Alabama All-Stars Sports Week begins next Monday
By TIM GAYLE
The 28th Alabama All-Stars Sports Week will take place on July 15-18 in the Capital City, featuring all-star events in eight sports and coaching clinics for all high school coaches in the state.
Two dozen Capital City Conference athletes who just completed their junior year will compete in the eight sports that open play on Monday and conclude Thursday afternoon.
All-Star Sports Week started in Montgomery in 1997 with the return of high school all-star events in football and boys’ basketball that had started years earlier at the University of Alabama and the addition of girls’ basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball events.
Soccer was added the next year, followed by cross country in 2017 and tennis and golf in 2019.
The all-star games kick off on Monday, July 15, with boys and girls golf in the morning at Arrowhead Country Club and a baseball doubleheader at 4 p.m. at Riverwalk Stadium.
Among those teeing off for the South girls team are Alabama Christian’s Evelyn Tankersley, Trinity’s Eden Pendleton and Pike Road’s Lauryn Leonard. Leonard’s coach, Ted White, is one of the two South coaches in the event.
Alabama Christian’s Mac Moorer and Montgomery Academy’s Thomas Floyd will compete for the South boys golf team.
The South baseball team includes Auburn commitment Fleming Hall of Trinity, who is listed on the roster at three different positions, but isn’t expected to play any of them. Hall is expected to participate as a designated hitter, the same role he played this spring for the Wildcats. Joining Hall on the South squad is Elmore County shortstop and catcher Shea Darnell and Marbury pitcher and first baseman Jacob Driver.
Former Pike Road coach Allen Ponder will join Opp’s Michael Cassady as South coaches. Retired Trinity coach Ken Whittle will continue his role as the South’s administrative coach, while St. James’ Keith Lucky will serve as the North’s administrative coach.
Tuesday’s full day of activities will start in the morning at Gateway Park, where Trinity’s John Thomas Mathison and Stanhope Elmore’s Tristen Jones will compete for the South’s cross country team.
In the afternoon, the action will move to Lagoon Park Tennis Center and will include several of the state’s top talent. The girls will be led by Montgomery Academy’s Gabby Barrera, who completed an undefeated junior season with a state title at No. 1 singles, along with Pike Road’s Naye Yeo and Brew Tech’s Ellen Smith.
Six local tennis players will compete for the South boys team, led by Trinity’s James Treadwell who completed an undefeated junior season with a state title at No. 2 singles. He will be joined by Trinity teammate Grant Speagle, the Montgomery Academy duo of Edwin Wu and John Alford, Danny Trock of St. James and Edward White of Pike Road.
St. James’ Ben Bradshaw and Trinity’s Kelly Treadwell will be two of the three South coaches and retired Trinity coach Elisa Bowden will serve as the administrative coach.
Later that afternoon, the basketball games will be held at the Multiplex, beginning with the girls’ game at 5 p.m. Five local players are on the South squad, including Brew Tech teammates Kennedi McGhee and Jillian Baine, Trinity teammates Francie Morris and Maddie Smith and Park Crossing point guard Saniya Jackson.
Trinity’s Blake Smith is one of the two South coaches. LAMP athletic director Robb McGaughey will serve as the South’s administrative coach for both games.
Montgomery Academy’s Skyler Stovall will play for the South in the boys’ game that follows.
On Wednesday, the state’s top softball players will play a doubleheader at Lagoon Park Softball Complex Field 6 beginning at 4 p.m. Among those playing are St. James’ third baseman Tat Shuford, Pike Road shortstop and outfielder Ameria Anderson, Wetumpka first baseman Lily Davenport, Prattville Christian third baseman Chloe Hollon and Billingsley catcher and pitcher Sadie Primm.
Wetumpka’s Daryl Otwell will serve as one of the South’s coaches.
Girls soccer will feature Montgomery Academy coach Darius Rashid and a pair of his players, Sophia Cho and Mary Elizabeth Cole, along with Trinity’s Elsie Hufham and St. James’ Hasana Shuford.
The boys soccer game, which will follow the girls’ game at Emory Folmar Soccer Complex, includes Trinity’s Bo Stewart, Tallassee’s Irvin Delfin and Prattville’s Adam Green.
The week will conclude with the annual volleyball game at the Multiplex on Thursday at 2 p.m. Hall of Fame coach Julie Gordon will serve as one of the South’s coaches, along with a pair of her standouts, setter Addi Vinson and outside hitter Elle McBride.
28th ALABAMA ALL-STARS SPORTS WEEK SCHEDULE
Monday, July 15 -- Boys and girls golf, 9 a.m., Arrowhead Country Club
Monday, July 15 -- Baseball (DH), 4 p.m., Riverwalk Stadium
Tuesday, July 16 -- Boys cross country, 8 a.m., Gateway Park
Tuesday, July 16 -- Girls cross country, 8:30 a.m., Gateway Park
Tuesday, July 16 -- Boys and girls tennis, 4 p.m., Lagoon Park Tennis Center
Tuesday, July 16 -- Girls basketball, 5 p.m., Multiplex at Cramton Bowl
Tuesday, July 16 -- Boys basketball, 6:45 p.m., Multiplex at Cramton Bowl
Wednesday, July 17 -- Softball, 4 p.m., Lagoon Park Field 6
Wednesday, July 17 -- Girls soccer, 5 p.m., Emory Folmar Soccer Complex
Wednesday, July 17 -- Boys soccer, 7 p.m., Emory Folmar Soccer Complex
Thursday, July 18 -- Volleyball, 2 p.m., Multiplex at Cramton Bowl