Carter scored on a 16-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and rushed for 54 yards on 11 carries. Parker finished with two sacks and a forced fumble for the East in a 25-8 win.

The West leads the all-time series 45-36. It’s the third win in a row for the East, who was coached throughout the week by Dan Reeves and assistants Shawn Jefferson, Sam Mills and Steve Atwater, among others. Wade Phillips was head coach of the West.

Defensive end Bruce Miller and offensive tackle Jah Reid represented UCF in the contest, which was played in front of an announced crowd of 9,642. Both started at their positions for the East.

“It was a great opportunity to get out there and show a little bit of what you’ve got,” Miller said. “And we had a blast doing it.”

Miller helped force a punt when the defensive coverage by the East gave him ample time to chase down Idaho quarterback Nathan Enderle for a sack in the third quarter.

Reid did his part as well, despite being called for a penalty.

“It’s a great way to sum up my college career right here in Orlando, at home,” Reid said. “I’ll never forget it.”

The East gained 301 yards of total offense. The West gained just 126 yards on the day.

(– Edited version of release from UCF Athletics –)

“They’re great players and you can see why their program has done so well,” Reeves said of UCF’s Miller and Reid. “The enthusiasm and the way those guys concentrated and worked hard paid off. This is a short week. This is tough. People don’t understand how tough it is for these players to have this much thrown at them this quickly. I can’t tell you how tough that is. They didn’t have any problem with it at all. It shows you what kind of players they are.”

“Jah Reid has a real bright future playing in the National Football League. It’s hard to find guys that big that have the kind of foot quickness that he’s got. I was working with the offense and guys like Bruce showed up all the time. He was one of the ones getting to the quarterback in practice. You hope that he carries that on to the game and you saw that he could do that.”

Miller and Reid both were quick to credit their time with the Knights as a prime reason for why they stand on the cusp of earning an NFL paycheck.

“UCF got me here,” Miller said. “My coaches and the players that I’ve been able to play with are the reason that I’m here. I’m very grateful for everything that they’ve done for me. It sure does help prepare you. The work that we put in and learning to do things the right way is what the scouts and coaches want to see when I’m out here. They want the work ethic and intensity on the practice field and I was able to show that.”

“Coach O’Leary definitely prepares us for the next level with how we think about the game, how we practice, it all carried over,” Reid said.

Miller for one certainly enjoyed the experience of playing in the East-West Shrine Game.

“It was a blast out there. I came over here to the stadium very excited about the week. I was able to come over here last year and watch Torell (Troup) play for the week so I knew a little bit of what it was going to be like but I was excited getting out here and running around with some of these guys that you watch on TV and then you get to meet them. It was great to get out there. The talent level was top-notch. These are thebest college football players in the country and it was fun to see where you stack up against them.”

Reid also relished the opportunity to play his final collegiate event in the shadow of both his hometown of Haines City and also the campus that he called home.

“It feels great,” he said of the experience this past week. “I had over 30 people at will call. I had a lot of family here and friends.”

Miller believes that he did what he needed to do this week before moving on to the NFL Combine next month in Indianapolis.

“I showed work ethic,” he said. “I didn’t make as many plays as I wanted to but they knew that every day I was going to work. I was going to give great effort and that was important to me.”

Reid, still under consideration for a combine invitation, feels that he did well this week, too.

“I think I did pretty well,” he said. “There’s always room for improvement. The competition was so great. To be able to play in this game with such great athletes was an honor and I had a great time.”

Clermont native Gregory Lloyd II and Lake Brantley alum Patrick DiMarco, a fullback for the West, were among a handful of local players taking part in the game.

Lloyd II, out of Connecticut, led the East with 5 tackles. Florida defensive end Justin Trattou finished with 4 tackles (2 for loss), a sack and pass breakup while Buffalo cornerback Josh Thomas had 4 tackles, a fumble recovery and pass breakup.

Other defensive standouts for the East included Ohio State linebacker Brian Rolle (2 tackles, forced fumble, pass breakup), Tennessee defensive end Chris Walker (2 tackles, forced fumble), Miami cornerback Demarcus Van Dyke (2 tackles, fumble recovery), Nebraska defensive end Pierre Allen (sack, forced fumble) and Penn State defensive tackle Olong Ogbu (sack). Iowa State strong safety David Sims intercepted a pass.

