MERCED — A handful of local football players donned helmets and pads for the final time as members of their respective high schools on Saturday at the second annual Merced County All-Star Football Classic at Golden Valley High School.

Though the North team that featured players from Turlock and Pitman fell by a 19-13 score, each had uniquely impressive individual performances as they showcased their talents to a new, Merced-heavy audience in the grandstands.

A threat throughout the night was Turlock’s Junior Silva, who racked up 195 all-purpose yards — five catches for 98 yards and four returns for 97 yards. The numbers come after he was held without a catch for nearly the whole first half.

“It’s honestly a big honor,” Silva said. “I'm glad they gave me the chance to be able to come out here, showcase my talent, catch a couple balls and show what I could do. It feels so good to represent Turlock. That’s a big name to represent.”

Also racking up yardage in bunches was Pitman’s Syncyr Sanders, who was named an All-Star as a defensive back but was utilized as a wide receiver by Livingston head coach Steven Wine and his coaching staff. He seized the opportunity, hauling in all five balls thrown his way and racking up 67 yards. They weren’t your typical receiving yards, as Sanders used sweet footwork to evade a pair of defenders on a 14-yard haul in the first quarter and shook two more after securing a 33-yard catch right before halftime.

“It means a lot because I've always been overlooked as a wide receiver, so going into this game as wide receiver, being able to shine against this level of competition that was way bigger than me, being able to compete like that, it feels really good,” Sanders said.

In total, Silva and Sanders combined for 164 yards, or nearly 65% of Orestimba quarterback Jacob Valenzuela’s 253 total passing yards.

Blocking for Valenzuela and the rotating stable of running backs was Pitman’s Chase Martin, a senior who plays both sides of the line but was featured Saturday only on offense. Despite the loss, Martin raved over the competitive game and playing against the region’s top talent.

“It feels good to be a part of this game,” said Martin, who rocked the trenches with a pair of pancake blocks and recovered a Valenzuela fumble. “It was so fun. Just a really fun experience.”

The North offense started off hot. After forcing a turnover on downs from the South offense to start the game, it took 20 seconds for Valenzuela to connect with teammate Dylan McCauley for 40 yards to score the game’s first points, capped off with a successful extra-point from Pitman’s Isaac Padilla to make it a 7-0 game.

The South, led by Merced quarterback Quintell Dupree, proceeded to stage a 12-play drive over the next four minutes to make it a 7-6 game, though their extra-point attempt failed after a botched snap.

The score remained the same until about three minutes left in the fourth quarter. Through that time, Pitman’s Tristan Fuentes was slotted at defensive end for most of the night, racking up five tackles ( including two for losses) and a handful of rushes on Dupree throughout the night.

The scoring drought finally ended when Dupree and teammate Juju Higareda connected for a 53-yard touchdown. Up to that point, Turlock’s other representative, linebacker Bradlee Green, was having himself a game, getting in on five tackles and a pair of pass breakups.

The South, looking to punch in a two-point conversion, saw Green blow up the play in their faces. Dupree snapped the ball and handed it to Torres’ Amani Sua, who dropped back to pass. Green blitzed and laid a hit on Sua, whose throw flailed helplessly to the ground to keep the score at 12-7, and ensured the North a chance to take the lead and win.

“Even though it's an All-Star game, it’s still about playing my best and having fun, and also just trying to stay healthy and not do any stupid stuff that could lead to an injury,” Green said. “Be safe but still ball out.”

“Bradlee is my guy,” added Silva. “I’ll tell you what, it wasn’t boring being on the sidelines watching No. 20 on defense. He made some plays out there.”

Six plays later with 65 seconds left to play, though, Valenzuela was stripped and Sua redeemed himself by returning it 50 yards for a touchdown to make it 19-7. 

Silva’s final catch, a 38-yarder to put the North in the red zone, came with 58 seconds to play. It set up another touchdown from Valenzuela to McCauley to make it 19-13, but at that point, there were just five seconds on the clock. 

Seconds later, both teams embraced at midfield, and Sua and McCauley were named Players of the Game.

“It’s just great to be with a bunch of different players from a bunch of different schools, and a lot of good athletes out here together,” Green said. “I just wish we could have had more preparation and come in a lot stronger and a lot faster. I wanted this win, but it is what it is. It was a good time.”