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.
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. |