LEXINGTON — Jared Jakubick and Elijah Cobb teamed up one final time Friday night and the St. Peter’s standouts didn’t disappoint.
Jakubick and Cobb combined for 42 points and 19 rebounds to lead the South stars to a 104-99 win over the North in the 40th News Journal All-Star Classic at Lexington High School.
“I’ve been playing with Elijah for the past four years and he’s a fantastic teammate,” said Jakubick, who was selected the game’s Most Valuable Player after scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. “He’s such a talented player. I’m going to miss playing with him.”
The feeling was mutual.
“Jared is an awesome player. He’s very, very talented,” said Cobb, who had 19 points and swiped seven boards. “Playing with him is a dream come true. I’m definitely going to miss playing with him.”
Jakubick and Cobb scored the South’s final eight points to keep the hard-charging North stars at bay. The North, which trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half, cut the South’s lead to 96-92 on a 3-pointer by Clear Fork’s Chance Barnett with 2:48 remaining when Jakubick turned in one of the biggest plays of the evening.
The 6-foot-4 shooting guard misfired on a 3-pointer with 2:30 remaining but grabbed his own miss and scored on the putback for a 98-92 lead.
A Barnett layup with 2:01 to play cut the South advantage to 98-95 but another Jakubick offensive rebounds and putback pushed the South lead to 100-95 with 1:51 to play.
A Cobb layup with 1:35 to play and a pair of Jakubick free throws with 20 seconds remaining iced it for the South, which snapped the North’s four-game winning streak.
“Jared and Elijah do whatever they have to do to help their team win,” said South coach Joe Jakubick of St. Peter’s. “I’ve seen it from both of them for the past four years.
“They can both impact a game in so many ways.”
The South had five players reach double figures. Northmor’s Brock Pletcher had 11 points and eight rebounds, while South Central’s Ben Lamoreaux and Colonel Crawford’s Harley Shaum each had 10. Ontario’s Logan Jones grabbed 10 boards as the South out-rebounded the North 69-49.
“We knew it was an All-Star but we wanted to come out and compete,” Jones said. “It got a little more serious there at the end because it was a five-point game in the final minute.”
Mansfield Senior’s B.J. Patrick and Northmor’s Meechie Johnson led the North with 18 points apiece. Barnett finished with 16 points and six rebounds.
“Both sides really got after it,” Barnett said. “I was just out here to have fun. It was a cool experience.”
Both Joe Jakubick and North coach Marquis Sykes of Mansfield Senior played in the alumni All-Star game before the showcase game. The South alumni held on for a 96-89 win over the North.
“It’s a lot more fun to play in the game than to coach it,” said Sykes, who was the MVP of the 1999 classic. “This week was a great experience.”
Jamie Feick (Lexington) led the South alumni with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Mason Willeke (Lexington) had 16, while Mark DeLaney (Clear Fork) added 14.
Brad Humble (Temple Christian) led the North alumni with 29 points and 15 rebounds. Jacob Owens (Mansfield Senior) had 16 and Travis Grows (Lexington) had 13.