Oklahoma State linebacker Orie Lemon led the West with 8 tackles (2 for loss) while Central Michigan linebacker Nicholas Bellore had 6 tackles and Boise State cornerback Brandyn Thompson had 5 tackles. Boise State linebacker Winston Venable finished with 4 tackles (1 for loss) and an interception.

Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs passed for 51 yards on 5-of-10 attempts and rushed for 40 yards on five carries for the East. Penn State running back Evan Royster rushed for 38 yards and a touchdown on nine carries and Texas tight end Greg Smith led all receivers with four catches for 77 yards before dislocating his shoulder.

– More Highlights From 2011 East-West Shrine Game –

– 1st Quarter – Hawaii’s Alex Green fumbled away possession of the ball on the opening play of the game. The East took over at the 16-yard line, from which Carter worked his way around the right end and beat a defender to the goal line at the 14:38 mark.

The early troubles for the West continued as Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien was sacked on successive plays. Parker was in on the first sack while the second came from Oregon’s Kenny Rowe, who forced a fumble that resulted in a safety with 8:59 to go.

The East had no trouble finding the end zone once again following the kick as Royster extended the lead to 16-0 with 4:23 remaining on a four-yard run up the middle.

– 2nd Quarter – After missing a 27-yard field goal attempt, Auburn’s Wes Byrum hit from 25 yards out. The second chance came by way of another big defensive play by the East as Parker got to Tolzien for another sack and forced fumble.

The field goal put the East up 19-0.

The West would finally get on the scoreboard with Enderle taking over under center. Enderle hooked up with Portland State tight end Julius Thomas for a five-yard touchdown. They then connected on the ensuing two-point play to cut the deficit to 19-8 with 2:44 to go in the half.

– 4th Quarter – With less than four minutes remaining Walker forced a fumble at the goal line, which was recovered by North Carolina defensive tackle Marvin Austin for the final score of the game. Byrum had his extra-point attempt blocked by Idaho’s Shiloh Keo.

Byrum finished the day just 1-of-3 on field goals and 2-of-3 on point-after tries.

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com and follow at Facebook or @OrlandoSportsJC ) –

– Photos by Scott McCall –

The NAIA pulled out a 23-15 win at the second annual event by taking the final three matches of the night.

The first-of-its-kind dual meet showcased six NAIA All-Americans and four NCWA wrestlers that competed for titles in 2010. The NAIA win the event 39-3 last year.

“It’s a great chance for both divisions to see each other and it’s a good opportunity for the guys to get better on both sides,” Morningside College coach Jake Stevenson said. “The more we can promote it the better it is for the sport.”

Stevenson worked the corner for the NAIA team along with Brian Jackson (Missouri Baptist) and Patrick Giangrasso (Missouri Valley). Jason Balma (UCF), Jovon Butler (Apprentice School) and John Petty (California Baptist) coached the NCWA team.

If there was one matchup that caught the eye of wrestling fans heading into the event, it was a rematch of last year’s 174-pound thriller between Jameon Rush of Hastings University and Kevin Bacci out of West Chester University.

Rush (No. 6 in NAIA) handed Bacci a 4-3 loss in triple overtime in 2010. That match proved to be a turning point for Bacci though, as he went on to win the NCWA national championship.

“By the end of last year I’d grown by leaps and bounds,” Bacci said afterwards. “After getting more and more training I was a little more ready to come back out here and get it done this time.”

This time around, Bucci put the NCWA ahead in the team standings 15-13 with a pin at the 2:55 mark in the first period.

“I knew I needed to get some big points there because this thing was going to be pretty close,” Bucci said.

But it would be the last of three match wins for the NCWA.

Not that the end result clouded the big picture for a group of wrestlers competing under the 14-year old club-level organization.

“The better we do here the better our reputation is and the better our credibility holds,” Bucci said of the event.

Most of the competitors taking part wrestled with a similar mentality.

The meet got off to a spirited start as the teams split the first four matches in competitive fashion.

A 12-10 win at 125-pounds by Paulie Hansen (Missouri Valley College) against Alex Chiracosta (UCF) came by way of a takedown in the extra period. Chiracosta trailed by as many as six at one point but clawed his way back with a near-fall in the closing seconds to tie the match at 10-all.

