FOOTBALL: NORTH-SOUTH ALL-STAR CLASSIC - STANDING TALL

By Scott Stump - Senior Editor
E-mail: stump@digitalsports.com

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     PISCATAWAY - Freehold linebacker Robert James was a last-minute addition to the South squad for Monday's 30th annual North-South All-Star Classic at Rutgers Stadium, but he was in much more than just happy-to-be-there mode in the South's 31-25 loss to the North.
     The 5-foot-8, 220-pounder might not have been the biggest player on the field, but he was one of the most noticeable, speaking with his play and his sideline exuberance on his way to earning defensive Most Valuable Player honors for the South. He became the second straight Shore Conference player to win defensive MVP honors, as Manalapan graduate Billy Dokouslis went home with the plaque last year.
     "It was an amazing week,'' James said about the experience. "I wasn't even supposed to be here. I was a late edition to the roster, and I came in wanting to make a name for myself, let Freehold be heard, let myself be heard, and represent for the South.''
     He did just that, as he finished with four tackles, including two tackles for a loss that totaled minus-11 yards in a game in which the South fell behind 31-0 but rallied to make it interesting in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter. He dropped Emerson's Edwin Frias for a five-yard loss in the third quarter and ripped West Side's Anthony Baskerville to the ground for a six-yard loss in the fourth quarter to highlight his day.
      Usually an inside linebacker, James often had to play up near the line of scrimmage during the game and take on some bigger blockers against the North attack.
      "It's a lot faster on the edge,'' he said. "I definitely had to step my game up.''
      While James still has the Shore Gridiron Classic on July 18 at Brick left to play to cap his career before moving on to Kean University, he added another memorable moment to a senior season full of them with his performance on Monday night. His MVP award added to a senior year in which he helped the Colonials win the Federal Division title over heavily-favored Middletown South and reach the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III playoffs on his way to being named a DigitalSports first team Legends of the Fall performer.
      "The level of competition was great,'' James said. "I just love playing football, and it's a beautiful thing to play at Rutgers. I've always wanted to play here.''
      Also enjoying himself was another undersized player who played much bigger, 5-foot-9 Point Boro defensive back/kick returner Bobby Alameda, who returned four kickoffs for a total of 105 yards with a long of 37 yards and also had a tackle on defense. He also will be participating in the Shore Gridiron Classic, and he geared up for it with a memorable week up at Rutgers.
      "This was honestly the most fun I've ever had playing football in my life,'' Alameda said. "I've made friends with some kids that I'll never forget. I'll cherish it so much.''
      Alameda was part of a Point Boro team that reached the South Jersey Group II final this past fall, and was a sophomore on the Panthers team that captured the sectional title in 2005. His head coach, Calvin Thompson, also served as an assistant coach on Bob Nani's staff for the South team on Monday night.
      Now Alameda's high school career is down to one game, and that reality is starting to set in for a player who, like James, was also a DigitalSports first-team selection in the fall.
      "I was getting a little watery-eyed before this game,'' he said. "I don't know what I'm going to do before (the Shore Gridiron Classic).''
      The two of them were part of a 12-player contingent from the Shore Conference that helped the South rally to make it respectable in the fourth quarter after digging itself a 31-0 hole. Of course, it didn't hurt that there is a North-South game rule that if a team is trailing by nine points or more, it gets the ball back every time it scores in order to keep the game close.
      "Nobody wants to go out in their last high school game getting squashed,'' James said. "All the players knew we had to step up.''
      "All I've got to say is that the South has heart,'' Alameda said. "I learned that this week playing with these kids. They're a great bunch of kids.''
      In addition to James and Alameda's performances, Toms River North defensive lineman Austin Kugler tied for the South lead with five tackles, and Barnegat defensive back Erik Smithman had three tackles, including one for an eight-yard loss in becoming the first Bengals player to participate in the North-South game. Asbury Park defensive lineman Knowryl Hammary, perhaps the ultimate undersized standout from this season's Shore Conference seniors, and Long Branch safety Shawn Brown each added a pair of tackles on defense for the South.
      Offensively, Lacey wide receiver R.J. Roe capped his career in style with two touchdown catches that were part of a four-catch, 77-yard effort. St. John Vianney fullback Rich Esdaile had two rushes for eight yards and two catches for six yards, and Matawan running back J.T. Anderson had one rush for minus-nine yards after being dropped on a reverse. Toms River East's Mike Murphy and Southern's Dylan Larson saw time on the offensive line, and Manasquan's John Murtha served primarily as a blocker at tight end.