By By DANIEL HODGE – Sports Writer
W.S. Neal offensive lineman Jared Cooper was one of 72 of the best high school juniors that participated in Friday's North-South All-Star Game played at Movie Gallery Stadium on the campus of Troy University.
Not only is this game a chance for outstanding players to showcase their athletic ability, but it also gives the players a chance to make lifetime friends.
&#8220It was a blast,” said Cooper. &#8220This game helped me to get a better look at the competition at the next level. These guys are the best of the best.”
Cooper's South squad survived a game that was much closer than the 16-7 score indicated. It was a game where long touchdown drives and points were hard to come by, that is, unless it came on the big play. In fact, both South touchdowns came from distances of 67 yards or more.
Following the North's only score of the game on a two-yard scamper by Hoover's Dennis King, the South erupted for 16 unanswered points.
The South's first score came just before halftime via a 70-yard fumble recovery by Terrence Thomas of Eufaula. On its first possession of the second half, the South struck again very quickly, as Foley quarterback Roosevelt Byrd, who was named as the South's Most Valuable Player, tossed a laser to Homewood's Tyler Robbins, who was wide open down the left sideline. Robbins simply trotted into the end zone for a 67-yard touchdown
Kicker Harris Brown came up empty on his extra point attempt sailed, which went wide left and kept the score 13-7.
The South squad's final score came on a 20-yard field goal by Brown, a Montgomery Academy student. His field goal moved the score to the final result of 16-7.