Whiteland’s Quinn Warweg (10) gets blocked as he dives to try and tackle Greg Atkinson during the North/South All-Star Classic on Friday.
Rob Baker | For the Daily Journal
INDIANAPOLIS
Contrary to popular belief, high school football season in Indiana doesn’t conclude with the crowning of six state champions.
The official sendoff is eight months later, according to more than a half-century of tradition.
On Friday, the annual North/South All-Star Classic was played at Ben Davis, a game that included four former Johnson County players on the South squad.
The South All-Stars won, 14-0, scoring all of their points in the opening half and padding their lead in the overall series to 29-26.
Afterward, players and coaches from both squads shook hands, exchanged hugs and even posed for photos. The game and everything leading up to it were over, but the stories from the past four days promise to endure.
The North/South Classic is a whirlwind in which there are no losers. Being selected an All-Star is a triumph in and of itself.
The time preceding the game is devoted to forging new friendships, exchanging helmet decals, and yes, game preparation in the form of meetings and practices.
“It’s the continuous representation of your program,” said Center Grove football coach Eric Moore, who watched two of his players, offensive lineman Jacob Newlin and defensive tackle Owen Green, on Friday night. “We’ve been fortunate to get two kids in almost every year.
“It makes me feel good for these kids and for their families that they get to be an Indiana All-Star forever. Every kid we’ve had go there has had a great experience. You make a lot of new friends, and get to be teammates with players you’ve played against.”
Lined up at right guard, the 6-foot-4, 285-pound Newlin compiled no statistics but helped some of his teammates do so. The South rushed for 68 yards and passed for 252. Mt. Vernon quarterback Gehrig Slunaker was named the game’s most valuable player, completing 15 of 21 pass attempts for 158 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Defensively, Green had his moments as well. Both he and Newlin will soon be taking part in preseason practices for the University of Indianapolis.
Whiteland also fielded a pair of players, inside linebacker Daniel Adams and defensive back Quinn Warweg.
Though the names change as the years go on, Johnson County has made an impact in the series.
In 2011, Indian Creek quarterback Trey Reese was the game’s most valuable player; Greenwood’s Collin Campbell was a Hub Etchison Scholarship Award recipient in 2021.
Whiteland coach Darrin Fisher appreciates how every level of his program benefits, from the varsity players to the first- and second-graders competing in flag football.
“I think it is a reward, not only for the young man who plays in the game, but his class,” Fisher said. “All of their teammates are represented by Quinn Warweg and Daniel Adams. Everyone is proud of them. I just think it’s good for the whole program.
“All those kids, they have a dream to be a varsity football player. I think the All-Star game one of the best things we do. It represents every town and every region. It’s all levels. It has Class A players, Class 6A players and everything in between.
“That’s why I love the game.”
