By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
July 17, 2003
The 54th-annual Bernard Blackwell All-Star Football Classic will feature eight area players along with four area coaches.
Kickoff for Friday's contest at Madison Central High School is set for 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5.
Six of the eight area players selected will play on the South team. They are defensive backs Kevin Moore and Lamarace Tucker of Meridian, defensive back Derrick Harris of Union, defensive lineman Michael Johnson and offensive lineman Reed Myers of Newton County, and Jeremy Hudson of Class 5A state champion Wayne County.
Both area players on the North roster are from Noxubee County. They are offensive lineman Javar Dooley and wide receiver Lamarcus Windham.
North coaches with area connections are M.C. Miller and M.C. Taylor, both of Noxubee County. Miller is the North head coach.
South coaches from area schools are Wayne County's Marcus Boyles and Todd Mangum. Boyles is the South head coach.
Other key offensive players for the South are quarterbacks Martin Hankins of Hattiesburg and Kethone McLaurin of Class 3A state champion Collins.
Hankins completed 184-of-383 passes for 3,245 yards and 28 touchdowns last fall. Collins was 95-of-176 in the air for 1,972 yards and 31 touchdowns.
One of their top targets could be Taylorsville's Craig Agee who had 40 receptions for 858 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior as the Tartars won the Class 2A state championship.
Able to run the ball for the South is Carlton Cotten of Class 4A state champion d'Iberville. He had 297 carries for 2,107 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2002. Also in the backfield is Oak Grove's Cody Hull.
Top North offensive threats are running back Kentrel Brooks of Class 2A state runner-up Eupora and Charles Docher of Class 1A state runner-up Weir.
As a senior, Brooks was second in the state in rushing yards with 2,140 on 317 carries. He ran for 16 touchdowns.
Quarterbacking the North is Jeremy Young of Jackson Provine.
Eupora quarterback Cliff Davis was also chosen for the game, but recently signed a professional baseball contract with the Houston Astros.
If the game boils down to a kicking contest, it will pit Southaven's Kevin Dowell for the North against Laurel's Ben Beasley for the South. Dowell successfully kicked 15 field goals last fall, while Beasley was good on 13 field goal attempts.