Mecklenburg’s neighbors make their mark in third annual Queen City Senior Bowl
The Queen City Senior Bowl has opened its doors to players from surrounding counties.
And those newcomers are making themselves feel right at home.
Players from Union, Cabarrus and Gaston counties played big roles Saturday as the East downed the West 41-17 at Olympic High in the third annual game for Charlotte-area high school seniors.
Hickory Ridge quarterback Alex Bentley threw a pair of touchdown passes.
Jay M. Robinson defensive back Caleb Johnson had a pick-six.
Weddington running back Kyle Parsons scored on a long pass play.
And South Point running back Tyson Riley broke loose for a lengthy scoring run to finish the scoring.
“I’m glad that the game’s organizers have opened this to players from all these counties,” said East head coach Mike Newsome, of A.L. Brown High. “There is a lot of good football played in counties surrounding Mecklenburg, and this game gives them an opportunity to show what they can do.”
This year’s game was open to players from Mecklenburg, Union, Cabarrus, Gaston and Cleveland counties.
Don’t get the wrong idea. It wasn’t as if Mecklenburg County’s senior standouts stayed home.
Butler’s Ty Moore and Chambers’ Camren Kennedy had big days running the ball for the East. Rocky River defensive lineman Rashaad McCollum contributed a sack, a deflected pass and three quarterback pressures for the East defense.
And for the West, Nathan Pirolli, the first Christ the King player selected for the game, had two tackles for loss and disrupted several other plays.
But Charlotte’s suburban players played big roles in the game, a benefit event for Charlotte’s Metro School.
“I really enjoyed myself,” said Bentley, who had several spectacular plays and shared time with Ardrey Kell’s Jack Curtis at quarterback. “It’s a lot of fun, getting together with these guys and playing a game like this.”
Central Cabarrus offensive lineman Emerson Baker said players from surrounding counties often don’t get the publicity of their Mecklenburg counterparts.
“We play some very good football,” he said. “A lot of us know one another from our pee-wee football days.”
The game was decided fairly early.
The East scored on its first series, keyed by a 21-yard pass from Bentley to Tru Sierra, of Northwest Cabarrus. On the West’s next possession, Jay M. Robinson’s Johnson picked off a West pass and returned it 38 yards for a score.
A field goal on the first play of the second quarter, by Porter Ridge’s Braeden McAlister, made it 17-0, and the East never was threatened again.
Three who mattered
Alex Bentley, East (Hickory Ridge): Bentley, who says he is undecided on a college choice, completed 7-of-8 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns.
Braeden McAlister, East (Porter Ridge): McAlister converted on all five conversion kicks and both of his field-goal attempts. And all eight of his kickoffs went through the end zone for touchbacks.
Josh Mahatha, West (West Charlotte): Mahatha was the standout of the West offense, completing 7-of-11 passes for 76 yards and rushing for another 43 yards.
Worth mentioning
▪ Alex Bentley had a big day passing the football, but his most spectacular play was on a run. On a third-and-13 play early in the fourth quarter, Bentley evaded about five tacklers and ran for 15 yards.
▪ Another spectacular play: West wide receiver Brian Coley of North Gaston made a leaping catch in the fourth quarter for a 26-yard completion. Coley was the West’s leading receiver, with four catches for 43 yards.
▪ The East’s Braeden McAlister (Porter Ridge) put on a kicking clinic Saturday. All eight of his kickoffs reached the end zone, with three of them going through the crossbars. “That should be three bonus points for us,” one East assistant coach shouted at a game official. He also made both field-goal attempts with plenty of yardage to spare.
▪ Go figure: High school football fans shivered during the playoffs on four consecutive cold Friday nights. Then, a week from Christmas, the Senior Bowl was played in 70-degree weather. Many fans wore shorts and T-shirts.
▪ One rule of the game benefits kickers. Teams are not allowed to rush the kicker on punts or placement kicks.
▪ West head coach Brandon Thompson called a trick play in the third quarter, and it resulted in a touchdown. Halfback Antoine Berry lofted a 20-yard scoring pass from Olympic’s Albert Fleming IV.
▪ Among the many players from surrounding counties who fared well Saturday was Marvin Ridge defensive lineman Devin Reed. He had two sacks and three tackles for loss.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
Scoring summary
East 14 13 7 7 — 41
West 0 3 7 7 — 17
E: Camren Kennedy (Chambers) 3 run (Braeden McAlister, Porter Ridge, kick)
E: Caleb Johnson (Jay M. Robinson) 38 interception return (McAlister kick)
E: FG McAlister 32
W: FG Brayden Kauffman (Berry) 32
E: Kyle Parsons (Weddington) 68 pass from Alex Bentley (Hickory Ridge) (McAlister kick)
E: FG McAlister 33
E: Kennedy 41 run (McAlister kick)
W: Albert Fleming (Olympic) 20 pass from Antoine Bell (Berry) (Kauffman kick)
E: Ty Moore (Butler) 21 pass from Bentley (McAlister kick)
W: Tyson Riley (South Point) 27 run (Kauffman kick)
