High school football’s All-Star season started this past Saturday in a familiar way.

Quarterback Tyler Olenchuk’s Dutch Fork High football career ended with an overtime touchdown pass.

It gave his team a 4th straight Class 5A title.

At Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium on Saturday, the Clemson-bound baseball pitcher added to his comeback legacy.

He threw 2 4th quarter touchdown passes for the South in the 35-13 win at the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives All-Star Bowl in Myrtle Beach.

Olenchuk’s scores were part of a 28-0 run by the South at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium. He finished 13-27 passing for 219 yards and earned South Offensive Most Valuable Player Honors.

“It’s awesome,” Olenchuk said. “It’s the best way I could have asked for to go out.”

THE NORTH TOOK a 7-0 lead with 7:58 in the 1st quarter. In a wildcat formation, Wren’s Tyler Cherry and Gray Collegiate Academy wide receiver Omarion Dolli-son connected on a 95-yard touchdown pass play down the North sidelines.

A 20-yard field goal by Dylan Beauford of Abbeville extended the lead to 10-0 before halftime. During the intermission, Myrtle Beach quarterback and University of South Carolina signee Luke Doty was named the 2019 “Mr. S.C. Football”. The 7-player field of finalists for the award included Dutch Fork wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who’s committed to the University of Tennessee.

After getting stopped a yard short of the goal line on an earlier drive in the 3rd quarter, Airport’s Nanders Lawrence put the South on the board with 1:24 left in the 3rd quarter. On a reverse with Gilbert quarterback Jy Tolen, Lawrence reached the end-zone this time from 3 yards to make it 10-7.

Lawrence finished with a team-high 8 receptions for 97 yards.

BEAUFORD HIT A 33-yard field goal 17 seconds into the 4th quarter to put the North up 13-7. The South dominated from that point as Olenchuk drove the team down-field and converted a 3rd and 20 pass into a 30-yard touchdown pass to Marion’s D’Vonte Allen to give it the 14-13 lead after the PAT.

“That touchdown I threw to the endzone was very similar to the Dorman touchdown,” said Olenchuk, reflecting on the 15-yard touchdown pass to Hyatt at the Class 5A title game.

The North was forced to punt on its next series. However, the kick was helmet-blocked by a charging Emmanuel Johnson of Fort Dorchester and recovered by Gilbert’s Alec Holt at the North 20.

Holt, who played defensive back for most of the 2nd half, was 2nd on the team in tackles with 7.

The South capitalized with a 4-yard rushing TD by Wade Hampton’s De’Shareoh Williams to extend its lead to 21-13 with 6:24 left.

HELMS, WHO FINISHED with 165 passing yards , looked to answer for the North. He led it into South territory, including a 4th down conversion to Eli Wilson. The South defense forced a change of possession. Olenchuk proceeded to fire a 71-yard completion to Waccamaw’s Tyree Funnye that set up his 8-yard touchdown pass to Bluff-ton’s Rakin White with 2:02 left.

With the North backed up at its own 1, the South’s Terry Fields of May River put the finishing touches on the victory with an interception return for a touchdown with 46 seconds left.

“Nobody gave up,” Olenchuk said. “The speech at halftime was ‘You know, go have fun. It’s our last high school game and good things will happen.’ The defense gave us the ball. I could step up big in the 2nd half with all my throws and just never gave up and ended up blowing them out.”

COLUMBIA METRO SENIOR BOWL

The high school football All-Star season continues starting at 1 pm Friday at Fort Knox.

Brookland-Cayce High School is the site of the 2nd annual Columbia Metro Bowl.

The East and West teams will be headed by Gilbert High School alumnus.

Dreher’s Treigh Sullivan will lead the East team with players from Richland, Kershaw and Sumter counties.

Current Indians’ head coach Chad Leaphart is in charge of the West team with players from Lexington, Newberry, Saluda, Calhoun and Orangeburg counties.

The West roster currently includes Mark-co Gilmore (Airport), Roger Pedroni (Chap-in), Jon Hall, Jarvis McClurkin and Anthony Demasi (all of Dutch Fork), Tristan Allen (Lexington) and Ahmad Bynem-Scott (Lexington), Deonte Baker, Byran Mims, Dem-anti Jones and Malachi Brown (all of Brookland-Cayce), Shauntrel Hendrix, Darrius Dennis and Vernard Ramage (all of Batesburg-Leesville), Trenton Higgins, Wheslen McLeod (Gray Collegiate), A.J. Farchione, Tyson Trottier, Shaq Garvin and Lindan Colter (all of River Bluff), Jamais Holloway, Matt Reed, Deandre Harris, DeAndre Crook and Drew Howell (all of Gilbert), Kenya Macon (Swansea), Shelton Bibbs and Jajuan Johnson (both of White Knoll), Niko Austin (Pelion) and Jabari Avery (Irmo).

2019 SHRINE BOWL OF THE CAROLINAS

At 1 pm Saturday, the scene shifts to Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg for the 83rd annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.

Dutch Fork had 2 selections - the maximum allowed for each school - in “Mr. S.C. Football” finalist wide receiver and University of Tennessee commit Jalin Hyatt and defensive lineman Trey Irby.

Offensive lineman Nick Taiste of White Knoll and running back Braden Walker of River Bluff were the other Chronicle Country picks.

Earlier this week, the Shrine Bowl announced the coaching staffs for the 2020 game.

Jerry Brown, currently at Wade Hampton and formerly of Batesburg-Leesville and Spring Valley, will be the South Carolina Sandlappers’ head coach. White Knoll head coach Dean Howell will also work on Brown’s Shrine Bowl coaching staff.