Jun 3, 2018 3 min read

Consider it the home-field advantage.

Less than 30 seconds into the Tri-County Football Coaches Association 2018 BeeGraphix Football Classic and Trinity running back Joey Koroly was sprinting into the end zone untouched.

Koroly paced a fast start with two first-quarter touchdowns, including a 56-yard run on the opening play from scrimmage, as the South Team defeated the North Team, 48-6, at Hiller Field Sunday evening.

“The first practice, Coach (Jon) Miller said it was going to be the first play (for that call),” Koroly said. “I told him it was going to be a touchdown. He laughed but I meant it.”

It was only the second time in the last 10 years that the South has defeated the North.

The win also snapped a three-year losing streak and was the highest single-game point total (48) in the 22 years of the game.

Koroly finished with three carries for 61 yards and two touchdowns.

In his four seasons at Trinity, he ran for 4,428 yards. Koroly amassed 1,807 yards and 20 touchdowns in 10 games during his senior year, along with breaking single-game and all-time rushing records at the school.

The South Team continued to dominate throughout the first half as Trinity’s Dylan Kern connected with Ringgold wide receiver Darius Tyree for a 39-yard touchdown.

Then, California’s Collin Phillips intercepted a pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown to give the South a 21-0 lead with 8:21 left in the first quarter.

Kern, the main quarterback for the South, went 5 of 8 for 143 yards and two touchdowns.

“A final game with a couple of my guys, a bunch of good players from other schools and our entire coaching staff was special,” Kern said. “When I found out the game was (at Hiller Field), I was ecstatic. I couldn’t wait to play here again. It’s crazy because you realize how much you are out of shape. It’s a good thing I play quarterback, so I’m not running a lot.”

The South Team added two more scores, a two-yard run from Koroly and a 13-yard run from Ringgold’s Brendan Small, to lead 35-6 entering halftime.

Small had 45 yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns.

Ian Edenfield of Laurel Highlands, who was named the South Team defensive MVP, forced a pair of fumbles in the opening half. Phillips finished with two interceptions.

After five failed possessions, the North Team scored on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Burgettstown’s Ryan Lounder to Charleroi’s Ryan Workman with 4:08 remaining in the second quarter.

Workman was named the offensive MVP for the North Team, while McGuffey’s Luke Shingle earned the defensive honors with an interception.

“I remember the last time I stepped on this field with a pretty big game against Ringgold,” said Koroly, who was named the South offensive MVP.

“Getting out here with some of my teammates and entire coaching staff meant a lot. It gave me some closure to end my high school career.”