HTHS, Center Point, Pinson Valley represented in newly-released North-South All-Star girls’ and boys’ basketball rosters

By Joshua Huff, sports editor

BIRMINGHAM — Following the announcement of the 2020 AHSAA North-South All-Star cross country rosters earlier this week, the AHSAA has released the North-South All-Star girls’ and boys’ basketball rosters on Wednesday afternoon and several players within the scope of The Trussville Tribune coverage area have found their names among the top players in the state.

Photo by Joshua Huff

The North-South All-Star Week is scheduled for July 13-17 and will be comprised of two 10-member teams consisting of 2021 seniors. The AHSADCA, which has already selected the volleyball all-star teams, will host North-South all-star games in football, baseball, softball, volleyball, boys’ and girls’ soccer, boys’ and girls’ basketball, cross country, tennis and golf during the All-Star Week in July.

The girls’ basketball all-stars will have the services of Hewitt-Trussville’s Amiya Payne. The junior was recently announced to the Class 7A All-State First Team, which is the third consecutive season that Payne was named to an All-State team. Payne, a 6-foot point guard, was a force for a Huskies team that finished 19-9 in 2019 before witnessing their season end at the hands of Vestavia Hills in the Class 7A, Area 6 tournament.

Payne will join 14 other girls on the north roster.

On the boys’ side, Payne will be joined on the north all-star roster with Center Point’s Jordan Chatman and Pinson Valley’s Ga’Quincy McKinstry.

Chatman, a 6-foot-4 junior, concluded a strong 2020 postseason run with a spot in the Class 5A AWSA All-State Second Team. This follows Chatman earning Class 6A All-Tournament honors following a playoff run that began and ended with dominant defensive performances, which silenced some of the best teams in the state.

Photo by Joshua Huff.

In 25 games played this season, Chatman unofficially averaged 15.2 points per game with six rebounds and two blocks per game, according to Maxpreps.

Chatman’s new teammate, McKinstry, recently earned Class 6A All-Tournament honors as Pinson Valley concluded the 2019 season 28-4 with a berth into the 2020 Class 6A regional championship game. The junior finished as Pinson Valley’s second-leading scorer with 14.9 points per game. In tandem with one of the nation’s top scorers in Kam Woods, senior Camron Scott and junior JoJo James, the Indians fell just short of yet another state championship after falling to Huffman in the regional championship.

This all follows a 2019 football season where McKinstry concluded the year with 47 receptions for 700 yards with 12 touchdowns. Additionally, he helped anchor an Indians’ defense that pitched three shutouts, limited four opponents to seven points or less and held 10 opponents to less than 14 points per game. McKinstry was named as a Class 6A First Team All-State Alabama defensive back honoree this season, which was his second consecutive all-state nod.

McKinstry recently announced his decision to compete in the 2021 Under Armour All-America game.