Conecuh County is overdue to have a player in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Game

Greenville High School's Marlon Davidson

Hillcrest head football coach Clinton Smith got another feather in his cap earlier this week when he was asked to serve as one of the assistant coaches for this year’s Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Game, which will be played in Montgomery in December. It’s a big deal to be asked to coach in this game, and it just goes to show how much Smith is esteemed among his coaching colleagues statewide.

The first Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Game was played in 1988, and Hillcrest has never had a player to play in this prestigious all-star event. That could easily change this year, given all of the talent that this year’s team will field, coupled with the fact that Smith is helping to coach the Alabama team. This game is for seniors who have finished their senior seasons, so some of next year’s seniors at Hillcrest could be prime candidates for invitations to this game.

Looking back at old rosters from previous Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Games, I found that a number of players from around Conecuh County have played in this game over the years. Many football fans in the reading audience will remember some of these names and more than a few of them, more than likely, have relatives in Conecuh County today.

By my count, Butler County has had 12 players to play in this game, and Escambia County has had five. Monroe County has had three players to play in the game. Surprisingly, so far as I could tell, Covington County has never had a player to make the Alabama All-Star team’s roster for this game, which is somewhat shocking when you consider all the fine players that have come through Andalusia and Opp since 1988.

Greenville High School has had a total of nine players to play in the game, including running back Curtis Peterson in 1988, defensive lineman Ozell Powell and offensive lineman Rod Ollison in 1992, running back Terry McDonald in 1994, offensive lineman Jesse March in 1995, running back Michael Feagin in 1995, linebacker Kelcius Savage in 2005, defensive lineman Jamontay Pilson in 2008 and defensive lineman Marlon Davidson in 2015.

T.R. Miller High School in Brewton has had four players to play for Alabama in this game, including defensive lineman Anthony Union in 1989, running back Ron Gibson in 1991, linebacker Willie Smith in 1992 and punter Patrick Byrne in 2002.

Georgiana High School has seen two players in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Game, including defensive lineman Lindsey Gandy in 1990 and defensive lineman Ezell Powell in 1996.

Five other schools in our part of the state have sent at least one player to this game, including McKenzie High School athlete Emmanuel Johnson in 2010, W.S. Neal High School offensive lineman Jared Cooper in 2007, Excel High School defensive lineman Brady Johnson in 1990, J.F. Shields High School defensive back LaDerrick Odom in 1993 and Monroe County High School running back Sidney Carmichael in 1989.

In the end, I’ve only ever been to one Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Game in person, but you can bet that I plan to be there next December with Hillcrest’s Clinton Smith, and hopefully one or two of his top players, in the game.