Three Baldwin players have been named to represent Alabama in the 30th Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Game Dec. 10 at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl.

The final roster, comprised of current high school seniors, will have 40 players.

The Baldwin Trio includes Spanish Fort linebacker Thomas Johnston at 6-2, 220-pounds. In 2016 (12 game total) he finished with 161 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 blocked punt, 4 quarterback hurries. Career totales: 638 tackles, 49 TFL, 8.5 sack, 5 INT, 5 FF, 3 FR, 6 QB hurries, 2 blocked punts and 15 passes broken up. The 3-time all-state player is the AHSAA’s all-time career tackles leader.

Foley Offensive Lineman Clayton McConnell made the 2016 squad. The 6-3, 270-pound UT-Chattanooga commitment is also an All-County all-star and plans to become a coach. He is also a member of the AHSAA Student Leadership Council.

Spanish Fort Defensive End Justin Thomas is 6-5, 255 pounds. In 2016 he recorded 42 tackles, 11 TFL, 7 sacks, 42 QB hurries, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 TD Career totales: 136 tackles, 27 TFL, 21 sack, 55 QB hurries, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 TD.

The 2016 coaching staff led by
UMS-Wright’s Terry Curtis, (Head Coach) includes Caleb Ross, McGill-Toolen; Ben Blackmon, Spanish Fort; Kelvis White, Mae Jemison; Keith Etheredge, Pell City; Steve Smith, 
Piedmont; Ed Rigby, Elba.

The annual all-star football contest is an event of the AHSADCA and the Alabama High School Athletic Association. The game was played in Mississippi for the first time in the series last year. The hosts won 28-21 on the Southern Miss campus in Hattiesburg. That win by Mississippi snapped a seven-game winning streak by Alabama, which now holds a 21-8 edge in the series.


“We hope the 40-man Alabama roster selected for this year’s game will bring the Alabama-Mississippi Game Championship Trophy back (to Alabama),” Briggs said.
 UMS-Wright Coach Terry Curtis, who is serving as the head coach for Alabama, will be coaching a squad full of Division I-A prospects – several still embroiled in national recruiting battles.


The roster, comprised of current high school seniors, was selected through a rigorous process that began last winter, Briggs said. “The selection committee has worked extremely hard to trim down the strong list of nominations to the 40 selected. It is a difficult task for sure, and we thank the committee for its dedication.
 “We are excited about returning to Cramton Bowl. This will provide another opportunity for the AHSAA and City of Montgomery to work together to produce an exciting event for local fans as well as our friends from Mississippi and the vast TV and Radio audience that tunes in via Raycom Media’s Alabama-Mississippi TV Network and the AHSAA Radio Network.”
 The annual all-star event was played at Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium since its inception in 1988 until 2010. It moved to Cramton Bowl from 2011-2014. It is now on a rotating basis between the two states.

Of the 17 players picked that are already committed, five have selected defending National Champion Alabama: running back Brian Robinson of Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa; offensive linemen Hunter Brannon of Cullman and Kendall Randolph of Bob Jones; defensive back Chadarius Townsend of Tanner; and linebacker Markail Benton of Central-Phenix City. Auburn has commitments from two, defensive backs Malcolm Askew of McAdory and Jordyn Peters of Muscle Shoals.

Three other SEC schools (Arkansas, Florida and LSU) have commitments from players on the roster while Southern Cal, North Carolina, Michigan, Duke, Purdue and UAB have at least one each.
 Committed to LSU are defensive lineman Justin Thomas and McGill-Toolen defensive back John Young III. Arkansas has a commitment from quarterback Daulton Hyatt of Etowah, and tight end Zech Byrd of Stanhope Elmore has announced plans to sign with Florida.


Curtis’ Alabama All-Star coaching staff also includes Kelvis White of Mae Jemison, Keith Etheredge of Pell City, Steve Smith of Piedmont, Ed Rigby of Elba and Richie Busby of Fultondale.


The game will be televised live over the Raycom Network of stations in Mississippi and Alabama. The contest will also be broadcast live over the AHSAA Radio Network. Visit AHSAA.com for full roster and other links (al-sallstarfootball.com).