By Scott Griffin, The AHSAA

MONTGOMERY – The Alabama High School Athletic Association has announced the rosters for the 68th annual North-South All-Star Football Classic, scheduled for Friday, Dec. 11, at AmFirst Stadium on the campus of Jacksonville State University.

The annual contest brings together some of Alabama’s top high school football players and coaches, with this year’s selections featuring several athletes and a coach from the WEIS Radio coverage area.

Piedmont coach Jonathan Miller has been selected to serve on the North coaching staff, joining North head coach Darrell Higgins of Russellville.

Area players selected to represent the North include Fort Payne offensive lineman Grayson Hester, Fyffe running back and linebacker Ryder Gipson, Jacksonville defensive back Qua McNeal, Plainview offensive lineman Nathan “Cole” Holland, and Winterboro wide receiver Carter Castleberry.

The selections come as the AHSAA state football playoffs enter their second round.

This year’s North-South Classic has been moved to Jacksonville State University, a change from previous years. The AHSAA is also scheduled to host the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic in Mobile on Saturday, December 12.

The North-South series dates back to 1948. After a 12-year hiatus from 1985 through 1996, the annual tradition resumed and has continued to showcase talented high school athletes from across the state.

Higgins will lead the North squad, while Baker High School head coach Eric Scott will direct the South.

The coaching staffs were selected by Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association Director J.T. Lawrence.

“Coach Scott and Coach Higgins, along with their staffs, spent countless hours evaluating film prior to making this year’s selections. I appreciate the time and effort they have given towards this year’s game,” Lawrence said.

Joining Higgins and Miller on the North coaching staff are Kenny Morson of Florence, David Reeves of Jasper, Darrell Lebeaux of Huffman, Todd Ginn of Alexandria, Drew Phillips of West Morgan, and Sammie Coates of Columbia.

The South coaching staff includes Ben Blackmon of Enterprise, Kirk Johnson of Benjamin Russell, C.J. Harris of Bullock County, L.A. O’Neal of Park Crossing, Antonio Coleman of Williamson, Chase Smith of Spanish Fort, and Aubrey Blackwell of Montgomery Catholic.

The rosters feature players from eight classifications, marking the first time the game has included athletes from that many classifications.

Among the North selections, Parker, James Clemens, and Thompson lead the way with three players each. Clay-Chalkville, Hoover, Mars Hill Bible, Russellville, Spain Park, and Vestavia Hills each have two players represented.

The South squad features three selections each from Prattville and Benjamin Russell, while Auburn, Bullock County, and Baker have multiple players named to the roster.

Lawrence said the selection process was challenging because of the number of outstanding players nominated from across Alabama.

“We had several hundred nominations submitted for this game and narrowing those nominations down to a 37-man roster can be tough. We have a lot of talent in our state each year and the players selected for this year’s game reflect that,” Lawrence said.

The South holds a 35-30-2 advantage in the all-time series.

Last year’s contest was played at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, where the North defeated the South 41-28.