Erickson dashes South to coaches All-Star win

SAN ANTONIO — Andy Erickson of Austin Lake Travis scored three touchdowns, including two punt and kick returns within 50 seconds, as the South rallied past the North 36-23 in the Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star football game on Tuesday.

The Rice signee returned a punt 73 yards for a score with 36 seconds left in the first half Tuesday night, then opened the second half with a 96-yard kickoff return.

He also caught a 19-yard TD pass from Gilmer’s Stump Godfrey in the fourth quarter and was a consensus Most Valuable Player on offense. He also intercepted a North pass in the final period.

Frisco Liberty’s Jake Weddle, a Hillsdale College signee, was the defensive MVP. His interception that ended the South’s first possession set up the game’s first score, a 3-yard run by Pilot Point’s Jarman Johnson.

After recovering an onside kick, the South marched to the North 1 but failed to score on consecutive quarterback sneaks. On the North’s ensuing play, however, Bryce Hager of Austin Westlake broke through and tackled Nathan Jeffery of Carrollton Newman Smith in the end zone for a safety.

The South dominated time of possession and field position in the first half, but was turned away four more times deep in North territory before Erickson’s punt-return TD.

The first of Aaron Johnson’s two TD receptions, on a 17-yard pass from Cameron Allerheilgen of Keller, cut the North’s deficit to 16-14. Johnson later caught a 14-yard scoring pass from Brandon Robinson of Canadian.

The North regained the lead at 17-16 with 2:50 left in the period on a 40-yard field goal from Grant Pierce of Plano.

Godfrey drove the South 61 yards for the go-ahead score. His 21-yard run set up his 7-yard touchdown pass to Auston Shipley with 10 minutes left in the game. A minute and a half later, Godfrey scrambled and found Erickson in the end zone to put the game away.

Erickson’s interception ended the ensuing North drive and set up South’s final TD, a 6-yard run by Marion Grice of Aldine Nimitz.