The 22nd annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star football game Saturday at 7 p.m. from Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile.
A hamstring pull kept Prattville defensive back Ricardo Bates out of Wednesday's afternoon practice and both sessions Thursday.
"They wanted me to rest it so I could be ready to play Saturday night," said Bates, a Houston signee. "I've been working out hard this summer and I can't wait for the game. Right now I am being held out as a precaution."
TOEING THE LINE: There may not be an Andre Smith in Mobile this week, but Alabama coach Bill Clark has been impressed with his offensive line. The most impressive thing, he said, is the depth of a group that includes Williamson's Nick Fairley, B.C. Rain's Rodney Hudson, W.S. Neal's Jared Cooper, Hoover's Patrick Crump, Russellville's Taz Tillery, Decatur's Caleb Thomas and Vestavia Hills' Thomas Gray.
"I don't see a big drop-off," Clark said Wednesday. "We've had times before (in past years) when we've tried to hide one. I'd say these guys are pretty interchangeable, which is saying something. They're all well-schooled."
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - Larry Smith is Alabama's Mister Football, a Vanderbilt signee who led Prattville to a 6-A championship - the state's largest classification.
Mississippi's Austin Davis is a baseball star who wasn't offered a Division One scholarship in football after operating a run-oriented offense. He will attend Southern Miss, but said he wants to play football.
Alfred McCullough isn’t tiny. At 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, he casts a rather large shadow as a standout defensive lineman at Athens.
Off the field, though, he’s a little less menacing.
In fact, he’s a self-described “momma’s boy.”
It's no secret these days that Rolando McClain has big plans.
The former Decatur High standout signed a scholarship to play football at Alabama beginning this fall.
And though it's hard for true freshmen to contribute these days, McClain thinks he can buck the trend. He has said so himself.
JaMarcus Russell, the Williamson High School quarterback who was the first player taken in the NFL Draft earlier this spring, will serve as Alabama's honorary captain tonight. Russell, who grew up in the shadows of Ladd-Peebles Stadium, played in the 2003 game - a 24-16 Alabama win. He set the state career passing record in Alabama at Williamson, then signed with LSU where he threw for 6,625 yards and 52 touchdowns in his college career.
Ironically, the player Russell edged out for Mr. Football in Alabama in the fall of 2002 edged him for MVP honors in the 2003 Classic. Chad Jackson of Hoover, now in the NFL with the New England Patriots, was chosen the MVP for Alabama that year.
Chavis Williams says he has looked forward to the 20th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star football classic ever since his head coach at Dora, Johnny Wright, told him he had been selected.
"I couldn't believe I had been selected at first," said Williams, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound defensive end who signed with Alabama last February. "I wondered how they knew about me."
He didn't see what college recruiters across the SEC had seen last fall.
With nearly a week of two-a-day practices behind them and the temperature rising to more June-like levels, the Alabama and Mississippi squads will finally turn their attention to each other tonight when the 20th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic kicks off at 7 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
"It's a long week," said Alabama head coach Bill Clark. "We're just ready to play."
Jacquez Pride would rather be at wide receiver but he's not being picky this week.
When the 20th annual Alabama-Mississippi High School All-Star Classic kicks off tonight, he'll play defensive back as the host team tries to protect its turf and win for the second straight year.
Prattville quarterback Larry Smith has been counting down the days to the new chapter in his life begins.
After tonight's Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic, "Mr. Football" will put high school behind him and focus on college. Smith reports toVanderbilt on Sunday.
Bill Clark knows pressure.
After all, as Prattville's head coach, he guided his team unscathed through the Class 6A season and playoffs, defeating the nationally respected Hoover program for the title.
Vanderbilt signee Larry Smith threw two touchdown passes and several records fell as Alabama routed Mississippi 51-14 in the 20th annual Alabama-Mississippi High School All-Star Classic on Saturday night.
Prattville High's Smith completed 12 of 26 passes for 193 yards, while Troy signee Jerell Jernigan of Eufaula High scored two touchdowns. Cedar Bluff's Jamie Hampton, who also signed with Troy, was 4-of-6 for 38 yards, and also threw a touchdown pass for Alabama, which won its ninth classic in 10 years.
When the Alabama football all-star team elected game captains Friday, it was no surprise that Susan Moore's Zach Smith was one of the four players tabbed.
Smith, who had excelled during the week, led the Bulldogs to a 12-2 record last season as the team's quarterback. He passed and rushed for almost 5,500 yards while earning Class 3A Back of the Year.
Larry Smith threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns and Alabama assaulted the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic record book on Saturday night, running away from Mississippi for a 51-14 victory at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
Alabama, which now leads the series 14-6, set records for most points scored, largest margin of victory and most total yardage, racking up 377 of its 486 yards in the first three quarters. The previous record of 363 yards was set by Alabama in 2001.
Alabama coach Bill Clark bragged on his team's offensive line all week, and the group delivered during the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic on Saturday night, paving the way for the team's series record 486 yards and 51 points.
"This was seven guys who were just solid and you just don't find that," Clark said of Jared Cooper, Rodney Hudson, Nick Fairley, Patrick Crump, Taz Tillery, Thomas Gray and Caleb Thomas. "They were athletic. They were tough. They took coaching."
On a night for breaking records, Alabama had its way.
Prattville quarterback Larry Smith, the state's Mr. Football who has signed with Vanderbilt, led the way to a thorough 51-14 victory for the host squad in the 20th annual Alabama-Mississippi High School All-Star Classic.
Prattville quarterback Larry Smith likes a big stage. In December, Smith took home MVP honors in the Class 6A state championship game. Saturday night, Smith took home offensive MVP honors in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic.
The Alabama All-Star quarterback passed for 193 yards and two touchdowns to lead Alabama in a 51-14 win at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
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