The 1A/2A All-Stars dominated the 3A All-Stars 48-7 in the annual exhibition contest featuring outgoing seniors Friday evening at Snow College in Ephraim.
Carbon High School football coach Josh Huntsman and his staff coached the 3A All-Stars. South Summit coach Mike Grajek and his staff led the 1A and 2A All-Stars.
“Our kids got tired and we started having some injuries, but they fought all the way to the end,” said Huntsman. “Getting these kids together in three days and having them do what they did, was just fun.”
The 3A All-Stars scored first as Morgan’s Jake Rounkles caught an 11-yard touchdown with 4:35 to play in the opening quarter. Morgan’s Dillon Petty added the extra point to strengthen the advantage to 7-0.
1A/2A answered back almost immediately as South Summit’s Parker Grajek connected with teammate Jackson Lasche on a 31-yard touchdown pass to chop the lead to one.
Trailing 7-6 in the second quarter Grajek added another touchdown pass, this time to Keegan Stracher, also from South Summit, on a 91-yard touchdown pass. Following a successful two-point conversion, 1A/2A took a 14-7 lead into the break.
Grajek continued to dazzle in the second half, topping a successful drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to South Summit’s Cole Reidhead. The touchdown was one of two in the third quarter, setting the stage for a lopsided fourth.
Morgan’s Chase Trussell led the way offensively for the 3A All-Stars accumulating 60 yards off of 14 carries on the ground. Juab’s Alex White finished with 39 yards, while Carbon’s Nate Olson carried the ball eight times for 27 yards.
Entering the exhibition game without a quarterback, Huntsman turned to Union wide receiver Gage Roberts. Completing eight of 14 passes Roberts finished with 54 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
“I can assure you that the 3A coaches have all done a stellar job with their kids,” said Huntsman. “We got the cream of the crop and the best of the best. These kids know what their reads are, they know what their drops are and they handle their responsibilities.”
Each team in the 3A classification received a minimum of four invites. Carbon was represented by Olson, Ashton Larsen and Oscar Herrera. Emery outgoing seniors Jared Snow and A.C. Reeve also participated in the contest.
“We came in as Trojans, Spartans, Dinos, Hawks, as all of the schools, but came out of it as brothers,” said Huntsman. “The kids will remember that they were 3A All-Stars for the rest of their lives.”
