For the Star-Ledger
The hour-long rain and lightning delay that threatened to end the game prematurely was a distant memory, and there was nothing but daylight between West receiver Buddy Miller of Jefferson and a game-winning 60-yard touchdown as the clock expired in the fourth quarter.
But East cornerback Jamar Moore of Shabazz came flying in from the other side to bring Miller down at the goal line and knock the ball loose in the end zone, and safety John Viniero of West Essex recovered to secure the East's 19-14 victory in the Paul Robeson All-Star High School Football Classic yesterday before 2,000 at Paul Robeson Stadium in East Orange.
"I was on the other side of the field, but I started coming over because I was reading the quarterback (Newton's Steve Zander) and he was scrambling," Moore said. "As soon as he caught it, I knew I had a great angle on him. I call it my dream angle."
The West, made up of players from Morris, Sussex, Warren and western Passaic counties, began the final drive at its own 13 with 1:15 to play and no timeouts. After being sacked by Bloomfield's Jeff Louissant and throwing an incomplete pass, Zander hooked up with Billy Magill of Parsippany Hills for 21 yards and Eshan McQueen of Paterson Eastside for 20 to set up the final play.
The East, made up of Essex and Passaic County players, increased its series advantage to 10-3. The delay took place with 14:29 left and the East leading, 7-6.
Even though it was an all-star game, the East coaches played Irvington receiver/safety Amir Morris on both sides of the ball. Morris rewarded them by scoring two touchdowns and preventing one.
The West controlled the game until Morris made two big plays before the lightning delay. With the West facing fourth-and-6 on the East 12 and looking to extend its 6-0 lead, Morris put a jarring hit on Passaic Valley's Tariq McDaniel to force an incomplete pass at the goal line.
About four minutes later, Morris fought off contact the whole way to haul in an 18-yard touchdown pass from Livingston quarterback Tommy Fisher. Then Morris showed off his speed after the delay, running away from the defense on a 66-yard TD pass from Fisher to give the East a 13-6 lead.
Morris, who would be a Division 1 player if he were academically eligible, will attend Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia with designs on playing for Temple.
Zander had a terrific fourth quarter, going 5-for-7 for 132 yards and nearly leading the West back from the 19-6 deficit it faced when East Orange receiver Ahmad Morgan scored on a 14-yard pass from Orange quarterback Lamar Williams with 5:02 to play.
Zander took the West right down the field, throwing for 43 yards and running for 11 before Danny Letts of Parsippany Hills took an option pitch and scored from 3 yards out and Letts added the two-point conversion on another option pitch to make it 19-14 with 2:35 to play.