All-Stars To Hear Chizik At FCA Breakfast
Teams Work Out In Good Weather, Then Enjoy Shrimp Feed In Millbrook
Auburn University head football coach Gene Chizik will be the featured speaker at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Breakfast for the Alabama and Mississippi All-Stars Saturday morning at Montgomery’s First United Methodist Church.
The players, who finally had a chance to work out in good weather Thursday after braving rain on Tuesday and bitter cold on Wednesday, will meet at 8:30 a.m. Saturday to hear Chizik before the squads head to Cramton Bowl for the 25th Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Game. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m.
Tickets will be available at Cramton Bowl the day of the contest. Alabama holds a 17-7 edge in the series that was held in Mobile from 1988-2010.
Mississippi players worked out at Huntingdon College’s Charles Lee Field Thursday morning while the Alabama stars practiced at Faulkner University. Both teams practiced at Stanhope Elmore High School in Millbrook Thursday afternoon and then were treated to a “Low Country Boil” at Millbrook Community Center, complete with shrimp, corn on the cob and new potatoes among other choices.
Both squads will return to Huntingdon and Faulkner Friday morning for the final workout. Following lunch the Alabama All-Stars will visit the V.A. Hospital in Montgomery and the Mississippi All-Stars will visit McGinnis School. Friday night the two teams, coaches and family members will gather at Frazer Memorial United Methodist Church for a banquet beginning at 7 p.m.
COACHES PRAISE QBs: Mississippi and Alabama coaches lauded the work of their quarterbacks Thursday. Alabama quarterbacks Jameis Winston of Hueytown and Jonathan Wallace of Central-Phenix City each guided their teams to the state playoff semifinals – Winston in Class 5A and Central in Class 6A.
Both have made verbal commitments with Winston choosing Florida State prior to the 2011 season and Wallace picking Southern Miss.
Mississippi quarterbacks Todd Mays of Olive Branch and Anthony Alford of Petal met in the 6A state finals with Mays’ team winning 35-34.
All four are sure to continue to attract lots of attention from college recruiters until signing day.
THIRTEEN COLLEGES HAVE COMMITMENTS ON ALABAMA SQUAD: Each squad has 40 players with many still deciding their college preferences. Twenty-three of the Alabama prep seniors have made verbal commitments to 13 colleges. Among the schools with commitments are Alabama (4), Southern Miss (4), Auburn (2), Kentucky (2), Florida State (2), South Alabama (2), Purdue (1), Mississippi State (1), Vanderbilt (1), UAB (1), Troy (1), Samford (1) and Arkansas (1).
Mississippi’s roster includes 13 players with verbal commitments. Mississippi State has been the big winner so far with eight players committing to play collegiately for the Bulldogs. The other colleges receiving commitment include Ole Miss (2), Southern Miss (2) and Washington State (1).