Tanner’s Townsend set for all-star game

Published 6:30 am Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Tanner senior Chadarius Townsend will become just the second player in program history to play in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game when he suits up Saturday.

The 30th annual affair features the most outstanding senior high school players from Alabama and Mississippi and it isn’t easy for a player from a small school like Tanner to even make the roster. Townsend along with Maplesville’s Terence Dunlap are the only players not from a high school that is Class 5A or larger on Alabama’s roster.

Both all-star teams reported Monday afternoon for Saturday’s game at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl.

Kickoff is set for noon with Raycom Media televising the game live over its affiliate stations in both states as well as in Memphis, Tennessee and Columbus, Georgia. The Alabama High School Athletic Association Radio Network will also broadcast the game live.

Townsend had another stellar season for Tanner, which was eliminated in the third round of the 2A playoffs last month. The Alabama verbal commitment finished the season with 1,481 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. He completed 67 of 101 pass attempts for 1,245 yards and 13 touchdown with eight interceptions.

Townsend is one of the three quarterbacks on the roster, but could play a number of positions in Saturday’s game. He is expected to play defensive back at Alabama, where he excelled at Tanner this season.

Ray pulls out

The Alabama team will be without, arguably, its best player for Saturday’s game. James Clemens defensive end LaBryan Ray pulled out of the game because of an injury sustained against Hoover in the 7A quarterfinals last month.

Ray, who is ranked as the No. 1 overall prep player in Alabama by 247 sports, is currently uncommitted and is expected to make his decision on where he will attend college around Feb. 1, which is national signing day.

He was replaced by Spain Park 6-foot-2, 275-pound defensive end Douglas Henze. Jaylond Adams of Minor, who was added last week, dropped off the team Monday and was replaced by Opelika’s Craig Lawrence. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Lawrence played fullback for the Class 6A state runner-up Bulldogs but will be likely used some at tight end as well.

St. Paul’s Episcopal defensive lineman Ryan Johnson is also expected to play some at tight end.

UMS-Wright Coach Terry Curtis is serving as the Alabama head coach. Quarterbacking the squad will Daulton Hyatt of Etowah and Bubba Thompson of McGill-Toolen Catholic. Blount’s multi-talented Kadarius Toney is listed on the team as “athlete” but accounted for almost 4,000 total yards as the Leopards’ quarterback in 2016.

Hyatt finished the 2016 season 121-of-184 passing for 2,240 yards and 25 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Thompson led McGill-Toolen (13-1) to the 7A state finals – completing 26-of-39 passes for 280 yards in the 17-7 loss to Hoover. He finished 2016 with 211-of-387 passes completed for 2,984 yards and 38 touchdowns.

Todd Mangum of Wayne County will serve as head coach for Mississippi.

Mississippi snapped a seven-game Alabama winning streak in the series last year with a 28-21 win at Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Alabama holds a 21-8 edge in the series, however, dating back to 1988.

The game was played in Mobile from 1988-2011 before moving to Cramton Bowl from 2011-15. The game was played at Southern Miss last year – the first time the game has been hosted in Mississippi.

Mississippi Super Recruit

Among the top players on the Mississippi squad is 6-foot, 215-pound Clinton quarterback Cam Akers, who did not report with the team Monday but was expected to join the squad Monday night. He led Clinton to the Mississippi High School Athletic Association Class 6A state championship last weekend — finishing the season 173-of-280 passing for 3,128 yards and 31 touchdowns.

Clinton beat Pearl 49-35 to finish the season 14-1. Also on the Mississippi squad from Clinton are running back Darius Maberry, a Southern Miss commitment, and defensive back Kam White, who has Iowa State at the top of his list.

West Point’s Everitt Cunningham, a 6-3, 240-pound defensive end, helped his team beat Laurel 29-8 to win the MHSAA Class 5A state crown.