Chapin’s Bailey spurs team to win in North-South All-Star football game

When so many great players get together on one field, something memorable is bound to happen.

And while that was the case at the Touchstone Energy North vs. South All-Star game at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium, one player’s experience may stand out from the rest.

Chapin quarterback Logan Bailey stole the show Saturday as he tossed two touchdown passes and ran for two more en route to being named the North team offensive MVP and helping the team to a 37-27 victory over the South squad.

“God has really blessed me and put me in this position; I’m so grateful,” Bailey said. “These guys out here on the field did a great job of getting open and my (offensive) line did a great job taking care of me. It’s just a team effort.”

Bailey and his teammates certainly stepped it up Saturday. Hillcrest wide receiver Brian Spurgeon caught eight passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns, Greer halfback Adrian McGee rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, and Wren defensive back Bailey Rogers had two interceptions and three tackles to pace the North defense.

North coach Ken Schofield (Great Falls) said he’d put his money on Spurgeon, McGee and Wren every time.

“All three of those guys are tremendous. If you took and put them in their position and graded their spot out of a 10, those kids are 11s. All three of them,” Schofield said. “You just don’t have players like that on every team you go to. It was so enjoyable this week. Every one of our kids pushed themselves, learned quick and learned fast.”

But perhaps none more than Bailey , who adjusted quickly to playing in such a big game. Bailey threw an interception to Orangeburg-Wilkinson’s James Valdez on his first pass of the game, but it allowed him to get his jitters out of the way early.

After the miscue, Bailey made sure not to let his teammates down.

“With all these guys on the field, you’ve got athletes everywhere. You can practice, but you never get that in-game feel until you’ve actually experienced it,” Bailey said. “So I had to get out there and get used to it first. But once I did, we took off.”

Bailey went 15-for-26 passing and finished with 311 total yards (272 passing, 39 rushing) and four scores. He capped off his huge performance with a 1-yard rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter to put the North team up by the final margain.

“Logan played really well,” North coach Ken Schofield (Great Falls) said. “His reads were great, his passes were very crisp and he deserves to be the player of the game.”

For the South team, a pair of local players made their impact early on. Conway’s Jah’Maine Martin scored the contest’s first touchdown, a 1-yard run to put the South team ahead 6-0, and Waccamaw standout Jabbrel Drayton had all three of his tackles in the first half.

“It’s a blessing. A lot of people don’t get to play in this game, so I’m fortunate to be a part of it all,” Martin said. “It didn’t end how we wanted it to end, but at least I got to play and contribute.”

For Martin, Saturday was an opportunity for him to stand out in the memory of his late cousin Martwain Bellamy-Gregg, who passed away on July 7 after a fight with leukemia.

“I loved it. I was thinking about ‘Twain when I did it,” Martin said. “I know he was up there smiling at me. I do it for Twain.”

Myrtle Beach’s Drayton Arnold and Dillon’s Avery McCall – a Coastal Carolina commit – made the most of their situations Saturday as each split time as the South’s quarterback. McCall finished 12-for-20 passing with 185 yards and an interception, and rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

McCall was recognized as the South team’s offensive MVP.

“It’s my last game in high school, it’s surreal. I’ll be here next year at Coastal and having the game here at Myrtle Beach was a great experience for me to meet new people. There is a lot I will take from this experience, not just this,” said McCall, pointing to his South Offensive MVP game ball. “... It was good, but not the best [game]. We came up short, but [I was] proud to be representing Dillon out here.”

McCall finished his high school career with four State championship victories, the only quarterback in South Carolina history to do so. He wants to finish his college career in a similar fashion.

“I’m looking to be the best,” he said.

For Arnold, his high school career was capped on the same field where it started. The South quarterback was 7-for-13 for 101 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

“It’s really humbling. Just being a part of this all was special and to have my final high school game here at Doug Shaw [Memorial Stadium] is special,” Arnold said. “I’ll cherish the time I spent here, with my teammates, my coaches and my family. They’re all so supportive and I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”

McCall’s teammate Dae’Shawn Davis also played a big part on the South’s defense as he picked up a sack, had an interception and five tackles (one for loss).

“It’s an amazing feeling, knowing how I played out here. Being around all these great players, I think, really helped me play the best I could. This is one of the best experiences of my life.”

Spending four years with McCall at Dillon and racking up four state titles was something the two will always cherish. Davis has always been awed by his quarterback’s ability.

Goose Creek’s Quintavis Davis had two interceptions for the South defense, and was honored with the South team defensive MVP game ball.

“This is an amazing feeling,” Davis said. “I just did what I needed to for my team and the crowd loved it, too. I’m glad to be representing Goose Creek out here and showing what we can do.”

Rogers – who plays both defensive back and wide receiver – also came up huge for the North’s defense. Before exiting the game with a broken collarbone, Rogers had two interceptions and was named the North team’s defensive MVP.

“I couldn't have asked for anything more,” Rogers said. “It was awesome to get the chance to show everyone that I can [perform] even as a defensive player, when I'm committed to play as a WR.”

“I wasn't so sure that the coaches were using me to my full ability, but it turns out it was more beneficial for the team for me to play DB,” Rogers added.

For Bailey, Saturday was the perfect opportunity to cap a high school career filled with triumph. The quarterback has thrown for 5,047 yards and 45 touchdowns and also ran for 2,454 yards and 58 scores during his tenure at Chapin.

“We did a very good job during the regular season, I was able to put up some numbers that I never even knew I could,” he said. “We also made a run in the playoffs, which is the first time Chapin has done that in a while. God has just really blessed me with putting a bunch of guys around me here – and at home – that have shined and helped me be a better player.”

Coming into Saturday, Schoefield wasn’t sure if his team would be the best on the field. However, his players put together an unforgettable performance.

“I think for the North kids, it’s a huge, huge win. If you checked around the stadium before the game, people probably would’ve said we were the underdogs,” he said. “They’ve got some really talented athletes over on the South side and I thought it made for a pretty remarkable game.”

This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 8:52 PM.