INDIANAPOLIS — In Lance Magee’s final organized football game of his life, the Avon graduate went out with a bang.
On the very first play of the 2012 Grange Insurance All-Star Classic at North Central High School last night, Magee, starting at cornerback, jumped in front of a pass from North quarterback Zach Terrell and returned the interception 20 yards for the opening touchdown.
“I was dreaming about it the whole night if I could get a pick,” Magee said. “All week the quarterbacks have been throwing the hitch and I knew when he checked off that he was going to throw the hitch and I just came and got it.”
The pick-six helped set the tone for the South All-Stars as they won 16-7 in a physical, unlikely All-Star game that usually sees high scores. Magee also earned the South’s player-of-the-game award, an honor that he did not see coming, but will absolutely help make his experience that much better.
“I can’t even tell you, it is so great,” Magee said. “But I didn’t even know I was going to win it until my teammates ran up to me and told me.”
Representing Hendricks County for the South All-Stars were Magee, Tri-West defensive lineman Brian Jones and Brownsburg fullback Isaac Beverstock who missed the game for family reasons.
While the South All-Stars ended up victorious, Jones was apprehensive entering the week as he was not sure how all these different players would mesh together.
“This experience has just been something else,” he said. “Coming to play with new people, I didn’t think it would go very well but we have people from 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, A and coming together I thought some people would have big heads or egos are going to collide but no, it worked out pretty well. We came together tonight and put the hurt on them.”
The game was extremely physical with players from neither side giving less than 100 percent. Players were rowdy on the sidelines rooting on their teammates but the smack of helmets and pads often drowned their cheers.
A couple of personal fouls were called, trash was talked, jerseys were ripped postgame as this contest was valuable on each sideline.
“All week in camp, you hear the north-south, north-south argument,” Magee said. “You don’t want to lose to the guys you talked mess to all week.”
Jones wholeheartedly agreed with Magee’s assessment adding: “You always want to win. Winning is the best part.”
Magee now heads to Parkland College in Champaign, Ill. where he will continue his basketball career. But only after a fitting end to a great football career at Avon.
“It’s been amazing,” Magee said. “It’s one of the best experiences of my entire life.”
Jones will be joining the Marines after now graduating from Tri-West. But the opportunity to end his football career one last time as an all-star and with a win is special for the 6-foot-1, 255-pound lineman.
“Ending my high school career on this is good for me because my high school career ended a lot earlier than what I wanted it to with the first game of sectionals,” Jones said. “Coming back and being able to play with the Friday night lights, that’s a great experience for me.”
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