MEDFORD — It all came down to the last play.
Trailing by a point, the South had one last chance of winning the Shriners All-Star Football Classic.
After the South took over on downs at its own 39 with seven seconds left, Mike Galligan of North Quincy completed a pass to Maximilian Gamble of Bellingham, who got out of bounds at midfield with two seconds left. On the final play, Galligan threw deep and Woburn’s Caeden Davis picked off the pass, sealing the 7-6 victory for the North on Friday at Hormel Stadium.
“We kind of thought it would be like this,” said Shawsheen Tech’s Callum Walsh, who was the North’s defensive MVP, with a fumble recovery in the second quarter. “It was the best in the North against the best in the South so you knew it would be like this.”
With 1:21 left in the first half, James Farrell of Haverhill scored on a 26-yard keeper through the middle of the line, tying the score.
Massimo LoGrasso of Lynnfield kicked what proved to be the deciding point.
“They scored their touchdown on a broken play,” Farrell said. “That was some of the best defense I’ve ever seen being played tonight.”
The South scored first with 1:19 left in the opening quarter when Walpole’s Noah MacKenzie went around the right side of the line for a nine-yard scoring run. The kick was blocked.
MacKenzie was the South’s offensive MVP. Justin Marques of Fairhaven was the South’s defensive MVP.
Drew Eason of Methuen, who gained 64 yards on seven carries, was the North’s offensive MVP.
Kaden Hassett of Foxboro had an interception for the South.