UCF’s Steve DeAugustino, ranked No. 2 in NCWA at 133 pounds, followed that up with a tough 8-5 win in his match against Anton Prater (Missouri Baptist). DeAugustino broke a 4-4 tie by scoring on a takedown with 40 seconds remaining.

“Half of the reward for coming out here for this meet is you’re guaranteed solid competition,” DeAugustino said. “Any chance we can get to wrestle up against some tough competition, I’m all for it.”

Morningside senior Drew Smith scored a 1-0 win over junior Kendall Albert of Kennesaw State in a battle of the fourth-ranked 141-pounders in each association. An escape with 25 seconds to go in the third period proved to be enough for Smith.

California Baptist sophomore Christopher Santana ended his 149-pound match in the second period with a 5-1 win against Danny Hutcheson of Dakota Wesleyan. Santana, the NCWA’s top-ranked wrestler in his weight class, scored on a takedown and near-fall before Hutcheson was unable to continue due to injury.

From there, the NAIA began flexing its muscle as Brad Cusatis (Hastings College) defeated Ricky Anderson (Apprentice School), 12-2, at 157-pounds and Morningside sophomore Joe Sievert defeated Dustin Tancredi of West Chester, 8-2, in the 165-pound class.

That put the NAIA up 13-9 after six of the 10 matches were in the books.

“These guys that we’re going against, they have everything to lose as opposed to us,” Santana said. “That’s pretty big on their part. Thanks to them we’ve got the opportunity to show what we’ve got.”

Following the pin by Bacci that put the NCWA in front for a brief moment, the lead changed for good when Missouri Valley junior Jesse Alter (No. 4 in NAIA) pulled a reversal in the closing seconds of the 184-pound match, earning a 5-3 win over South Carolina’s Ben Brummel.

A pair of Missouri Valley College seniors finished out the event by winning big in the final two matches of the night. Charles Gibbs defeated Richard Rippy (UCF) 11-4 while Travis Ewart beat Brian Milford (Texas A&M) 11-3.

Judging by the quality of matches that played out between each association, it looks to be a step in the right direction for event organizers. The NCWA is hoping to secure wrestlers from Division II and Division III programs for next year’s gathering.

“I see this continuing to grow,” NCWA Executive Director Jim Giunta said. “Both of these associations have taken it a little more serious in terms of sending better coaches and athletes, and I anticipate it getting even better.”

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com and follow at Facebook or @OrlandoSportsJC ) –

UCF defensive end Bruce Miller and offensive tackle Jah Reid recently accepted invitations to play in the annual East-West Shrine Game at the Florida Citrus Bowl. The senior showcase event takes place on Saturday, Jan. 22 at 4 p.m.

Miller was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in both 2009 and 2010. He owns the UCF career record for sacks with 35.5 and led the nation in career sacks among active players. Reid made 41 career starts at UCF, including 33 in a row dating back to 2008. He was named to the All-Conference USA first team in both 2009 and 2010.

Both players served as team captains in 2010 as UCF went 11-3, won the Conference USA championship and defeated Georgia in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

Last fall UCF defensive tackle Torell Troup played in the Shrine Game before going on to be selected early in the second round (No. 41 overall) by the Buffalo Bills.

The coaches for the 2011 game will be Wade Phillips and Dan Reeves, who was a keynote speaker last month at the Liberty Bowl’s FCA Prayer Breakfast.

“The East-West Shrine Game has always fielded players among college football’s best,” East-West Shrine Game Executive Director Harold Richardson said in a statement. “With all 32 NFL teams represented by GMs, coaches and scouts during game week, our players have the terrific opportunity to showcase their talents and get their first glimpse of life in the NFL…”

Players from each team will take part in different events to benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children, an international pediatric specialty health care system.

In addition to the two UCF standouts, many others from around the country have also committed to play in the game. Some of the most notable names include Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor, Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien, Oregon defensive tackle Brandon Bair and Stanford wide receiver Ryan Whalen.

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com and follow at Facebook or @OrlandoSportsJC ) –

The Tide outgained MSU 546-171 in total yards, holding to Spartans to minus-48 yards on the ground. Alabama was in on five quarterback sacks defensively, and used a balanced offensive attack (275 yards rushing, 271 yards passing) to finish its season 10-3. Michigan State finishes 11-2.

