Special to the Reporter

Players and coaches have been named for the Alabama teams in the 15th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star basketball games April 9 at the Pelham Civic Center. The doubleheader will feature outstanding senior players in boys and girls games.

Tip-off times are 1 p.m. for the girls game and 3 p.m. for the boys contest. The Alabama High School Athletic Association, the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association and the Mississippi High School Coaches Association stage the event.

Coaches of the Alabama boys team are Robert Burdette (head) of Calera High School and Jerome Sanders of J. F. Shields High School.

Girls team coaches are Carey Ellison (head) of Pisgah High School and Ricky Austin of Spring Garden High School. All four led their teams to state championships in the recent State Finals Tournament in Birmingham.

Members of the boys all-star team are George Drake of Calera, Tyler Cannon and Toney Easley of Auburn, Shane Castophney of J.F. Shields, John David Gardner of Homewood, Trey Hampton of Hoover, Jeremy Harris of Saks, Terence Ayers of Sparkman, Joey Cameron of Leeds, Nick Lee of Ashford, Harold Edwards of LeFlore and Yamene Coleman of Wilcox Central.

Selected to the girls team are Brittney Garner of Sheffield, Sammeika Thrash of Ramsay, Sherell Hobbs of J.O. Johnson, Whitney Boddie of Florence, Blair Bowens of Deshler, Trevesha Jackson of Auburn, Monica Maxwell of Sparkman, LaShandra McCoy of Decatur, Ashley Thornton of Pinson Valley, Monika Hilson of Wenonah, Amber Rutherford of Hatton and Lora Turner of Mars Hill.

This marks the third year Pelham will host the game under a three-year agreement with the city and the Shelby County Commission. Mayor Bobby Hayes of Pelham, Shelby County Manager Alex Dudchock and event planner Chris Hershey helped lead support for the series.

The same group also hosts the AHSAA state volleyball and wrestling tournaments.

Before the agreement with the Pelham-Shelby County group, the previous 12 doubleheaders in the series were played during the first week in June on a rotating basis between Florence and a site in Mississippi.

After the 2002 game, the AHSAA Central Board of Control voted to discontinue the game because of the lack of a sponsor. That’s when Mayor Hayes and the Shelby County Commission stepped forward with their support.

The series has no sponsor after this year’s event.

North-South Volleyball

Teams and coaches for the North-South volleyball teams were recently announced for the Alabama All-Star Sports Week July 11-15 in Huntsville.

The squad is composed of juniors and seniors.

Sandi Crocker of Spain Park was named to the North squad, while Oak Mountain’s Audra VanArsdale and Sarah Teague were both named to the South team.

Ala.-Miss. All-Star Football

Tyler Grisham of Spain Park, Landen Vickery of Thompson and Montez Billings and Michael Adams, both of Pelham, were named to the roster for the 18th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Classic June 4 in Mobile