NORTH TONAWANDA — Four days into practice, Jason Kolb was already smiling. Quarterback Casey Kacz from Sweet Home was finding and hitting a slew of receivers as if he had thrown to them his whole life.

Kolb, the head coach of the North team in the 34th annual Kensington Lions All-Star

Classic, had a feeling fireworks would ensue on game day. He was right.

Kacz threw touchdown strikes to Alex Neutz of Grand Island and Mike Doherty of Kenmore East

to lead the North to a 30-10 win at North Tonawanda High School in front of an estimated

2,000.

"It's every coach's dream when you have weapons and you don't know what to do," Kolb said.

"You try getting everybody the ball. When they did get the ball, they made it happen."

The Burgard head coach employed multiple-receiver sets all night to get his receivers in

open space. The strategy could have backfired. More receivers means less blockers, leaving

Kacz vulnerable. That never was a problem Wednesday.

Kacz was pressured time and time again but kept making Houdini escapes each time,

meandering out of traffic. Multiple times, the South had him cornered and the 6-foot-1

quarterback somehow escaped. He earned offensive MVP honors after the game.

"Over the years, I've been a pocket passer but lately I realized it's better to be an

athlete than just a quarterback," said Kacz, who will play for Chowan (N.C.) University in the

fall.

Kacz's scoring strike to Neutz exemplified just that. Kacz, who won a state title with

Sweet Home in the fall, was flushed out of the pocket to his right immediately after the snap.

On the run, he zipped a 16-yard touchdown to Neutz, who made a highlight-reel, one-handed

snare in heavy traffic.

Neutz is still new to the sport. He didn't even play football until his sophomore year.

Volleyball was always his thing as a kid. But after showing classmates up in gym class in

football, he decided to switch. He wanted something more intense.

Now, he's heading to the University at Buffalo in the fall. Thus, the Bulls eye strips he

sported for the game.

"I knew if I got to the back of the end zone, he'd throw it up," Neutz said. "So I tried to

post up the defender. He threw it, I jumped, caught it and just went crazy."

The fireworks weren't limited to Kacz's offensive unit, either. Joseph Scibilia of

Starpoint unleashed a 40-yard bomb to Dae'shaune Clark (Williamsville South) to stretch the

lead to 13-0. Clark made the catch while smothered by South defensive backs downfield.

Brooks Estarfaa (Maryvale) got the South squad on the board in the second quarter with a 4-

yard scoring plunge.

The North answered quickly. Mike Doherty of Kenmore East took the ensuing kickoff to

midfield. A South player on the sideline popped Doherty with his shoulder pad and screamed in

his face.

Players said tension between the two teams was high at the pregame banquet. Players on both

sides were ejected after a scuffle in the second half. But later in this drive, Doherty

finished what he started. On fourth-and-4 at the 15-yard line, Doherty caught a slant pass

from Kacz and broke a tackle for the touchdown.

"I'm not one to talk smack," Doherty said. "I let him yell in my face, we walked down the

field and scored."