As coaches, family, friends and fans of football from all across the state streamed into North Central High School on a beautiful summer evening they got the opportunity to take in all that the Make It Personal Tour has to offer.
Greeting the football enthusiasts were Indianapolis Colts defensive tackles Eric Foster and Daniel Muir. Both were excited to be a part of such a great football event.
"It is great to see all fans and just this excitement around football," Foster said. "The season is getting ready to start and to come out here and see the future of football is just a really cool experience. And it's always good to see Colts fans at an event like this. They are the craziest, most loyal, loudest fans but also the best people in the world. You can go out to the grocery store and have a nice conversation with anyone and they won't make you feel out of place."
Foster and Muir had a full slate. After they signed for 45 minutes they headed to a Grange VIP event before helping with the coin toss. Six cheerleaders were also on hand to sign after the players and perform at halftime.
With all the pregame festivities winding down it was time for the real action to begin. And the players on the field did no disappoint; the 2010 All-Star game turned out to be a treat.
The South lead 14-0 at half with quarterbacks Austin Ahrens (Jasper), Adam Shaffer (Carmel) and Kofi Hughes (Cathedral) combining to go 8-for-11 for 123 yards. In an unusual style they alternated nearly every play. After a productive 191 yard first half the South offense could only pick up 51 yards and no points in the second.
The North cut the deficit to 14-7 on a 16-play, 67-yard drive led by quarterback Cortez Lee (Mishawaka) that ended with Brandon Grubbe (Lowell) scoring from 2 yards out. With 2:39 to go the North knotted the contest at 14.
In overtime the North found continued success striking first, but the South responded pushing the game to a second overtime.
The South didn't score to start the second overtime. The North could only move the ball 3 yards but that was enough for Eric Shorten to kick the game-winning field goal. Shorten had missed 31- and 33-yard field goals, but he delivered a 24-yarder to secure a 24-21 victory.
The Make It Personal Tour will wrap up its last week of the summer traveling to Muncie, Lafayette and Fair Oaks Farms on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.
For more information on the Make It Personal Tour click on the Fanzone tab above or head on over to mycolts.net and check out my (MIPInternCJ) blog.