Junior linebacker Courtney Upshaw was named most valuable player after finishing with five tackles (three for loss), two sacks and a forced fumble. Robert Lester (5 tackles) broke up a pass and returned an interception 22 yards. Alex Watkins (4 tackles), Marcell Dareus (3 tackles) and DeQuan Menzie (2 tackles) also recorded sacks for Alabama.

“Coming into the game coach (Nick Saban) talked about being inspired and dominating the person in front of you,” Upshaw said afterwards. “We wanted to dominate and finish the game.”

Michigan State was tackled for a loss 11 times on the day for 70 yards. Edwin Baker gained just 14 yards on 12 carries. Quarterback Kirk Cousins was knocked out of the game after being sacked for the fourth time.

“It was an accumulation of hits that ran its course as the game went on,” Cousins said of being forced to the sideline. “The last one I took was one where I just had a throbbing headache on the field and my lower back started to flare up, so I just felt my body was wearing down as the game went on. That was sort of the final nail in the coffin.”

And while nothing went right for Michigan State, there was little that could go wrong for Alabama during a game that was played in 77-degree weather.

Quarterback Greg McElroy finished 13-of-17 passing for 220 yards and a touchdown to Marquis Maze, who caught four passes for 77 yards. Preston Dial also caught four balls for 55 yards. McElroy now holds the single-season records at Alabama for passing yards (2,914) and touchdowns (20), moving past the top-two previous efforts of John Parker Wilson in 2006 and 2007.

Running back Mark Ingram gained 59 yards and scored twice on 12 carries while Eddie Lacy also reached the end zone twice in the second half on five carries for 86 yards. Trent Richardson rushed for 42 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries and Julio Jones got a big block from McElroy to score on a 35-yard run late in the second quarter. Jones finished with 36 yards on two carries and caught three passes for 49 yards.

The 1,133 receiving yards and 78 receptions for Jones this year are new single-season records at Alabama, surpassing the efforts of D.J. Hall.

Ingram set the new career rushing touchdowns record at Alabama in the second quarter. His 42 scores on the ground is one better than Shaun Alexander finished his career with from 1996-99.

Marcus Hyde (8 tackles) and Greg Jones (8 tackles) led the Spartans on defense.

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –

– Photos by Scott McCall –

Russell went 28-of-45 passing for 275 yards and two scores. He rushed 14 times for 41 yards and was sacked five times in the win.

Senior Jarvis Williams led all receivers with six catches for 77 yards and a touchdown while sophomore James Washington led all rushers with 62 yards on 18 carries and caught two passes for four yards. Williams is a graduate of Jones High School and Washington finished as a state runner-up while at Boone High School.

Freshman Mustafa Greene caught a 16-yard touchdown pass for N.C. State (9-4) with 1:37 left in the first quarter. Senior Josh Czajkowski made 3-of-4 field goal attempts, including kicks of 45, 40 and 38 yards.

The 20 field goals made by Czajkowski on the year ties Marc Primanti (1996) for the most in a single season in school history. He finished his career ranked No. 3 all-time with 46 made attempts, the most since Damon Hartman made 48 from 1988-91.

Freshman David Amerson forced a fumble and led the Wolfpack with seven tackles. Sophomore Brandon Bishop intercepted a pass and finished with five tackles. Nate Irving (4 tackles, FF, FR) and Audi Augustin (3 tackles) each recorded sacks while Michael Lemon (2 tackles), Taylor Gentry (tackle) and David Akinniyi recovered fumbles.

The win for N.C. State gives coach Tom O’Brien his 100th career win in 14 years as a head coach.

West Virginia (9-4) got two sacks from Bruce Irvin (forced fumble) while Robert Sands (8 tackles), Julian Miller (4 tackles) and Sidney Glover (4 tackles) also reached the quarterback. J.T. Thomas led the Mountaineers with 10 tackles. Terence Garvin finished with five tackles and a fumble recovery.

Quarterback Geno Smith tied the game at 7-7 with 2:10 left in the first half on a 32-yard touchdown pass to Stedman Bailey. That gave him 24 touchdown passes on the year, which is good for No. 2 on the WVU single-season list. He is also No. 2 on the single-season completions list at the school with 241.

Smith finished 22-of-39 passing for 196 yards and rushed for 59 yards on 12 carries.

Noel Devine took eight carries for 50 yards and caught four passes for 21 yards in the loss. Jock Sanders caught five balls for 58 yards and Tavon Austin caught five passes for 30 yards.

