"The offensive line made it easy for us. The offensive line is why we did good."

Hall scored on runs of 12, 1 and 1 yards in the first half as the South staked out a 35-14 lead.

Quarterback Andrew Harris (7-of-14, 84 yards) of Northeast also had a first-half scoring run of 19 yards, and he connected with Gibbs' Cedric King on a 39-yard pass just before the half to give the South the comfortable lead at intermission.

The North, which alternated quarterbacks Achilleas Houllis (Tarpon Springs) and Jay Davis (Clearwater Central Catholic) on each play, rallied in the second half, but the deficit was too great.

Davis and Houllis combined to complete 22 of 32 passes for 260 yards and four touchdowns. CCC's Carl Wahlbeck made two touchdown catches and teammate Marcus Edwards had seven catches for 85 yards and one touchdown.

"We stumbled around in the first half, and they just hammered us," said CCC coach John Davis, the North coach. "We had fun, though."

The South running attack rang up 343 yards on 46 carries, and the South defense kept the North offense out of synch early as it built a lead that swelled to 49-14 early in the third quarter.

"This game was about having fun," said Gibbs defensive tackle Mike Lynche, the defensive player of the game. "It was a great atmosphere, and it was a great feeling to be able to play against the best players."

Houllis was chosen the offensive MVP, Butcher the offensive lineman of the game and Keseleski the defensive lineman of the game.

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