MONTGOMERY – Cullman County had its share of people to participate, be honored and recognized during the 20th annual Alabama High School Athletic Association All-Star Sports Week.
Six athletes representing four schools and four different sports were part of the festivities that took place across the city of Montgomery last week.
Success was earned by five, along with one coach selected to be on the sidelines for the North All-Stars in his respective sport.
It began with Cullman's Owen Lovell taking part in the baseball series at Riverwalk Stadium, the home of the AA Montgomery Biscuits from the Southern League.
Lovell factored in during the nightcap, a 13-2 rout of the South with two runs batted in. The North dominated their counterparts, taking the game by a 2-0 score with four North pitchers combining on a one-hitter.
Lovell returned to the place he has been accustomed to the last two years during the month of May. Lovell was the 6A MVP in the 2015 state baseball championship series and helped Cullman make it back in 2016, coming in second to Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa.
More success by representatives of Cullman High School came in the soccer game. Casey Harbin was one of the coaches selected to lead the North team. Harbin had the honor of coaching one of his own, Cole Gerding, in the match, along with Benjamin Borths from St. Bernard Prep School.
Gerding served notice when he connected on a shot from beyond 30 yards early in the contest that put the North ahead 1-0. The South would tie the score before the North regained the advantage ahead of intermission and would go on to claim a 4-2 decision.
On the hardwood, Cold Springs' Emily Willoughby became the third member from her alma mater to play in the mid-summer classic for the second consecutive year. Last year it was Bailey West and Triston Chambers in uniforms for Team North.
Unfortunately, a slow start for the North resulted in a 57-53 loss to the South. It was the South's first victory over the North in the girls’ game since 2007 and only the third in the 20-year history of the contest.
Willoughby was supported by her coach Tammy West, friends and family members in the game at Alabama State University. The week before, Willoughby committed to play at the University of Alabama-Huntsville after she graduates next May.
Finally, the 57th football classic was held at the Cramton Bowl with Culllman's Justin Patterson starting at defensive end and West Point's Kobe Smith getting some reps in the North backfield.
Team North put two touchdowns on the scoreboard the first two times they had the football and would go on to a 14-0 victory. The game was stopped at 8:16 of the second quarter when lightning was seen near the Cramton Bowl, followed by a thunderstorm.
Patterson served his presence on the first play from scrimmage when he dropped the South quarterback behind the line for a 5-yard loss. Patterson and the North never allowed the South to get the ball inside the North 30 on four possessions and created good field position for the North offense to operate.
Smith entered the game late in the first quarter. His impact play came three snaps before the game was officially stopped. On third down at the North 15, Smith took a swing pass and raced down the right sidelines for 52 yards and a first down at the South 33.
That was the longest play from scrimmage from Team North, coming from Smith, who will be playing in the Capital City in the fall at Huntingdon College.
From the coaches' championship awards banquet Friday night, Harbin, along with Clayborn Campbell of Cold Springs and William Calvert and Stephen Calvert of St. Bernard, were recognized as championship coaches for 6A boys’ soccer, 2A boys’ cross country and track and 1A girls’ cross country and track.
Campbell was the recipient of the AHSAA "Making a Difference" award for Class 2A. The award is based upon significant contributions to the winner’s school, athletic program and community.
In the last two years, Campbell has directed Cold Springs to back-to-back championships in cross country, plus a state crown in track and field after finishing second in the 2015 event held at Cullman High's Oliver Woodard Stadium.
The Alabama High School Athletic Director Coaches Association (AHSADCA) had 10 winners of the Coaches' Scholarship Award. Cold Springs' Destiny Campbell, whose father Jeremy assists in track and cross country, was recognized and honored.
Earning recognition were officials in eight sports sanctioned by the AHSAA. A total of 260 officials statewide were recognized during the associations' luncheon Saturday.
Locally, Mark Addison, Mark Aderhold, Blake Calvert, Milian Dekich, Sharon Hamilton and Eric Fillings were honored as officials in the sport of track and field. They represent the Smith Lake Association.
The All-Star Sports Week, coaching clinics and awards banquet officially end the 2015-16 sports season for the AHSAA.
Teams will be getting ready to start the 2016-17 season with football, volleyball and cross country officially starting practice next Monday (Aug. 1). Football will kick off regular season games on Aug. 19 with volleyball and cross country to begin the new season on the 25th.
