For the first time in the 12-year history of the North-South All-Star football game, players from Talladega High School and Talladega County Central will be represented on the teams. Tae Keith of THS as well as Reginald Virges, Thomas Cochran, Robert Reynolds and head coach Chris Mahand of TCC will be making the trip to Huntsville for the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s All-Star Week July 14-18.
The four local players are all excited about playing in the game and getting a chance to help the North team get a victory. Last season the South defeated the North 10-0.
One of the players hoping to turn this year’s team around is Keith. The 6-3, 210-pound athlete signed a scholarship to play wide receiver at Jacksonville State in the fall. He is also the first THS player to participate in the North-South All-Star football game.
“It is a great honor and blessing to be able to play in a game like this,” Keith said. “Since I was young I wanted to play in this type of game.”
Last season Keith did everything for the Tigers, who finished the season 2-8. He rushed for 1,015 yards on 151 carries and had eight touchdowns in 2007. Keith also caught 14 passes for 217 yards and scored two touchdowns. The Talladega player also showed off his passing skills by throwing for a touchdown.
Last season Keith showed region rivals Sylacauga what he could do. In that game he scored five touchdowns, and two of those were over 50 yards.
“Tae had a great career and this is well deserved,” Talladega head coach Bill Granger said. “I can’t think of anybody better to represent this community.”
Keith will be joined by three players from right down the road at TCC.
The Fighting Tigers of TCC had a record-breaking season last year and will have three players and their head coach participating in the All-Star Week. In his second season as head coach at TCC, Mahand led the Fighting Tigers to the most wins in school history with 14 and a trip to the promise land — the 1A state finals — for the first time in school history.
“It is a real honor to be coaching in this game,” Mahand said. “It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me and the players.”
The Tigers will be sending three of their playmakers to Huntsville. Running back Robert Reynolds and linebackers Reginald Virges and Thomas Cochran all hope to help the North squad to a win.
Reynolds had a great senior season with the Fighting Tigers. He was considered as the go-to guy for the Tigers in his senior season. He rushed for more than 1,600 yards and scored 21 touchdowns.
“It feels good to be one of the first players from TC to play in this game,” Reynolds said. “It’s a really big accomplishment.”
“He (Reynolds) was our go-to guy,” Mahand said. “He would make plays for us nine out of 10 times.”
Reynolds will be trying to play football on the next level as he has the opportunity to walk on at Alabama State in the fall. But the TCC grad believes he has one more shot to impress college scouts in the All-Star game.
“I am going out to do my very best so we can come out with a victory,” Reynolds said. “I am going to do my best, and if I impress some scouts I might not have to walk on at Alabama State.”
Virges was the leader of the stingy Fighting Tigers defense. The Fighting Tigers shut out their opponents seven times in 2007. The senior linebacker led the team in tackles with 122 for the season. Virges said he is honored to cap off his high school career by playing in the All-Star game, but he feels it’s not sweeter than winning the championship. TCC fell to Sweet Water in the 1A finals.
“It is a great feeling to go play in the All-Star game,” Virges said. “Going 14-1 and winning the region championship is great, but I would have rather been 15-0 with a state championship — that would have made the experience even better.”
In the fall, Virges will be trying to earn playing time at Miles College. Virges has a scholarship to play linebacker for the Golden Bears, and he knows that nothing will be given to him at Miles.
“I am going to have to get in the weight room and work out like everybody else,” Virges said. “I plan on trying to out-work everybody to earn playing time.”
Cochran will line up as linebacker for the All-Star game for the North team. He played a huge part of the Fighting Tigers’ success last season. The two-way starter made plays on both sides of the ball this season but did most of his damage on defense. The senior linebacker recorded 75 tackles last season.
“He made plays on both sides of the ball,” Mahand said. “He was tremendous for us this season but he was overshadowed by some of our other players.”
Cochran plans to capitalize on this opportunity to play among the best.
“I want to be the best player on the field,” Cochran said. “I’m going to bring my A game.”
The North –South football game will take place at Louis Crews Stadium on the campus of Alabama A&M University at 7 p.m. on Friday.