Devine finished out his career No. 3 all-time at West Virginia with 4,315 rushing yards and No. 1 all-time in all-purpose yards with 5,761. Sanders ended his career at WVU with 206 receptions, the most in program history.

West Virginia missed two field goals and turned the ball over five times in all during a game that was played in 51-degree temperatures. N.C. State also forced five turnovers against UCF when the Wolfpack played in Orlando on Sept. 11. The 23 points scored by N.C. State on Tuesday was the most allowed by the Mountaineers this season.

( – More on the game at Williams, Washington Lead N.C. State At Champs – )

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –

– Photos by Scott McCall –

Whatever the extent of that animosity was, some back-and-forth between players over which team’s uniform sponsor held the most clout clearly bothered members of the Wolfpack.

The feud led to an intensely physical football game in front of an announced crowd of 48,962. And N.C. State got the last word with a 23-7 statement win over the Mountaineers (9-4).

Jarvis Williams (5) and James Washington (24) returned to Orlando on Tuesday in the Champs Sports Bowl. (Photo by Scott McCall)

“We came out with a chip on our shoulder,” said former Boone High School running back James Washington. “They challenged us at the luncheon and we just wanted to come out and show that a team that wears Adidas can beat a team that wears Nike.”

Whatever source of inspiration is necessary, I suppose.

“The Nike team was talking a lot of mess,” former Jones High School standout Jarvis Williams confirmed. “They were underestimating us. We could tell that they thought they had this game in hand all week long.”

Williams finished his final game at N.C. State with a game-high six catches for 77 yards and a touchdown with 3:55 to play. Washington, a sophomore, ended the night with a game-high 62 yards on 18 carries and caught two passes for four yards.

“We knew that we were going to come in the underdogs, but sometimes it takes you being the underdog to win the game,” Washington said.

The homecoming for the college teammates capped off a 9-4 season for the Wolfpack. It also brought back a flood of memories for the Orlando natives.

“Jarvis has really grown – off the field and on the field,” N.C. State Coach Tom O’Brien said. “He’s matured a lot. He was elected as one of the captains by the team this year and was excited about the opportunity to come back here and play in the shadow of his former high school.”

Williams, who played his home football games for the Tigers at the Citrus Bowl, was thrilled about having one more chance to play in front of his hometown fans.

Jarvis Williams (Photo by Scott McCall)

“We got some new grass here, I see,” said Williams with a smile as he looked down at the newly planted artificial turf.

But it wasn’t really all about where his last collegiate football game was being played, rather how it would end once the clock ran out.

“I wanted to make sure I left (N.C. State) with a big statement and helped our team have a positive note to end the season,” Williams said.

For Washington, he was able to leave the Citrus Bowl field on a much brighter note than he did as a senior for the Braves in 2007.

“Last time I was in this stadium we lost in the state championship, but we’re just happy that we won this game today,” Washington said.

Turns out, though, that it was the hard work he put in while in high school that led him right back to Orlando after all.

“He’s another guy that was very excited to get back here,” O’Brien said of Washington. “One of the things we liked about him in high school was that he carried the ball about 40 times a game and never tired. He was about as strong in the fourth quarter as he was in the first quarter.”

Washington, who O’Brien said was not fully functional until sometime in November, pulled his hamstring in training camp and missed out on a chance to play in Orlando against UCF in the second game of the season.

Yet when a second chance presented itself, he took the ball and ran with it the best he had all year long.

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –

The day camp will include three days of intensive instruction from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and will feature stick drills, a shooting and passing clinic, position instruction, team and full-field concepts and scrimmages. A daily pro exhibit will also be held.

Powell, who earned the National Lacrosse League’s MVP award last year, was a former four-time All-America selection at Syracuse.  He has earned numerous all-pro honors in both the indoor and outdoor professional game. Other instructors at the camp include Boston Blazer standout Brett Queener and Katy Wick, a standout for the Penn State women’s lacrosse team and a Winter Springs native. In addition, several members of the 2008-09 NCAA Champion Syracuse Orange will serve as instructors.

Cost of the 3-day camp is $222 and includes a daily lunch. More information on registration for the camp is available at Casey Powell Lacrosse.

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –

Devonta Freeman rushed for 308 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries for Miami Central while Demetrius Hart of Dr. Phillips was held to just 39 yards on 20 carries.

