Five Central Mountain players – Isaiah Maldonado, Khye Kissell, Jacob Weaver, Cooper Bottorf and Alex Coakley, three Bellefonte players – Aden Howell, Liam Halterman, Noah Weaver, and one Bald Eagle Area player – Wyatt Spackman – suited up for the North. And after two years of seeing defeat, they were able to help it end that skid, as the North team won its first Classic since 2022, 36-28, behind stout rushing and 16-point fourth quarter.

“Feels good to win our first game (of the year),” laughed Maldonado when discussing the win. “Just played physically, did what Coach told us to do. The team did well, got the dub.”

“It was definitely an all-out team effort,” emphasized Spackman, who helped the team pick up two first downs and played a key role defensively. “We knew we were the better team and that if we could out-physical them and establish the run game, we could mow them over.”

It took time for the team to establish itself, as its first drive stalled just short of the red zone, its first three defensive possessions saw it surrender three touchdowns and it spent much of the game one step behind South. Each time it responded, South responded right back. And the result was it entering the second half on the defensive end trailing 20-13.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain senior Alex Coakley waits for play to resume during the 41st annual Lezzer Lumber Classic on Friday, June 20, 2025, at Bellefonte's Rogers Stadium. The North team won 36-28.

But the North defense steadily got going through the second quarter, forcing a three-and-out and four-and-out to close out the half before carrying that momentum into the third. Offensively, it trusted its strengths, and it’d pay off in a big way.

After rushing for 158 yards through the first half, North ran the ball 11 times on its first drive of the second – a 13 play, 71-yard touchdown drive that allowed it to tie the game for the first time since South’s initial score at 20-20. That included five straight runs to kick off the drive, five runs that produced three first downs.

That proficient trend carried through the rest of the game, as the team alternated four rushers on its way to consistent success.

State College’s Mar Wilson and DuBois’s Danny Dixon carved up the South defense with their speed and shiftiness, combining for 156 yards on 23 carries. Quarterback Liam Halterman operated well as a scrambler, adding 99 yards. And Clearfield standout and offensive MVP Brady Collins stole the show, turning eight carries into 102 yards and three touchdowns. Overall, the team finished with 378 rushing yards on 45 attempts, an average of 8.4 yards per carry.

“Our whole thing was just to pound the ball down their throat. I mean, it obviously works,” said Halterman after the win. “They do it so well too; they make it look so easy. It’s a whole unit that puts it together, and that’s what’s so special about this team in general.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain senior Jacob Weaver adjusts his helmet between downs during the 41st annual Lezzer Lumber Classic on Friday, June 20, 2025, at Bellefonte's Rogers Stadium. The North team won 36-28.

That came to fruition in the fourth quarter. After seeing South take a 28-20 lead as the third quarter wrapped up, runs of 26 and 17 yards from Wilson and Halterman helped the team generate a quick response. Halterman connected with DuBois’s Brysen Delaney for 17 yards to convert a fourth-and-long and two players later, the Bellefonte senior would punch it in from nine yards out.

Collins tied it on a two-point conversion and from there, the defense played lights out to help North officially turn the tide.

It’d force an immediate interception on the ensuing drive. Then, when North was forced to punt, it’d quickly get South into a fourth-down situation of its own.

On fourth-and-short, DuBois’s Nathan Kougher met South’s runner at the line of scrimmage, forcing a turnover on downs in South’s territory. And one play later, Collins would take it the distance on a stretch to the right, a 41-yard score that gave the North its first lead – a lead it would hold to finality.

“At half time, we talked, kind of figured out a couple things on the defensive side, talked a few things over, and I think we really came together as a team,” said Spackman, who also earned the Larry Wiser Scholarship, one of four scholarships awarded on the evening. “We had kids from all different areas, but we came together as one team in the end, and that really helped. We just fed off each other’s energy.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area senior Wyatt Spackman wraps up a South runner during the 41st annual Lezzer Lumber Classic on Friday, June 20, 2025, at Bellefonte's Rogers Stadium. The North team won 36-28.

It was a great way for a plethora of the area’s seniors to cap off their careers, a win that showed how quickly they could mesh with a vast array of different schools out of District 6. Win or lose, it would’ve been an enjoyable experience, but adding a skid-ending win and trophy to the mix added to the excitement.

“It was a fun experience. Really fun experience,” said Coakley. “I think we play good as a team.”

“This is an amazing experience,” emphasized Halterman. “If anybody ever has a chance to play in this game, they 100-percent should.”

North 36, South 28

N 7 6 7 16

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte senior Liam Halterman hands it off to State College's Mar Wilson during the 41st annual Lezzer Lumber Classic on Friday, June 20, 2025, at Bellefonte's Rogers Stadium. The North team won 36-28.

S 8 12 8 0

1st Quarter

S – Ashton Walk to Trent Adams 24 pass (Dante Novak 2-pt kick), 4:23.

N – Danny Dixon 9 run (Danny Dixon kick), 2:15.

2nd Quarter

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte senior Noah Weaver helps bring a South runner down during the 41st annual Lezzer Lumber Classic on Friday, June 20, 2025, at Bellefonte's Rogers Stadium. The North team won 36-28.

S – Holden Schreier to Brady Steiner 38 pass (PAT missed), 11:52.

N – Brady Collins 16 run (PAT missed), 11:13.

S – Walk 1 run (2-pt missed), 7:08.

3rd Quarter

N – Collins 8 run (Dixon kick), 2:19.

S – Seth Hoover 6 run (Novak 2-pt kick), :09.

4th Quarter

N – Liam Halterman 9 run (Collins run), 8:39.

N – Collins 41 run (Collins run), 2:28.

TEAM STATISTICS N S

First Downs 20 12

Rushes-yards 45-378 24-101

Passing yards 65 235

Comp-Att-Int 6-16-1 13-22-2

Total yards 443 336

Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-0

Penalties-yards 7-67 1-5

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING: North, Brady Collins 8-102, 3 TDs; Liam Halterman 10-99, TD; Mar Wilson 12-87; Danny Dixon 11-69, TD; Carter Vos 3-9; Wyatt Spackman 1-2. South, Seth Hoover 7-57; Mark Lattieri 10-37; Ashton Walk 4-9, TD; Josh Ryan 2-3; Holden Schreier 1-(-5).

PASSING: North, Liam Halterman 6-16-1 65 yards. South, Ashton Walk 8-16-2 161 yards, TD; Holden Schreier 5-6-0 74 yards, TD.

RECEIVING: North, Brysen Delaney 3-34; Nathan Kougher 1-17; Wyatt Spackman 1-7; Brady Collins 1-5. South, Mark Lattieri 3-85; Brady Steiner 2-73, TD; Jay Albarano 2-20; Trent Adams 1-24, TD; Dante Novak 2-16; Seth Hoover 2-14; Julian Weirich 1-5

INTERCEPTIONS: North, Nathan Kougher 1, Brady Collins 1. South, Connor Boreman.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain senior Alex Coakley walks onto the field during the 41st annual Lezzer Lumber Classic on Friday, June 20, 2025, at Bellefonte's Rogers Stadium. The North team won 36-28.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area senior Wyatt Spackman prepares for a defensive down during the 41st annual Lezzer Lumber Classic on Friday, June 20, 2025, at Bellefonte's Rogers Stadium. The North team won 36-28.