Better or worse?
Taking Names and Keeping Score
Charlie Anderson
The annual Alabama - Mississippi High School All - Star Football Classic is scheduled to be played on Monday, December 17 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile. When the game kicks off at 7:00 p.m. Monday it will mark the 21st time it has been played but only the first time it has taken place in December. All of the prior games have been played in the summer.

The principle reason given for the game being moved to December from June was to insure that the majority of the best players from both states continued to participate. It seems over the last several years there had been a growing number of the better players who were electing to opt out of playing in the game during the month of June. In some cases these declinations of the invitation to play were unavoidable because of an injury that a player had suffered while participating in another sport besides football for his high school.

Other than that or a family emergency, the two most plausible reasons given for choosing not to participate involved the college or university where they had chosen to further their education and football career. For some of the players making the choice to jump start their college education by enrolling in summer school at the college or university that they had chosen to attend was the primary reason for declining to play. For others, without coming right out and saying it, it seemed to be their choosing to honor the wishes of schools they had signed let- ters of intent to play for in the fall, suggesting it would be in their best interest to not play.

Obviously, looking at it from the college or university's point of view, it is a plus for an incoming freshman athlete to participate in summer school. First, it gives them time to get acclimated to the change from living at home to being on their own at college. Second, it gives the student athlete a chance to get a few college courses under their belt before having to juggle their academic requirements with practice and all the other constraints that are placed on their time when they become a football player as well as a student in the fall.

There is also the college or university's natural inclination to protect their investment. As is evidenced by the growing number of freshman athletes who are not only garnering playing time but becoming major contributors at the college level each year, every incoming freshman football player is considered a valuable commodity. And as such the college coaches don't want to take the risk of losing one of their assets to a season ending injury or even an injury that delays the particular player's availability in the fall in a summer all-star game.

On the flip side, the high schools these players currently attend could have a gripe about the game being played during the school year. First and foremost there is the actual time lost from school by the players involved which could be anywhere from four to five days not to mention a possible conflict with exams that might be scheduled for these final weeks before schools let out for Christmas break. Secondly, you have coaches and teammates in other high school sports, who because of the game being played in December, run the risk of possibly losing one of their best players because of an injury they might sustain in the all-star game.

From the fans point of view, as the old saying goes, "it's six of one or a half dozen of the other." Considering that the high school football season has just officially concluded with the Super Six Championships, for a lot of fans it is like putting icing on a cake, having one more opportunity to enjoy their favorite sport before they have to move on to the roundball and eventually baseball season.

On the other hand, for those fans for whom it is football or nothing, taking the game out of the summer and moving it to December will draw mixed reviews. Although they are delighted to have one more high school football game to attend now, not having it in the summer will mean the withdrawal pains they suffer from not having the sport for so long will be even greater.

I guess it is safe to say that school is out 'so to speak' at this point on whether the move will be for the better or worse in the long run. But, as for this year's game all of us in this area can take pride in being represented by two participants. Thomasville High School Head Football Coach Jack Hankins will be serving on the eight man Alabama coaching staff while Sweet Water High School running back/linebacker Anthony Landrum will be one of the 34 players on the Alabama roster. I am sure both of them look forward to a lot of support from this area at the game.

Until next time......be safe!

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