W.S. Neal head baseball coach Coy Campbell recently had the opportunity to coach the South All-Star baseball team in the North/South All-Star baseball game that was held in Montgomery.
The North All-Stars rallied from an 8-3 deficit in the top of the seventh inning to plate six runs and post a 9-8 win over the South to gain a split in the All-Star Sports Week North-South baseball series played at Riverwalk Stadium last Tuesday night. The South posted a 2-1 win in the first game.
“It went great,” Campbell said. “We won the first game and lost the second. It was a great experience for everyone…coaches and players. Talking baseball with all the coaches and sharing different ideas was good.”
North 9, South 8
The South appeared to be in command of game two after scoring five runs in the bottom of the second. The big hit was a bases-loaded triple by Opelika’s Matthew Christian.
Payton Stracener of Colbert County got the rally started when Christian, pitching in relief, hit him with a two-strike pitch. Hoover’s Trey Davis doubled for his second hit of the game and third of the doubleheader to put runners on second and third. Stracener was thrown out at home on a fielder’s choice, Oneonta’s Luke Wall singled, and Joseph McCormick of Oak Mountain followed with a two-run single.
Dalton Cobb of Alexandria drove in one run and Carson Cupo plated two with triples to close out the rally.
Stephan Poplin of Thompson hurled the final two innings, allowing no hits, no runs and striking out two to get the win. Christian got the loss.
Hewitt-Trussville’s Carter Pharis also had as triple for the North, which finished with three for the game.
Davis was named the North MVP
South 2, North 1
Smartt, the South catcher who helped Charles Henderson claim the 2013 and 2014 Class 4A state baseball titles, slugged a double in the first inning and drove in both South runs in the top of the fifth with a single to break open a scoreless tie.
Smartt drove in UMS-Wright’s Brett Patterson, who reached on a walk, and Marbury’s Jared Dixon, who followed with a single.
The North managed all three of its first-game hits in the bottom of the fifth with Sylacauga’s Will Green socking a double, Stracener following with a single and Hoover’s Davis plating Green with a single.
Alabama Christian’s Chandler Taylor hurled three hitless innings to start the game for the South.
Dothan’s Reid Agrella got the win. Green got the loss.
Headland’s Sam Harrison came on in relief to pitch 1 2/3 innings in the fifth and sixth, and Luverne’s Austin Odom hurled the seventh for the south to get the save.
The North holds an 18-11-1 edge in the series, which dates back to 1997.

Coleman plays football
Former T.R. Miller Tiger Kameron Coleman and the Alabama South football team defeated the North team Thursday night 20-12 in the AHSAA’s 55th North-South All-Star football game at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery.
Coleman had one carry for one yard and had six total tackles with four being solo.
The South struck quickly scoring touchdowns on its first two offensive plays to take an early 14-0 lead en route to a 20-12 victory over the North.
The South extended its lead in the series to 30-23-2. The All-Star game was first played 1948.
Both South touchdowns came after North turnovers. Jestaro Reynolds of Northview High School hauled in a 62-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bryant Horn of Benjamin Russell to put the South on top 7-0 at the 9:35 mark of the first quarter.
The North turned to the Pickens County duo of quarterback Devonte’ Simon and running back Jermarcus Brown for a 47-yard pass play on its first drive.
The South recovered a fumble on the next play, however, to set up the Horn-to-Reynolds connection.
Another North fumble at its own 28-yard line put the South offense on the field once again. On first down the South scored when Daphne quarterback Lane Moss found Damian Mitchell of Maplesville open for a 28-yard TD strike.
The North managed a safety three minutes later to cut the lead to 14-2.
In the second quarter, Fairhope’s John Baxter nailed the first of two field goals with a 26-yarder.
He booted a North-South record 50-yard field goal late in the third quarter to give the South a 20-9 lead.
The 50-yard kick broke the North-South record (48 yards) set by Sardis kicker Mike Nichols 47 years ago in the 1967 game. Baxter also kicked two extra points.
The North got its only touchdown when Dorryl “Ready” Swanigan of Marion County scored on a 4-yard run with 49 seconds left in the first half and Oneonta’s Tyler Short booted the extra point. Short kicked a 30-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring.
MVP for the South was Andalusia linebacker Montel Lee. He had North-South record-tying 12 tackles, including a key stop near the goal line on the North’s final drive late in the fourth period.
Lee had five tackles behind the line for 15 yards in losses and caused the first North fumble.
Horn finished 6-of-8 passing for 78 yards and Morgan was 2-of-5 for 66 yards combining to finish with 144 yards and two TDs. Earnest Andrews of Fairhope netted 35 yards on 10 carries and Roderick Davis of Demopolis had 32 on seven tries.
Brown, who set a single-season state record with 51 touchdowns scored last season for Class 1A state champion Pickens County, was selected North MVP. He made seven catches for 135 yards.
The North passed for 186 yards with Gordo quarterback Lane Moss 9-of-14 passing for 132 yards and Simon 2-of-11 for 54 yards. Moss also was the game’s leading rusher with 30 yards on nine carries, including one 25-yard run.
Leading tacklers for the North were John David Henderson of Arab and Exavyer Jackson of Piedmont with seven tackles each. Jackson also had four stops for 15 yards in losses and was credited with the safety.
Trent Taylor of Straughn served as head coach for the South and Keith Etheredge of Leeds for the North.
Attempts to reach Coleman for a comment about the game were unsuccessful.
Coleman helped lead T.R. Miller to a 12-1 season in his senior year. Coleman and the Tigers went 10-0 in the regular season and won their first two playoff games before falling to eventual state runner-up Leeds.
Coleman, who played linebacker for the Tiger defense, also played offense for the Tigers this past fall and finished with 82 carries for 645 yards and scored eight touchdowns. He also caught 14 passes for 296 yards and scored twice.
Coleman also played in the 10th annual Max Emfinger All-American Bowl. The game was played at Tommy Oliver Stadium in Panama City and Coleman’s East team defeated the West 30-0.
Coleman has signed with Miles College to play football this fall.