All-Star Game Update // AL/MS coaches pleased with progress after first 2 practices
Montgomery, AL – Alabama and Mississippi All-Star head coaches Josh Niblett of Hoover and Henry Johnson of Clarksdale (MS) agree on a couple of things after team’s first two practices. Both teams are talented and they both reported with the goal of coming away with a victory in the 32nd annual Alabama – Mississippi All-Star Classic Monday night in Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl.
“We coaches have been impressed by the players’ attitudes, Niblett said of his Alabama squad, “The players all seem to be very respectful of the coaches. their their team mates and the other team, We know we have a lot to teach in a short time. We had a very good practice yesterday and again Thursday morning. I told our players we need to get better every practice. We know they have talent, and we know they were all selected for their outstanding work ethic. My goal is to have them peaking at the same time – next Monday night. The game is also about relationships . . . .some that will go with these kids for a lifetime.” Niblett added that some players are alerting showing great leadership. “It starts at quarterback and Pinson Valley‘s Bo Nix is already showing great leadership. The other players are already looking to him and he is acting like a field leader.’
Both teams will have workouts from 9 to 11 a.m., Friday with the Alabama squad at Faulkner University and Mississippi’s unit at Huntingdon College. They will practice again from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Friday afternoon before departing for dinner and then participation in the Raycom Camellia Bowl Parade. The squads will practice again Saturday morning with the players attending the Camellia Bowl at Cramton Bowl Saturday afternoon. NFL standout and Alabama Crimson Tide alumni Roman Harperwill speak to the squads at a dinner set for Wynlakes Country Club Saturday night.
Alabama holds a 22-9 edge and is 5-0 in games played at Cramton Bowl. Mississippi is 2-0 in games played on their home turf at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, including last year’s 42-7 win.
The game is an event hosted by the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association (AHSADCA) in conjunction with the AHSAA. Alabama’s All-Stars hold a 22-9 edge in the series which began in 1988 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium and moved to Cramton Bowl in 2011. It also started a rotation in 2015 with the game being hosted every other year by the Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC).
The AHSAA Radio Network plans to broadcast the game live over its statewide network of radio and internet affiliates. The link will be available at www.ahsaa.com.