“Their interior line on both sides of the ball is what won the football game for them,” Dr. Phillips Coach Dale Salapa said afterwards. “They were fast on defense, faster than we’ve seen all year.”

Freeman’s rushing effort rivals the state final record of 328 yards on 34 attempts by Travis Henry in 1996 for Frostproof. Freeman also caught three passes for 31 yards and a touchdown. Hart racked up another 105 yards on special teams.

The high-powered offense of the Panthers could only muster 238 total yards in all while converting just 4-of-11 attempts on third down. Central went for 513 yards and overcame 18 penalties for 148 yards in the win.

Dr, Phillips led 17-0 with 11:49 to go in the second quarter before Central took the lead for the first and final time at 28-24 with 4:06 remaining in the third quarter.

“It’s just a game of momentum,” said Salapa. “I don’t know that it’s any different than how a game between No. 1 and No. 2 should be.”

Since taking over the program in 2008, Salapa has led the Panthers to a 35-4 overall record that includes region semifinal appearances the past two years. Central (14-1) and Dr. Phillips (14-1) spent the majority of the season as the first and second-ranked teams, respectively, in the 6A state poll.

Quarterback Nick Patti went 9-of-24 passing for 203 yards and two interceptions in the title game. He threw two touchdown passes to Chris Gallon, who finished with four catches for 118 yards. They hooked up on scoring strikes of 50 and 30 yards in the first half.

Ryan Luckett returned an interception 61 yards for a score in the first quarter. He finished with three tackles and a pass breakup. Roderick Ryles led the Panthers with 7.5 tackles. Phillip Amone (6 tackles), Andreis Norris (5.5 tackles) and Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix (5 tackles) were each in on a tackle-for-loss.

Dr. Phillips kicker Shawn Moffitt made field goals of 32 and 26 yards. Central’s defensive pressure not only helped force those field goal attempts, but also resulted in seven tackles behind the line of scrimmage and a fumble recovery. Central outscored the Panthers 21-3 in the second half.

Rakeem Cato went 17-of-25 passing for 196 yards and three touchdowns. D’Andre Randle led the Rockets with five receptions for 68 yards and a score while Thomas Shuler also reached the end zone once on four catches for 48 yards.

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –

– Photos by J.C. Carnahan –

Lake Nona’s Kyle Herrera booted a 34-yard field goal as time expired to give the East a 20-17 come-from-behind win. Herrera also kicked a 32-yarder to close out the first half.

“I was already real nervous coming into it, then they tried to ice me twice,” Herrera said afterward. “I just threw my career on the line and put everything I had into it.”

East seniors watch as the ball clears the uprights. (Photo by Tim Citek)

Despite outgaining the West in total yards (326-207) the East seniors were forced to overcome six turnovers and a 17-7 deficit late in the second quarter before eventually pulling out the win.

The West built its lead by turning three of those turnovers into scores.

While trailing 7-0 early in the second quarter Edgewater’s Kelvon Davis forced a fumble, which put the West in position to tie the game. It wasn’t long before Bishop Moore quarterback Mike Calabro tucked the football and took off on a 30-yard touchdown run.

West Orange’s Marcus Isom went on to recover a fumble on a bad snap once the East regained possession, setting up a 27-yard field goal by Wekiva’s Kyle McGee. The West extended its lead with less than a minute to play in the second quarter when Wekiva’s Josh West jumped on a loose ball in the end zone following yet another fumble.

But while the West relied on the mistakes of its opponent, the East continued dusting itself off and feeding the ball to Lake Nona’s Jarius Pace and Winter Park’s Brandon Brown-Dukes out of the backfield.

The duo combined for eight carries of more than 10 yards on the night. When they weren’t fighting for extra yardage by making defenders miss by way of shifty moves, they were finding extra room to run thanks to an aggressive offensive line.

“It’s been a long time since I was able to get back in my groove and I felt like I was able to do that tonight,” said Pace, who missed much of the regular season due to injury. “God came through for me. The team came through. I’d like to give all the credit to the o-line for the outstanding blocking they did.”

Pace brushed off two fumbles to finish with 126 yards rushing and a touchdown on 14 carries. He also had a 45-yard reception late in the fourth quarter. Brown-Dukes took 12 carries for 61 yards and caught three passes for 30 yards and a touchdown in the win.

