North-South hoops teams announced for AHSAA All-Star Week

Montgomery, AL – North-South all-star squads for the upcoming AHSAA North-South All-Star Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball Games have been selected. The two 15-memeber teams comprised of 2022 rising seniors were announced by Jamie Lee, Director of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association (AHSADCA) Wednesday.

The AHSADCA, which operates under the auspices of the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) will also host all-star games in baseball, softball, volleyball,  boys’ and girls’ soccer, boys’ and girls’ cross country, tennis and golf during the All-Star Week, which will be held in conjunction with the AHSAA Summer Conference July 19-23. The volleyball and cross country all-star teams have already been announced and the North-South All-Star Football Game has been moved and was played last December.

Coaches for the All-Star Basketball squads include:

(North Girls) Craig Thomas, Phil Campbell; Walter Hicks, Pleasant Grove; and Brant Llewellyn,Lauderdale County; (South Girls) Carolyn Wright, Central-Phenix City; Sally Jeter, Foley; and administrative coach  Nigel Card, Saint James, , Elmore County; and administrative coach Virginia Franklin, Carver-Montgomery. Wright was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame in the Class of 2019.  She and her husband Bobby Wright (HOF Class of 2015) are the only husband and wife basketball coaches inducted into the Hall of Fame.

(North Boys) Justin Taylor, West Limestone; Torriana Brown, Anniston; and administrative coach Brant Llewellyn, Lauderdale County; (South Boys) Jazmin Mitchell, Sumter Central; Joseph Turman, Florala; and administrative coach Nigel Card, Saint James.

The coaches were selected to coach in last summer’s North-South series, but the All-Star Week was cancelled due to the COVID 19 Pandemic which forced cancellation of the all-star games and summer conference.

Among the players selected are several that competed in state finals this past season. On the girls’ side, six players selected reached state championship games in 2021 including Class 2A MVP Molly Heard of state champion Pisgah, who had 26 points and nine rebounds in the finals. Also playing in state finals in March were North all-stars Aniya Hubbard of Hoover, Madilyn Krieger of Rogers, Samiya Steele of Hazel Green, Precious Sturdivant of Anniston, and on the South squad, Class 3A all-state tourney selection Ella Jane Connell of Prattville Christian.

South All-Star Caleb Paige in 6A semifinals against Mountain Brook.

The North-South boys’ all-star game in July will have 12 players who competed in state championship games in 2021. On the North roster are Anthony Johnson of Class 2A state champion Midfield, Antonio Kite of Class 4A state champion Anniston, Wilder Evers and Evan Smith of Class 7A state champion Oak Mountain, and Will Bonner of Class 1A runner-up Belgreen.

The South roster includes Makenzie Bristow-Matthews, who helped Class 1A state champion Autaugaville go 30-0, Matthew Rearden of Class 3A runner-up Montgomery Catholic, Cameron Whitfield of Class 4A runner-up Booker T. Washington, Cameron Keshock and Colby McAllister of Class 6A runner-up Spanish Fort, and Elijah Terry of Class 7A runner-up Enterprise. Also on the South squad are 6-foot-4 twin brothers Caleb and Joshua Paige of Class 6A Eufaula, which lost in double overtime in the semifinals to eventual state champion Mountain Brook.

The South won the 2019 boys’ all-star game 88-75 in the 77th North-South Game. The North holds a 48-29 edge in the series. The first all-star game was played in 1953.

The North girls’ won last year 65-56 and hold a 20-3 edge in the North-South Girls’ All-Star Game series, which was played for the first time in 1997.  

