Delancy-Nelson combo powers Private team to victory in Public-Private All-Star Game

They may have played at different schools and in different counties last season. But that didn’t keep Travis Delancy and Eric Nelson Jr. from coming together and creating some magic on Saturday night.

Delancy, who played quarterback at Hialeah and Nelson, a wide receiver from Miramar and recent FIU signee, proved to be quite a one-two combination as they hooked up for a pair of long touchdown passes to help lead the Private All Stars to a 24-6 victory over the Public All Stars in the 14th Annual Tru Sports Foundation Private/Public All Star game at the Betty T. Ferguson Sports Complex in Miami Gardens. The game’s all-time series is now tied 7-7.

Delancy lofted a beautiful deep ball to a streaking Nelson for a 50-yard score early in the second quarter to stake the Private squad to a 10-0 lead and followed that up with another perfectly thrown deep pass to Nelson for a 48-yard touchdown just 1:24 before halftime to make it 17-0 at the break.

For his efforts, Delancy, who finished the game with 225 passing yards on 12-of-18 passing and three touchdowns, was named the game’s Offensive MVP. He and Nelson were both switched over to the Private team to help balance the roster out.

“It was a great feeling to just come out here tonight in my last high school football game and just have some fun,” Delancy said. “A real blessing to be out here and just thank God for giving me the strength, ability and skill to come out here and do what I do best.”

With his Private team up 17-6, Delancy tossed his third touchdown pass of the game to Coconut Creek’s Djauny Dominic on the final play of the third quarter to complete the scoring. Delancy said that he and Nelson were actually quite familiar with each other because they played together last summer as part of a 7-on-7 select team.

“Me and Eric actually had a lot of chemistry coming in because we played together in 7 on 7 last summer,” said Delancy. “So it was just kind of like pitch and catch with him. We definitely had the connection between us and it paid off tonight.”

Delancy also got to watch his defense dominate most of the night as well, holding the Public team to just under 125 yards of total offense. Leading the way for the Private defense was defensive end/cornerback Daniel Audit from TRU Prep Academy who recorded three sacks and another tackle for loss and was named the game’s Defensive MVP.

The Public’s only score was set up when the Private team made its only mistake of the night, fumbling inside its own 10-yard line where Malik Thezan recovered. On the very next play, South Dade running back Demetrius “Meatball” Williams bowled over from five yards out to make it 17-6 following a blocked extra point with 3:21 left in the third. Williams provided the Public team with most of its offensive finishing with 82 yards rushing.

“I love blitzing and tonight was the first time I ever played these different positions on defense (defensive end and cornerback) so it was a lot of fun,” Audit said. “They just threw me in there wherever I had to be and I just tried to make some plays. That’s the way it usually happens in these all star games, playing a few positions you don’t normally play.”

This story was originally published January 7, 2024 at 10:16 AM.