Late TD lifts South All-Stars

OROVILLE – The way they played Saturday night, you would think Jon Hayes and Sean Reynolds have been playing together for the past four years.

The quarterback-receiver tandem hooked up twice for touchdowns in the 31st annual Lions All-Star Football Game, including the game-clinching score with a little over a minute to go in the fourth quarter.

Hayes, a quarterback from Paradise High, and Reynolds, a wide receiver from Pleasant Valley, led the South All-Star Team to a 27-19 victory at Harrison Stadium in Oroville.

It was the South team's second consecutive victory. Last season the South soundly defeated the North, 45-19. The all-time series is now 16-14-1 in the North's favor.

With the score tied at 19-19, South running back Trey Barnes of Oroville got the carry on the South's first possession and dashed up the sideline for a 29-yard gain.

Hayes then took matters into his own hands on a quarterback sneak that resulted in another 21 yards.

Hayes followed by hitting Reynolds in the back of the end zone for the go-ahead score.

The North didn't go down quietly, though. The game's final play came down to fourth down with a little over one second left, but quarterback Cole Johnston's pass fell incomplete to seal the victory for the South.

Hayes was named the Ray Francis Most Valuable Player as he threw for two touchdowns and ran for another.

The Mid-Valley was represented well as 18 of the 32 members of the South were from the area.

The scoring started early in the first quarter, but the South had some trouble hanging on to the football.

After consecutive turnovers on fumbles in its first two possessions, the South team put itself in a hole early.

Lassen's Josh Baum capitalized on great field position after his North squad recovered a fumble and plunged into the end zone from the six-yard-line to put the North up, 6-0.

The South answered back quickly on its next possession.

Wheatland's Andrew McCleary put the South in the red zone after an impressive 18-yard run that saw McCleary take on two defenders and plow both of them over. McCleary's run set up Hayes for a four-yard, head-first dive into the end zone to tie the score, 6-6.

An extra-point kick by East Nicolaus' Alex Daddow put the South up, 7-6.

Hayes added another four-yard score in the second quarter to put the South up, 13-6. Hayes' run was set up after he hooked up with Reynolds on 51-yard pass up the sideline to put the South in the red zone.

Reynolds and Hayes connected again in the second quarter on a 34-yard completion. On the next play, Hayes found Reynolds for the score to increase the South lead to 19-6.

Gridley's Kegan Waite set up that scoring drive when he picked off a pass for a 24-yard return.

The North answered back with consecutive touchdown runs from Enterprise's Ray Chavolla and Foothill's Kyle Johnston to knot up the score, 19-19.

Many flags were thrown by officials in the game. The 27 penalties issued in the first half was a Lions All-Star record.

River Valley's Josh Hudson was right in the middle of the yellow flags being thrown. Hudson was ejected from the game on a questionable decision from the officiating crew. The quarterback was taunted by an opposing player face-to-face and put up his hand to push the opposing player away from him.

The officials believed Hudson was pushing the player to start a fight and ejected him from the game.

Contact sports reporter Jimmy Graben at jgraben@appealdemocrat.com or at 749-4720.