All-Star rosters include:

2021 NORTH-SOUTH ALL-STAR BASKETBALL ROSTERS
         
NORTH GIRLS’ ALL-STARS      
         
Player School Pos. Ht.  
Caroline Bachus Athens F 6’2  
Camille Chase Spain Park SG 5’6  
Molly Heard Pisgah G 5’11  
Lanie Henderson Sand Rock SG 5’9  
Aniya Hubbard Hoover G/F 5’9  
Madilyn Krieger Rogers PG 5’6  
Bellah Machen Mortimer Jordan G 5’8  
Masyn Marchbanks Hartselle PG 5’8  
Shaniah Nunn Fairfield G 6’0  
Libby Privett Madison Academy G 5’8  
Ziona Pruitt Holy Spirit Catholic SG 5’9  
Emma Smith Vestavia Hills G 5’7  
Samiya Steele Hazel Green G 5’7  
Precious Sturdivant Carver – Birmingham F 6’1  
Emma Tittle Winfield G 5’7  
         
COACHES        
Craig Thomas Phil Campbell      
Walter Hicks Pleasant Grove      
Brant Llewellyn Lauderdale County, Admin.      
         
SOUTH GIRLS’ ALL-STARS        
         
Player School Pos. Ht.  
Alexis Andrews Park Crossing PG 5’9  
Alaysia Burns Linden PG 5’6  
Sharae Coleman Florala G 5’7  
Ella Jane Connell Prattville Christian PG 5’7  
Madison Dowing Gulf Shores SF 5’10  
Morgan Ficklin Central – Phenix City F 6’0  
Breanna Glaze Lanett G 5’9  
Chloe Johnson Montgomery Academy PG 5’7  
Janiya Labyzon Vigor PG 5’9  
Dorsey Parker UMS-Wright PG 6’1  
Olivia Porter Auburn PG 5’9  
Amiyah Rollins Dothan G 5’10  
Haley Sanders Opelika G 5’10  
Kelsey Thompson Davidson PG 5’11  
Reagan White Fairhope G 5’5  
         
COACHES        
Carolyn Wright Central – Phenix City      
Terry Canova UMS-Wright      
Robb McGaughey Pike Road, Adm.      
         
NORTH BOYS’ ALL-STARS        
         
Player School Pos. Ht.  
Will Bonner Belgreen PG 5’10  
Cooper Davidson Guntersville SG 6’1  
Wilder Evers Oak Mountain SG 6’3  
Rylan Houck Oxford G 6’4  
Anthony Johnson Midfield G 6’3  
Antonio Kite Anniston G 6’2  
Jacari Lane Lee – Huntsville PG 5’10  
Calen Lightfoot Sparkman PG 5’11  
Cole Millican Plainview G 6’3  
Kyler Murks Brooks G 6’0  
Jonathan Murray Huffman PF 6’7  
Martavious Russell Sipsey Valley PG 6’4  
Evan Smith Oak Mountain PG 5’10  
Christian Thompson Homewood F 6’6  
Colin Turner Spain Park P 6’9  
         
COACHES        
         
Justin Taylor West Limestone      
Torriana Brown Anniston      
Brant Llewellyn Lauderdale County, Admin.      
         
SOUTH        
         
Player School Pos. Ht.  
Makenzie Bristow-Matthews Autaugaville SF 6’3  
Bryson Dawkins Carroll G 6’3  
Barry Dunning McGill-Toolen G 6’6  
Emmanuel Henderson Geneva County PG 6’2  
Cameron Keshock Spanish Fort SF 6’6  
Colby McAllister Spanish Fort SG 6’3  
Caleb Paige Eufaula G 6’4  
Joshua Paige Eufaula G 6’4  
Matthew Reardon Montgomery Catholic G 6’5  
Jamarion Ryans Hale County G 5’11  
Elijah Terry Enterprise SF 6’5  
Christopher Thomas Southside – Selma PG 5’10  
Dadrevius Weathers Smiths Station F 6’6  
Cameron Whitfield Washington, B. T. Tuskegee PG 6’0  
Robert Woodyard Williamson PF 6’2  
         
COACHES        
         
Jazmin Mitchell Sumter Central      
Joseph Turman Florala      
Robb McGaughey Pike Road, Adm.