It had to happen eventually.

Terry O'Keefe · Apr 14, 2007

We had a HS Football All-Star game here in Texas using Arena League Rules!!

LONE STAR ARENA FOOTBALL CLASSIC
High school stars try on Arena ball
North team gets handle of game at Erwin Center, crushing South.

By Jake Trotter
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, February 24, 2007

On the first play of the Lone Star Arena Football Classic, the North team's Justin Allen took a sweep around the end for an 8-yard run.

Easy enough, right?

On the second snap, Allen — who starred at Cedar Park High School — got the ball on a similar play. But this time, before he could gain a yard, six defenders drove Allen head-first into the wall, like a bobsled crashing into a block of ice.

"That's why you wear pads, I guess," said Allen, whose favorite movie, "Cool Runnings," is about four bobsledding Jamaicans who also found themselves out of their element. "Once I got used to it, though, it was a blast."

Allen scored later on that opening drive Friday night, jump-starting the North to an easy 69-14 victory over the South at the Erwin Center — home of the Austin Wranglers, sponsors of the event. The inaugural Central Texas high school all-star game in front of 4,722 spectators used Arena League rules — namely eight players, tighter goal posts and padded walls around a smaller field.

The Wranglers are hoping to generate more interest in their March 4 season opener at home against Las Vegas. Profits from Friday's game will go toward purchasing defibrillators for area high schools.

"The kids had an incredible time," said North coach Anthony Wood, of Westwood High. "Arena is a fun game."

Though total yardage remained relatively close — the North gained 227 yards, the South 151 — the North used a safety, interception return for a touchdown and a kickoff recovery for a touchdown to blow the game out of reach, even by Arena standards, in the first half.

"(The different rules) gave me a chance to run around the field and make plays," said Stony Point lineman Collin Griffith, the game's MVP, who had two defensive touchdowns.

Under Arena rules — which generally lead to gaudy passing stats — neither side could figure out how to throw effectively early in the game. In the first half, both teams combined to go 13 of 33 passing with four interceptions.

"The field is so much smaller and everyone here was fast," said South quarterback Cameron Jones from Austin High, who's heading to the Virginia Military Institute next year. "But I definitely had fun."
Click to expand...

JO'Co · Apr 14, 2007

This is nutty. What if one of these kids gets hurt? This is just fooling around. The coaches should bar the kids from playing in these fiascos...

wzt · Apr 16, 2007

Profits from Friday's game will go toward purchasing defibrillators for area high schools.
Click to expand...

I thought this line gave away that the story was a joke - from The Onion or something. Guess it's true, though. If they continue this, it's a good thing schools will have more expensive medical equipment onhand.

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It had to happen eventually.

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