The562’s coverage of football in 2024-25 is sponsored by The Terry Donahue Memorial California Showcase.
After an almost 10-year hiatus, the ALADS 605 All-Star Football game was back on Saturday afternoon, and the excitement showed as the South All-Stars won by a score of 29-14 at Downey High.
The South All-Stars were made up of seniors from Moore League schools Compton, Jordan, Long Beach Poly, and Millikan, along with players from other local schools like Artesia, Cerritos, Dominguez, Mayfair, and others. They faced off against the North All-Stars with players from Downey, Warren, Paramount, La Mirada, La Serna, St. Paul, and more.
With only a few hours of practice together, under the guidance of Millikan head coach Romeo Pellum, the South Team wasted no time as Poly’s Jonathan Weston came up with an interception on the opening drive. That set up Millikan’s Xavier Jones who scored a rushing touchdown to take an early 7-0 lead within the first two minutes.
The collection of talent from the Long Beach and surrounding areas was one of the reason’s Millikan coach Romeo Pellum was interested in coaching the team.
“I feel like you put Long Beach kids together, just Long Beach or just the Moore League,” Pellum said. “We can beat anybody out there.”
With some added fire power on defense, the Cerritos linebacker duo of Nate Crawford and Devyn Chantha were a terror for the North team as they came up with another stop to send the South team right back on the field.
Dominguez’s quarterback Mikaele Fitu-Ahkui wasted no time as he connected with Mayfair’s Max Mitchell for a 66-yard touchdown to put the South side up 14-0 just midway through the opening quarter.
“I knew a lot of the guys,” Fitu-Ahkui said about his teammates “But I’ve never practiced or played with these guys ever. They’re just great guys. They did it, not me. They were there and I just got the ball to them.”
While Fitu-Ahkui got his teammates involved, he also did the work himself after another stop. His score on a QB keeper put the South up 21-0 at the end of a dominant first quarter.
Along with getting the chance to play one more game as high schoolers, the teams also had another shot to get their name out there in hopes of continuing to play in college.
One of those guys was Compton’s Sei Saolotoga who was happy to play another game and connect with guys that can help him get to the next level.
“The chemistry was there, I’m not gonna lie,” Saolotoga said of playing with guys he played against but never with. “Two practices, and we got it. It was fun.”
After a scoreless second quarter, the North got some momentum as Pioneer’s Amiri Resendiz scored on a keeper, then Downey’s Bernardo Blanco scored and converted a two-point conversion to make it 23-14 with 6:36 left.
Fitu-Ahkui helped lead the South right back down the field and connected with Millikan’s Ethan Naudin to extend the lead to 29-14 and put the game out of reach.
Weston added a second interception on the North’s final drive to put a cherry on top of the victory.
After the game, the South’s Nate Crawford (Cerritos High) was named the game’s MVP after getting an interception and a couple sacks on defense.
“A lot of these guys, honestly, are so talented and deserve the award too,,” Crawford said. “But, I made some plays.”
The 605 All-Star Game was first played in 1967, but has been on a hiatus since 2017. The organizers indicated plans to bring the game back again in 2026, continuing a rekindled tradition for local football talent.
