ALABAMA ALL-STAR BASKETBALL TEAMS, COACHES NAMED
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, March 17, 2004
MONTGOMERY– Players and coaches have been named for theAlabamateams in the 14th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star basketball games March 27 at thePelhamCivicCenter. The doubleheader will feature outstanding senior players in boys and girls games.
Tip-off times are1 p.m.for the girls game and3 p.m.for the boys contest.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association, the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association and the Mississippi High School Coaches Association sponsor the event.
Coaches of theAlabamagirls team are Cophia Rutherford ofHattonHigh Schooland Jana Killen ofDeshlerHigh School. Boys team coaches are Johnny Patrick ofSumterCountyHigh Schooland Jack Doss ofButler(Huntsville). All four led their teams to state championships in last week’s State Finals Tournament inBirmingham.
Selected to the girls team are Latoya Barclay of Sparkman, Courtney Billingsley and Valeisa Crenshaw of Wenonah, Fredricka Burrell of Ramsay, Zsaquez Fluker of Abbeville, Maria Grimes of Clay-Chalkville; Brooke Hand of Lawrence County, Emily Mason of Lauderdale County, LaKitha Murray of Paul Byant, Starr Orr of Speake, Alexis Oqubie of J. O. Johnson, and Mamie Rutherford of Hatton.
Members of the boys all-star team are Courtney Beasley of Butler, DeMarre’ Carroll of John Carroll, Brandon Davis of Selma, William Ginn of Alexandria, Wesley Jones of J. F. Shields, LaQuavious Marbury of Lanett, Ronald Steele of John Carroll, Reaynundo Sturdivant of Sumter County, Frank Tolbert of Red Level, Jonathan Wallace of Sparkman, Michael Williams of Wilcox Central, and Walter Sharpe of Parker.
This marks the second year for Pelham to host the game under a three-year agreement with the City ofPelhamand the Shelby County Commission.Mayor Bobby Hayes of Pelham; Alex Dudchock,ShelbyCountymanager; and Chris Hershey,ShelbyCountyevent planner, were instrumental in finalizing the agreement.
This same group also hosts the AHSAA state volleyball and wrestling tournaments.
Before last year’s game, the previous 12 doubleheaders in the series were played during the first week in June on a rotating basis betweenFlorenceand a site inMississippi. After the 2002 game, the AHSAA Central Board of Control voted to discontinue the game until Mayor Hayes and the Pelham group stepped forward.