All-Star football show stopper: Atwater's Sanchez leads North to win

CHOWCHILLA -- Spin moves. Stiff-arms. Jump cuts. Flips.

Nathan Sanchez showcased just about every evasive move in his bag of tricks on Friday night.

The Atwater quarterback put on a show, throwing for a touchdown and running for another to lead the North to a 24-14 win in the 25th annual North/South Rotary All-Star Classic at Chowchilla High.

"Sanchez is just special," said Hilmar coach Frank Marques. "He's so mobile."

Sanchez brought the North crowd to their feet with a spectacular touchdown pass in the second quarter.

Sanchez took the snap and immediately turned to see Caruthers defensive lineman Suka Tuifua in his face.

Sanchez spun out of Tuifua's grasp, avoided two other tackles in the backfield. Just before Sanchez took off to run, he lofted a pass down field to a wide open Mitchell Hilton, who cut across the field for a 71-yard touchdown reception that gave the North a 14-7 lead with 11:33 left in the second quarter.

"That's the best play I've ever seen," Buhach Colony lineman Justin Carter told teammates on the sideline.

How did Sanchez pull it off?

"That was crazy," he said. "I was just making different moves to get away. I was about to run when I saw a guy in a purple helmet waving at me."

Sanchez completed 7 of 9 passes for 152 yards and added 68 yards on the ground on 12 carries.

The North battled back from an early 7-0 deficit, as Sunnyside's Lejon Mason scored on an 80-yard sweep on the first play from scrimmage.

"They kind of caught us on our heels with their speed early on," said Merced defensive back Andrew Mendoza, who intercepted a pass in the second quarter.

"We were able to regroup and pull ourselves back together."

The North answered back with a 12-play drive engineered by Hilmar quarterback Quinton McCown.

Dos Palos' Greg Ray capped the drive with a 15-yard touchdown on a fourth-down play.

Hilmar's Daniel Mouro connected on a 26-yard field goal just before the half to give the North a 17-7 lead.

The South cut the lead to 17-14 early in the third quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by Madera's David Allen.

However, Sanchez put the game away with a 1-yard sneak finished off a 14-play, 84-yard drive early in the fourth quarter.