PREP FOOTBALL: North County team follows lead of college-bound all-stars

By TOM SHANAHAN - For The North County Times | Friday, July 11, 2008 11:27 PM PDT ∞

The North's Joey DeMartino goes flying as he is brought down by the South's Chris Peterson and Josh Wade late in the second quarter of the Alex Spanos All-Star Football Classic at Mt. Carmel High on Friday. Photo by Don Boomer - Staff photographer.

The North's Michael Vandenkolk hauls in a touchdown reception in the Alex Spanos All-Star Football Classic at Mt. Carmel High on Friday. Photo by Don Boomer - Staff photographer.

North quarterback Jose Mohler breaks a tackle by the South's Homer Mauga in the second quarter of the Alex Spanos All-Star Football Classic at Mt. Carmel High on Friday. Photo by Don Boomer - Staff photographer.

RANCHO PENASQUITOS ---- High school football all-star games in the summer might be a hard sell across most of the country, but a July Friday night in North County with 3,148 fans in attendance looked and sounded much like a Friday night in the fall.

Carlsbad High quarterback Justin Morales led the North to a 14-7 win over the South at Mt. Carmel High on Friday in the 18th annual Alex Spanos All-Star Classic.

The Idaho-bound Morales and high school teammate Michael Vandenkolk, both bucking the recent trend of college scholarship-bound athletes skipping all-star games for precautionary reasons, hooked up on a 45-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter to give the North an insurmountable 14-0 lead. Vandenkolk will play wide receiver at Washington State in the fall.

"I don't know why more scholarship players don't play in all-star games," Morales said. "This was a lot of fun to play a game about a month before fall camp starts. It was better preparation than just being in a weight room lifting weights."

Morales' touchdown pass was set up by an interception of a deflected pass by Santa Fe Christian's Mario Kurn, another future college football player. Kurn will play for the University of San Diego, which does not offer scholarships.

North coach Damian Gonzalez, Poway's head coach, went for the quick strike as he called for a first-down pass down the middle. Morales lofted the ball into the hands of Vandenkolk, who caught the ball in stride.

"It was good chemistry between us," Morales said. "I looked off the safety, and he's fast enough to get behind the cornerback. I just had to get the ball to him."

The North's other touchdown came from a player who hasn't made a college football commitment. Mt. Carmel running back Joey DeMartino, one of North County's most underrated players in 2007, scored on a 1-yard run late in the first quarter.

That score was set up by pass completions of 5 and 17 yards from La Costa Canyon quarterback Jose Mohler, who is bound for North Dakota State, to Mission Hills' Vince Misa-Amituanai, a Texas-El Paso-bound tight end.

"This was an exciting game and a lot of fun," Misa-Amituanai said. "The South won last year, so it's good to get a win back for North County."

The South trimmed the deficit to 14-7 before halftime as Eastlake quarterback Derek Witte hit Steele Canyon running back Jaime Dale for a 31-yard touchdown pass.

The North defense, led by Poway's Nick Milani, the North's MVP who will play at NCAA Division III Chadron State, shut out the South the remainder of the game.