From staff reports
HATTIESBURG, MS – For the first time in seven years, Mississippi came away on top, 28-21, of the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic over the weekend.
The contest was played at the University of Southern Mississippi’s M.M. Roberts Stadium. The first 29 games were played at Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium (1988-2010) and Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl (2011-14). The 2016 game will return to Montgomery.
Clay-Chalkville senior wideout T.J. Simmons earlier this season. photo by Ron Burkett
Five players from the Trussville Tribune coverage area represented their schools on Team Alabama. From Hewitt-Trussville, running back Jarrion Street and athlete Bailey McElwain made the trip to Hattiesburg. From Clay-Chalkville, quarterback Ty Pigrome, wide receiver T.J. Simmons and offensive lineman Cole Garrison joined their head coach, Jerry Hood, on the team.
Pigrome directed a late scoring drive for Alabama – running 36 yards to set up his 21-yard TD pass to Simmons with 39 seconds left to play to cut the lead to 28-21. An onside kick was recovered by Mississippi to seal its first win of this decade. Alabama now holds a 21-8 advantage in the series.
Simmons also grabbed a touchdown catch from Spanish Fort quarterback Tyler Johnston in the first quarter. That 10-yard score gave Alabama an early 14-7 lead.
Simmons finished the day with four catches for 68 yards and the two scores. The Alabama pledge led Team Alabama in receiving yards.
Pigrome went 6-of-13 passing for 67 yards and a touchdown. He also ran six times for 36 yards.
Street, an Ole Miss verbal, ran six times for 10 yards. The Hewitt-Trussville representative also returned a kickoff seven yards. Mcelwain spent some time on the offensive side of the ball, pulling down one reception for three yards.
Keon Howard, from Laurel High School, was 17-of-27 passing for 304 yards and four touchdowns for Mississippi. Starkville’s Arthur Brown caught nine passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns and Oxford’s D.K. Metcalf had five catches for 151 yards and two scores. Brown and Metcalf earned co-MVP honors for Mississippi.?Alabama MVP was linebacker Ben Davis of Gordo. Davis was in on 11 tackles and scored the game’s first touchdown on a 76-yard interception return.
Alabama rushed for 155 yards and passed for 154 for 309 yards on 64 offensive snaps. Mississippi ran for 69 yards and threw for 326 to total 395 yards of offense on 58 snaps.
Mississippi converted 20 first downs to Alabama’s 13. Mississippi converted 6 of its 11 third down opportunities, while Alabama went 5-of-16.
Team Alabama participation report
RB – Jarrion Street
WR – T.J. Simmons
QB – Tyler Johnston
WR – Ty Pigrome
WR – Xavier Lane
WR – Velus Jones
OL – Josh Johnson
OL – Deonte’ Brown
OL – Jamahl Jelks
OL – Cody Wyatt
OL – Cole Garrison
DB – Jeawon Taylor
DB – John Broussard
DB – Charlie Benton
DB – Brandon Alexander
LB – Lyndell Wilson
LB – Walter Pritchett
LB – Jeremiah Moon
DL – Kurtis Beaman
DL – Marlon Davidson
DL – Quinnen Williams
DL – Darius Whitfield
