Jun. 27—The FCA All-Star Classic made its return Saturday at Huyck Stadium in Lompoc.
The team from Northern Santa Barbara County knew that. The San Luis Obispo County squad apparently didn’t get the message.
The Santa Barbara County team dominated the game for all of its 48 minutes, rolling to a 46-0 win in the most lopsided result in the contest’s 10-year history.
The All-Star game was not played in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic last spring.
The top senior players from the area spent the last week practicing for the annual All-Star game, which came not too long after the condensed spring season ended in April.
The Northern Santa Barbara County team was favored, with top Mountain League teams St. Joseph and Righetti and the top two teams in the Channel League in Lompoc and Santa Ynez.
And dominate they did.
Santa Ynez quarterback Bennett Redell closed out his prep career in style, throwing four second-half touchdowns, two each to Elijah Perkins and Gavin Townes, both of Lompoc.
Redell was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
Northern Santa Barbara County led 13-0 at halftime, though it was clear in the first half that the South team was the stronger side. They controlled the time of possession and smothered the North offense.
Righetti’s Kidasi Nepa scored from five yards out to give the South team a 6-0 lead early in the second quarter.
St. Joseph’s Brett Burress put the South team up 13-0 with a three-yard touchdown run.
Nepa and Arroyo Grande’s Nico Ambriz were awarded the influential spirit awards at halftime and each received $500 scholarships from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Townes caught his first touchdown on a short toss from Redell early in the third quarter.
The North team’s offense wasn’t able to get much going throughout the game. Morro Bay’s Kevin Franco handled the quarterbacking duties for the North and did what he could, but the South defense was too big and too fast, led by Matt Sims, Sebastian Ramirez, Jayce Gamble, Carlos Rosas and Max Stineman.
Not long after Townes caught his first touchdown did he catch his second. This one was on a deep ball near the goal post in the back of the end zone.
Nepa intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown on the next possession, but a personal foul penalty negated the touchdown return, though the interception stood.
Moments later, Perkins caught his first touchdown pass of the game to put Northern Santa Barbara County up 32-0. Perkins then caught another touchdown from Redell to put the South team up 39-0.
Santa Maria’s Giovanni Garcia helped the Saints leave a mark on the game with an 11-yard touchdown run for the game’s final score of the night.
Paso Robles’ Jacob Lambeth was named SLO County’s Defensive Player of the Game and Templeton running back Joshua Berna was his team’s Offensive Player of the Game.
Nepa finished with 118 yards rushing and a touchdown to earn the South’s Offensive Player of the Game award and Redell was named the game’s MVP after throwing for 131 yards and the four touchdowns.