All-Star notes: Clemson commit Peter Woods is ‘practice killer’

Murphy’s John McKenzie, who’s teaching the Alabama working backs this week for Saturday’s All-Star Basic towards Mississippi, may consider just one option to describe Thompson 5-star defensive lineman.

“He’s a observe killer,” McKenzie joked.

He meant it in the absolute best means. The Alabama offense had a troublesome time training any performs this week with out dodging the Clemson commit within the offensive backfield.

Woods led Thompson to a fourth straight Class 7A title per week in the past. This week, he was named the MaxPreps Alabama Participant of the Yr.

He completed his senior season with 83 tackles, 21 tackles for a loss, 8 sacks and 14 QB hurries.

“He’s actually, actually good,” mentioned Alabama head coach Keith Etheredge, who led his Auburn workforce towards Woods and firm within the Class 7A title sport.

Regardless of being among the best gamers in Alabama, Woods opted to go away the state to play school soccer when he dedicated to Dabo Swinney’s Tigers. He hasn’t wavered in that call.

“I’m a person of my phrase,” Woods mentioned this week. “Once I say one thing, I imply it. That’s how my dad and mom raised me. If I didn’t really feel like I needed to go there and be there 100%, I wouldn’t have dedicated.”

Massive alternative for native participant

Theodore standout and Southern Miss commit Will James was added to the Alabama roster earlier this week when a number of gamers dropped out.

James missed many of the common season with a collarbone harm earlier than returning in Week 9 towards Saraland.

“He’s very athletic, very fast twitch,” Etheredge mentioned. “He broke up yesterday and picked one off. He’s actually explosive. They mentioned he’s a very good working again, too. I may see that. He performs bodily. He’s going to be a very good school soccer participant. He’ll be a child that performs proper means.”

James ought to get an opportunity to play a giant position in a secondary that additionally consists of Munford’s Sylvester Smith, Pinson Valley’s TJ Metcalf, Loachapoka’s J.C. Hart, Montgomery Catholic’s Johntarious Inexperienced, Gardendale’s Dallas Younger and Selma’s Dakaari Nelson.

“I’ve at all times acquired one thing to show,” James mentioned. “That’s the way it has been all my life. It’s particular to be on this sport being from Cell. God at all times has a plan.”

Refreshing end

Clay-Chalkville head coach Drew Gilmer has loved his time in Cell. Gilmer is the offensive coordinator for the Alabama All-Stars.

“It’s refreshing,” he mentioned. “You get to come back down right here with good pals and develop good relationships. You get to teach children you don’t usually get to teach, and that’s refreshing, too.

“It’s neat to kind these relationships. We’re simply sitting again within the room watching some movie and making an attempt to study from them. They’re making an attempt to select our brains. I study simply as a lot from them as they in all probability do from us. It’s an thrilling week. The AHSAA does a fantastic job with it.”

The Mississippi aspect

Mississippi head coach Chris Cutcliffe additionally mentioned it has been an pleasing week for his workforce.

“Our gamers have achieved an superior job with their observe habits,” he mentioned. “They’ve had a fantastic angle. That’s one thing we inform them that we anticipate them to be nice teammates with a gaggle of fellows they don’t know, they usually’ve achieved an superior of that. Our workers has been super. The Alabama affiliation has been superior. They’ve achieved a fantastic job setting the whole lot up for us, and it’s been clean.”

Cutcliffe mentioned it’s been onerous to single out one unit on his aspect that has been notably sturdy.

“There are a number of gifted gamers,” he mentioned. “The hot button is simply discovering methods throughout the guidelines of this sport to place the blokes on either side of the ball in place to achieve success. We’ve been happy with the blokes we’ve introduced over.”

Cutcliffe was the scout coach for Mississippi a 12 months in the past and in addition was an assistant within the sport in 2019. He mentioned there isn’t any doubt that, although it’s an all-star sport, each groups are enjoying to win. He additionally mentioned, like most soccer video games, this one possible will boil all the way down to who wins the road of scrimmage.

“That’s at all times one of many largest challenges in an All-Star sport,” he mentioned. “You already know Alabama on either side of the ball goes to be extraordinarily gifted up entrance, so we’ve to do a fantastic job of making ready and training and studying the right way to work collectively. Once I’ve been part of this, I really feel just like the workforce that has gained the road of scrimmage has usually gained the sport.”

Honorary captain

It appears particularly acceptable that Alabama’s All-Star honorary caption for the 2022 sport is former Blount Excessive Faculty standout Demarco McNeil.

He earned Mr. Soccer honors his senior season (1998) and performed in Alabama’s 28-24 win over Mississippi within the 1999 All-Star Basic the subsequent summer season earlier than heading to Auburn College the place he was a four-year starter on the defensive position and earned All-SEC honors.

On Radio, Tv

Announcers James Verrett and Duwan Walker will function the Alabama broadcast workforce for Saturday’s Alabama-Mississippi Basic. WOTM TV will produce the sport, which shall be reside streamed over the NFHS Community, proven reside over WOTM TV.

The published workforce of Randy Burgan and Barry Gibson shall be within the sales space for the AHSAA Radio Community, which is able to broadcast the sport over its community of stations and over the web. Go to https://www.ahsaa.com/Media/AHSAA-Radio-Community Saturday to select up the reside feed over the web.