By By Rocky Higginbotham/The Meridian Star
July 21, 2001
MADISON So much for that theory about no one caring who wins all-star games.
Madison Central High School played host to the 52nd annual Bernard Blackwell All-Star Football Classic here Friday night, and 48 minutes was not enough to settle the issue as the North and South teams battled to a 7-7 tie in front of approximately 4,000 fans.
It was the fourth tie in the series, which is now led by the South 24-20-4. Four other Blackwell games used the classification format.
Friday's game looked as if it might have some late fireworks after a big interception return by Durant's Detrius Roberson.
Roberson picked off a South pass at his own 28 late in the fourth quarter, dodged a pair of would-be tacklers and returned it all the way to the South 38-yard line.
Three plays later, Stanford elected to go for it on a fourth-and-short-2 situation from the South 30. But Odie Armstrong of Vardaman was stuffed at the line of scrimmage, and in hindsight, Stanford said maybe he should have attempted a potential game-winning 47-yard field goal.
The contest was simply dominated by the defenses, especially in the first half when the closest either team came to scoring was a missed 53-yard field goal attempt by the South's Jonathan Martin of Mercy Cross.
In fact, it was the defense that finally put points on the board. With 2:12 left in the third quarter, linebacker Johnny Keys of Collins picked off a deflected pass and went 51 yards for a touchdown.