The celebration gets underway for the East seniors. (Photo by Tim Citek)

“It’s a great experience to play with and against all these guys from throughout Orange County, because some of these guys we’ve never had the chance to play against (during the regular season),” said Brown-Dukes.

It was his catch-and-run for a touchdown with 8:31 to go in the third quarter that tied the game at 17-17. Following a 31-yard reception by Winter Park’s Lee Dunnam, on a throw from East River quarterback Josh Jones, Brown-Dukes hauled in a pass while alone in the flat and reached the end zone on a 22-yard gain after sidestepping a defender inside the five-yard line.

“When I turned my head and looked up it was wide open,” Brown-Dukes said. “It’s all natural instinct from there. I just decided to take a jab-step inside and come back out.”

Pace scored the opening points of the night when he took a handoff up the middle and went four yards for the touchdown with 1:18 to go in the first quarter.

He got the scoring drive started on a pitch-out to the right, where he stiff-armed a defender and raced 52 yards down the West sideline. Positive gains by Brown-Dukes, Central Florida Christian Academy’s Karl Bourne and East River’s Michael Elder continued to move the chains before Pace punched it in for the score.

– More Orange County Senior Bowl Highlights –

– Lake Nona’s Chris Compton caught a 23-yard pass from University’s Kyle Sellers with 24 seconds left in the second quarter… Sellers and Josh Jones combined to go 9-of-21 for 139 yards passing for the East.

– Edgewater’s Kelvin Gunning and Wekiva’s Demarius Daniels each intercepted a pass… Olympia’s Josh Cunningham got to the quarterback for a sack during the final seconds of the first half… West Orange’s Diego Quintanar recovered a fumble with two minutes left in the game, but the West replied by going three-and-out.

– Gunning, Ocoee’s Darien Oliver and Edgewater’s Kelvon Davis were among those breaking up passes while West Orange’s Kellen Williams made multiple timely tackles.

– Bishop Moore quarterback Mike Calabro led the West in rushing with 65 yards on four carries… Calabro, Wekiva’s Greg Arnheim and Evans quarterback Dominique Tarver combined to go 7-of-20 for 63 yards passing… Ocoee’s Robenson Roche caught three passes for 18 yards.

– University’s Shane Berry made a clutch interception near the sideline on a pass inside the 10-yard line with a minute left in the second quarter… Winter Park’s Dominique Albert and Timber Creek’s Lavon Moten recorded sacks for the East.

– Stepping up to make big tackles for the East were Winter Park’s Matthew Moody, Lake Nona’s Alex Scott, Timber Creek’s Brandon Tyras, Freedom’s Colin Burke and Kavaris Green, and Colonial’s Larry McNeil and Chad Tajudeen… Colonial’s Ricky Gordon, Freedom’s David Gadson and Cypress Creek’s Nick Gonzalez broke up passes.

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –

In case you missed it, the Tuskers lost the UFL title game against the Las Vegas Locomotives 23-20 while the Montreal Alouettes defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 21-18 for the CFL title.

Former UCF football player Keith Shologan finished out his season with Saskatchewan at defensive tackle, making 30 tackles and recording three sacks. Former Florida State quarterback Adrian McPherson and former Florida quarterback Chris Leak saw playing time this season for Montreal.

– Rollins Soccer Caught In Snowstorm –

The most surprising thing about the Rollins College men’s soccer team playing in the Division II National Championship game this past Saturday was not that they qualified in the first place, but rather the weather conditions they were forced to play in. If you’ve yet to see it, check out the video highlights at NCAA. The Tars lost 3-2 to Northern Kentucky in weather more suitable for a football game, of the American kind.

The Rollins College roster featured several local high school alumni, including seniors Chris Cummings (Ocala St. John Lutheran), Stephen Wright (Winter Park), Bradley Welch (Cypress Creek) and Blade Zych (Lake Brantley). Plenty of local talent returns for next season. View the Tars roster at Rollins Sports.

– High School Football Finals Take Shape –

The high school football state finals begin this weekend at the Citrus Bowl with four games taking place between teams in the lower classifications.

Friday’s finals include Warner Christian Academy vs. Glades Day in Class 1B at 1 p.m., and Trinity Christian Academy vs. American Heritage in Class 1A at 7 p.m. On Saturday it’s Trinity Catholic vs. University School of NSU in Class 2B at 1 p.m., and Cocoa vs. Glades Central in Class 2A at 7 p.m.

