MHSFCA ALL-STAR FOOTBALL GAME: East safety breaks up pass in the nick of time

July 23, 2006

BY CHRIS LAU

FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

EAST LANSING -- The East team scored its go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. Then, Jon Conover knew it was his time.

Conover, the Novi Detroit Catholic Central free safety heading to Michigan, knew that after his East team scored, the opposing West would attack his secondary through the air the rest of the way.

In the end, he played a huge role in holding the West scoreless in the fourth quarter, giving the East a 22-15 win in the 26th Michigan High School Football Coaches Association All-Star Football Game at Spartan Stadium.

The East now holds a 14-12 record in the annual showdown.

Conover, who'll head to Ann Arbor in a couple of weeks to start training camp as a preferred walk-on, thrived as the East's last line of defense.

After the winning touchdown came with 5:39 left, the West drove deep into East territory for its best chance to tie. But, on fourth-and-12, Conover broke up a pass in the back of the end zone, and the East was able to run out most of the clock.

"My mind-set was, 'Don't give up the big play,' " Conover said. "We played them hard for 48 minutes and I wasn't about to let my defense down. One of the goals I had was to get an interception. I didn't get one, but I knew I contributed in a very positive way to the defense."

The East took a 15-0 lead on a 27-yard pass from Danny Stiefel (Sterling Heights Stevenson) to Dominique Douglas (Detroit Murray-Wright), a safety and a 77-yard catch-and-run from Jacob Ball (Rochester Adams) to John Goebel (Birmingham Brother Rice).

The West tied it on a 53-yard interception return by Nick Violette (Midland Bullock Creek) and a 13-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion run by Richard Franklin (Ann Arbor Pioneer). Then, the East took the permanent lead on a 94-yard run by Pat Clasgens (Livonia Stevenson).

DEFENSIVE STANCE: West linebacker Quintin Patilla (Flint Carman-Ainsworth), heading to Michigan on a full scholarship, made a huge impact. He flattened East quarterback Ball on the West's 53-yard interception return for a touchdown.

He also had a 15-yard sack late in the third quarter on third down, with the game tied at 15.

"I got a lot to represent," said Patilla. "My family, my high school, my city and Michigan."

GLAD TO BE BACK: West quarterback Jeff Ziegler, a Michigan-bound preferred walk-on, impressed Michigan's coaches with the improvement in his arm strength and footwork before his senior year at Dexter.

He led the West with 8-of-16 passing for 109 yards.

"The game got me into football mode," said Ziegler. "I've been in the gym throwing routes to receivers, but getting to play this week showed me the speed I'm getting into."

Contact CHRIS LAU at 248-351-3688 or clau@freepress.com.

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