West Passed in Second Half : All-star football: Two touchdown throws by Spruill help East overcome 9-0 halftime deficit.

MOORPARK â€”  Scott Spruill of Westlake High threw two touchdown passes in the third quarter to ignite a second-half rally as the East defeated the West, 21-15, in the 21st Ventura County all-star football game Saturday night at Moorpark High.

Spruill hit Eric Ruhle of Oak Park on a 57-yard pass play on the opening series of the second half. Three minutes later, Spruill connected with Jerome Lee of Royal for an 11-yard scoring pass.

Spruill, who led Westlake to a 10-2 record and a Marmonte League title last season, completed six of nine passes for 104 yards and was named the game’s most valuable player.

Nice work, considering Spruill wasn’t having much luck finding Westlake teammate Billy Miller, the game’s most-prominent star. Miller, who will attend USC in the fall, caught only two insignificant passes--both from Spruill but for only 24 yards in the game’s opening minutes.

J.J. Washington of Simi Valley High gave the East a 21-9 lead with a 54-yard punt return for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Washington also ended a last-minute threat by the West by making a goal-line interception on the game’s final play.

Washington, co-player of the year in the Marmonte League last season, will attend Arkansas State.

The West rallied behind Buena quarterback Chris Carr in the final quarter but lacked explosiveness on offense. Carr capped an 81-yard drive with a one-yard sneak for a touchdown with four minutes to play.

In the final two minutes, Carr again drove the West from deep in its own territory to the East’s 20-yard line before Washington made his game-saving interception.

Carr completed nine of 17 passes for 140 yards in addition to rushing for 23 yards and two touchdowns in six carries.

The West moved the ball more consistently than the East throughout a scoreless first quarter before putting together a pair of scoring drives to take a 9-0 lead at halftime.

Brian Farrar of Nordhoff opened the scoring with a 31-yard field goal that capped a 10-play, 58-yard drive.

The big gain of the drive was a 19-yard pass from Carr to running back Aaron Davis of Ventura.

Oxnard quarterback Taj Lewis connected with a teammate, running back David Cameron, for a seven-yard gain on third down to sustain the drive.

In the final three minutes of the half, the West drove 51 yards in four plays to take a 9-0 lead. Carr hit Buena teammate Eric Ertman on a short pass that carried 36 yards to the West 13-yard line.

Two plays later, Carr scrambled 14 yards for the touchdown. Farrar’s extra-point attempt was unsuccessful.

Miller hauled in a nine-yard pass on the East’s first play from scrimmage.

Spruill and Miller connected for 15 yards and a first down on the East’s second possession but the All-American receiver was blanked the rest of the way.