The marquee prep football game of the weekend, though, is the Class 6A semifinal between favored Dr. Phillips at Seminole on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The state title games for classes 3A-6A take place Dec. 17-18.

A complete lineup is available at FHSAA.

– College Football Bowl Games Announced –

On Sunday the NCAA announced this season’s bowl game matchups, including the opponent for UCF at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn. and the matchups for both contests in Orlando at the Florida Citrus Bowl.

UCF (10-3) is ranked No. 24 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and will take on Georgia (6-6) on Dec. 31 at 3:30 p.m. The Knights faced the Bulldogs just once before, losing 24-23 in Athens during a regular season game in 1999. UCF Coach George O’Leary previously faced Georgia on seven different occasions as head coach at Georgia Tech. UCF lost its only trip to the Liberty Bowl against Mississippi State 10-3 following the 2007 season.

Florida Citrus Sports chose to pair West Virginia (9-3) against N.C. State (8-4) in the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 28 at 6:30 p.m., and Alabama (9-3) against Michigan State (11-1) in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1 at 1 p.m.

Check back for plenty more coverage of the upcoming bowl season.

– Magic’s Dwight Howard Best In November –

You see where Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for November?

He finished fifth in the Conference in scoring (21.8 points per game) and third in the league with a .594 shooting percentage. Howard also ranked fourth in the league in rebounds (12.1) while helping get the Magic off to a 13-4 start. It’s the fifth time in Howard’s career that he’s earned the league’s Eastern Conference monthly honor, also doing do in April 2006, November 2006, November 2007 and December 2007.

Among the highlights for Howard last month were:

Nov. 3 vs. Minnesota: Recorded 18 points, 16 rebounds and a season-high eight blocks in a 128-86 win over the Timberwolves.

Nov. 5 vs. New Jersey: Tallied 30 points and 16 rebounds in a 105-90 victory over the Nets.

Nov. 24 vs. Miami: Registered 24 points to go along with 18 rebounds in a 111-100 victory over the Heat.

Nov. 27 @ Washington: Compiled a season-high 32 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and hit the game-winning  shot to defeat the Wizards by a score of 100-99.

– UCF Men’s Basketball Out To Fast Start –

The UCF men’s basketball team is out to a 7-0 start for the first time at the Division I level, meaning the Knights have yet to lose under new head coach Donnie Jones. For their efforts, UCF has received votes in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls for the first time since 2006.

On Saturday, following the football team’s Conference USA championship win, the hoops team did away with Southeastern Louisiana 74-49.

Sophomore Keith Clanton tied the school record for blocks in a game when he turned away eight shots in the win. Clanton also finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds, which ties his career high. Tony Davis also blocked eight shots on Dec. 1, 2007 against USF. John Friday blocked seven shots in a game twice in January 1987.

The Knights play again on Saturday, Dec. 11 at UCF Arena against Bethune-Cookman at 5 p.m.

– Edgewater & Timber Creek Alumni In D-II Title Game –

Edgewater High School alum Kaleigh Cunningham finished her collegiate volleyball career as an outside hitter with Tampa in the Division II National Championship on Saturday in Louisville.

Tampa (31-4), who went 15-1 in the Sunshine State Conference, dropped the title match 25-23, 23-25, 26-24, 25-10 to four-time defending champion Concordia-St. Paul (32-4). (See footage at NCAA)

Cunningham finished the season with 313 kills, 220 digs and 12 service aces. Sophomore outside hitter Jessica Yingling (Timber Creek) finished with 266 kills, 369 digs, 25 aces and 24 blocks for Tampa.

– Former UCF Women’s Soccer Player In D-III Title Game –

Former UCF women’s soccer player Alex Brandt finished her sophomore season at Messiah College with an appearance in the Division III National Championship.

Messiah (24-1) lost 2-1 to Hardin-Simmons (24-0-1). Brandt was credited with her 13th assist on the season with 15 minutes to play, when she set up Alicia Frey just outside the box for a goal. (See footage at NCAA)

Brandt, who was named to the C-USA All-Freshman Team in 2009, started in all 25 games this season and scored eight goals as a midfielder. She started 23 games for UCF while finishing the year with two goals and three assists.

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –