Prep football: Anniston's Lewis, B.B. Comer's Harris, Gadsden City's Kirkpatrick make all-star
Oct. 7—The Alabama All-Star football team will include three players with ties to the area.
B.B. Comer running back/linebacker Kamore Harris, Anniston defensive back Jayden Lewis and Gadsden City defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. are part of the Alabama roster, which includes 40 high school seniors.
The rosters for the 37th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic football game were released Saturday by Brandon Dean, director of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors, and Coaches Association. The all-star football classic contest is scheduled to be played Saturday, December 16 at Carlisle H.H. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Miss., on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi.
The Alabama team's head coach will be Ben Blackmon of Enterprise High School. His All-Star staff includes Jeff Kelly, Saraland; Trent Taylor, Andalusia; Ronnie Jackson, Ramsay; Deric Scott, Foley; Erik Speakman, Opelika; Matt Geohagan, Bibb County; Smitty Grider, Benjamin Russell; scout coach Justin Turner, Enterprise; and administrative coaches Billy Odom, Randy White and Ken Wright.
The AHSACDA All-Star Selection Committee selected the players from nominations submitted by member school coaches at a meeting this week at the AHSAA Office.
"As always, we thank the committee for their time and dedication in picking this outstanding group of student-athletes," Dean said. "We look forward to watching these student-athletes compete against Mississippi in December. Along with Coach Blackmon and his staff, we know they all will put on a great representation for our state and their respective schools & communities. We thank our member schools and or coaches for their continued support of this annual matchup."
The squad includes 26 players who have already committed to play collegiately at an NCAA Division I school, with 14 headed to the Southeastern Conference.
Harris is headed to Memphis, while Lewis has committed to Auburn. Kirkpatrick has announced he will play at Alabama, as his father did.
Of the all-stars already committed, six have made verbal commitments to Alabama, and five have announced they are heading to Auburn. Crimson Tide commitments include Clay-Chalkville's Jaylen Mbakwe, who earned a spot on the all-star squad at defensive back. Mbakwe, who plans to enroll at UA in January, is also an outstanding athlete who is the Cougars' quarterback and part-time wide receiver. Also announced plans to attend Alabama are Kirpatrick, linebacker Quinton Reese of Ramsay, defensive linemen Jeremiah Beaman of Parker and Isaia Faga of Central-Phenix City, and Brookwood offensive lineman Mike Bramblett.
The all-stars who have committed to Auburn include Lewis, defensive lineman Malik Blocton of Pike Road, Andalusia running back Jamarion Burnett, receivers Bryce Cain of Baker and Perry Thompson of Foley.
Clay-Chalkville offensive lineman JacQuan McRoy, the biggest player on the Alabama All-Star roster at 6-foot-8, 370 pounds, has committed to Oregon, and running back Kevin Riley of Tuscaloosa County has committed to the University of Miami (Fla.).
Already to committed to SEC schools are Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa defensive back Travaris banks (Ole Miss); James Clemens defensive lineman Jaylen Brown (Missouri); and Central-Phenix City wide receiver Cameron Coleman (Texas A&M). Loachapoka defensive end Reco Newton has committed to Purdue while Harris and Saraland linebacker Jamison Curtis have committed to Memphis; Charles Henderson wide receiver/defensive back Jywon Boyd has committed to Troy University; Spanish Fort defensive end Cole McConathy has committed to Louisville; defensive lineman Kevin Norwood of Theodore, St. Paul's offensive lineman Asher Hale, and Mary Montgomery quarterback Jared Hollins have committed to South Alabama, and Brooks offensive lineman Carson Wheeler has committed to North Alabama.
Quarterbacks selected are Hollins and Opelika's Roman Gagliano, who is still uncommitted.
Alabama beat Mississippi last December at Mobile's Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama 14-10. The series started in 1988 with Alabama winning three overtimes 24-21. The 36th game improved Alabama's record to 25-11 overall. The complete 2023 Alabama roster and year-by-year history of the Classic are below.
The Alabama roster:
First Name
Last Name
School
Height
Weight
Position
Coach
Kamore
Harris
BB Comer High School
6'1
235
Ath
Adam Fossett
Jayden
Lewis
Anniston High School
6'0
176
DB
Rico Jackson
Jaylen
Mbakwe
Clay-Chalkville High School
6'1
175
DB
Drew Gilmer
Dre
Kirkpatrick
Gadsden City High School
6'0
195
DB
Ali Smith
Travaris
Banks
Hillcrest High School, Tuscaloosa
6'2
195
DB
James Mitchell
Xavier
Johnson
Muscle Shoals High School
5'10
175
DB
Scott Basden
Kaleb
Harris
Thompson High School
6'0
195
DB
Mark Freeman
Jamari
Payne
Loachapoka High School
6'3
250
DE/LB
Reco Newton
Quinton
Reese
Ramsay IB High School
6'0
215
DE/LB
Ronnie Jackson
Jamison
Curtis
Saraland High School
6'1
210
DE/LB
Jeff Kelly
Cole
McConathy
Spanish Fort High School
6'5
235
DE/LB
Chase Smith
Cameron
Pruitt
Theodore High School
6'3
195
DE/LB
Steve Mask
Tyler
Hicks
Thompson High School
6'0
210
DE/LB
Mark Freeman
Bradley
Shaw
Hoover High School
6'1
225
DE/LB
Wade Waldrop
Jeremiah
Beaman
A.H. Parker High School
6'4
265
DL
Frank Warren
Isaia
Faga
Central, Phenix City
6'2
285
DL
Patrick Nix
Fred
Vili
Enterprise High School
6'1
250
DL
Ben Blackmon
Jaylen
Brown
James Clemens High School
6'6
240
DL
Chad McGehee
Malik
Blocton
Pike Road High School
6'4
275
DL
Granger Shook
Kevin
Norwood
Theodore High School
6'2
305
DL
Steve Mask
Donovan
Price
Hewitt-Trussville High School
6'3
225
HB
Josh Floyd
Towns
McGough
Auburn High School
6'0
192
K/P
Keith Etheredge
Carson
Wheeler
Brooks High School
6'3
285
OL
Timothy Bowens
William
Sanders
Brookwood High School
6'4
295
OL
Mike Bramblett
JacQwan
McRoy
Clay-Chalkville High School
6'8
370
OL
Drew Gilmer
Reese
Baker
Madison Academy
6'5
285
OL
Bob Godsey
Daylin
Martin
Saraland High School
6'1
290
OL
Jeff Kelly
Asher
Hale
St. Paul's Episcopal School
6'6
305
OL
Ham Barnett
Clark
Barker
Wetumpka High School
6'3
285
OL
Bear Woods
Jared
Hollins
Mary G. Montgomery High School
6'4
190
QB
Zach Golson
Roman
Gagliano
Opelika High School
6'3
210
QB
Erik Speakman
Jamarion
Burnett
Andalusia High School
6'1
200
RB
Trent Taylor
Arrington
Green
Thompson High School
5'11
201
RB
Mark Freeman
Kevin
Riley
Tuscaloosa County High School
6'1
200
RB
Adam Winegarden
Watts
Alexander
Mountain Brook High School
6' 4
265
TE
Chris Yeager
Bryce
Cain
Baker High School
5'10
140
WR
Steve Normand
Cameron
Coleman
Central, Phenix City
6'3
190
WR
Patrick Nix
Jywon
Boyd
Charles Henderson High School
5'11
185
WR
Quinn Hambrite
Mario
Craver
Clay-Chalkville High School
5'10
160
WR
Drew Gilmer
Perry
Thompson
Foley High School
6'3
215
WR
Deric Scott
Trainers
Brad Cheatam
Encore
Jon Hammontree
Encore
Coaching Staff
Ben Blackmon
Enterprise
Head Coach
Jeff Kelly
Saraland
Trent Taylor
Andalusia
Ronnie Jackson
Ramsay
Deric Scott
Foley
Erik Speakman
Opelika
Matt Geohagan
Bibb County
Smitty Grider
Benjamin Russell
Justin Turner
Enterprise
Scout Coach
Billy Odom
Administrative Coach
Ken Wright
Administrative Coach
Randy White
Administrative Coach
