McGrory Kicks All-Stars to Victory

John McGrory finally got a chance to kick a game-winning field goal.

The senior from Santa Margarita Catholic, who set a Southern Section record for most consecutive point-after attempts made, stood on the sidelines in the State Division I Bowl and with 16 seconds remaining to give the Eagles a 42-37 victory. 

Thursday night, though, McGrory got a chance to get on the field and win a game. He kicked a 45-yard field goal with about three minutes left to give the South/East a 19-16 victory over the North/Westin the inaugural Competitive Elite Sports Literacy Classic at Whittier College.

The game was for private school athletes who had at least a 2.3 grade-point average, had never failed a class, who had already taken their SAT or ACT and had participated in at least five hours of community service.

Local athletes competed for the South, which was comprised of Trinity League schools as well as La Puente Bishop Amat, Whittier Christian, Montebello Cantwell Sacred Heart, Los Angeles Verbum Dei, Santa Fe Springs St. Paul, L.A. Salesian, Riverside Notre Dame and Cerritos Valley Christian.

, who only had opportunities to kick five field goals during the Eagles' 15-game run to the Pac-5 and State Division I Bowl Championship.

"It was nice," McGrory said of the game-winning opportunity. "I knew I could make those kicks either way (for Santa Margarita), but Coach (Harry) Welch has always been 'a fourth-and-one, we’re going to put it on the backs of our offensive line and in the hands of Johnny Stanton.'

"This was different circumstances, different perseonnel and fourth-and-13, instead of fourth-and-one. It was nice to finally get a chance to prove the strength of my foot."

McGrory wasn't the only Trinity League player who had a big night. Orange Lutheran's Willie Fletcher intercepted two passes, one leading to a South touchdown. Also, JSerra defensive lineman Juan Diego Temple returned a fumble 61 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 16-16.

Then, it was just a matter of waiting on McGrory.