From the AHSAA
MONTGOMERY — Hewitt-Trussville girls basketball coach Tonya Hunter is one of two coaches that will lead the Alabama squad during the 32nd annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Girls’ Classic on March 12 at Mississippi College in Hinds, Mississippi.
Hunter will be joined by a familiar face: Huskies’ forward D’Yona Jones has been selected to play in the game.
Some 24 high school seniors have been selected to represent Alabama in the upcoming 32nd annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball Classic to be played Saturday, March 12.
Brandon Dean, Director of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association (AHSADCA), announced the squads Tuesday. The teams, consisting of 12 boys and 12 girls, were selected from coaches’ nominations by the AHSADCA All-Star Selection Committee.
“Our committee has once again selected two outstanding teams,” Dean said. “We thank them for their time and commitment and we also thank our schools for their nominations.”
The Alabama girls’ team will be coached by Blake Prestage of Rogers High School and Tonya Hunter of Hewitt-Trussville High School. Cold Springs coach Tammy West will serve as the girls’ team administrative coach.
The Alabama boys’ coaches are Mike Curry of Montgomery Catholic High School and Jimbo Tolbert of Spanish Fort High School. Dru Powell of Thompson High School is the administrative coach. Encore’s Deshena Thomas will serve as team trainer for both teams.
Among the Alabama girls’ players are five who played in state championship games in 2021. Samiya Steele, who signed with Alabama State, has helped Hazel Green win the state championship all three years she has been in high school. Aniya Hubbard of Hoover, a Florida Atlantic signee, helped the Lady Bucs win the 2021 Class 7A state crown; Pisgah’s Molly Heard has earned two straight MVP awards as the Lady Eagles won the 3A state championship in 2020 and the 2A title in 2021. Madilyn Kreiger of Rogers led her team to the Class 4A state crown in 2021, and Dyona Jones of Hewitt-Trussville played in the 7A state championship game with the Huskies against Hoover in 2021. One other player, Shaniah Nunn of Fairfield, earned MVP honors in last summer-s North-South all-star game. Heard has signed with Lipscomb University, Kreiger with Alabama-Huntsville and Nunn with Coastal Carolina.
Headlining the boys’ squad are four players who played in state finals as juniors. Elijah Terry of Enterprise, a 6-foot-6 guard/forward, helped the Wildcats reach the 7A finals in 2021. Point guard Jacari Lane helped Lee-Huntsville win the Class 5A state crown last season. He is headed to the University of North Alabama next season. Anthony Johnson, a 6-3 guard from Midfield, led the Patriots to the Class 2A state championship in 2021, and Spanish Fort’s Kolby Horace was a key leader for the Toros in their first-ever Class 6A state basketball final last season. Horace, Johnson and Terry are currently unsigned. SEC signees Barry Dunning of McGill-Toolen Catholic (Arkansas) and Martavious Russell of Sipsey Valley (Mississippi State) are also on the Alabama roster.
Alabama’s girls won last year’s game over Mississippi at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex 102-70, and the Alabama boys dropped a 93-91 decision. Alabama holds a 16-15 edge in boys’ series, and the Alabama girls’ have a 17-14 edge in the girls’ series, which date back to 1991.
The full teams are listed below:
2022 AHSAA Alabama Girls’ All-Star Team
Player School Pos. Ht. College choice Alexis Andrews Park Crossing G 5-7 U. of Charleston Molly Heard Pisgah G/F 6-0 Lipscomb U. Aniya Hubbard Hoover G/F 5-9 Florida Atlantic Dyona Jones Hewitt-Trussville F 6-1 Undecided Madilyn Krieger Rogers G 5-6 UAH Masyn Marchbanks Hartselle G 5-8 Samford Shaniah Nunn Fairfield G/F 6-0 Coastal Carolina Libby Privett Madison Acad. G 5-7 Wofford College Emma Smith Vestavia Hills G 5-8 Undecided Samiya Steele Hazel Green G 5-8 Alabama State Kelsey Thompson Davidson G 5-11 South Alabama Emma Kate Tittle Deshler G 5-7 North AlabamaCoaches
Tonya Hunter, Hewitt-Trussville Blake Prestage, Rogers Tammy West, Cold Springs (Administrative) Deshena Thomas, Encore (Trainer) 2022 AHSAA Alabama Boys’ All-Star Team Player School Pos. Ht. College choice Barry Dunning McGill-Toolen G/F 6-6 Arkansas Kolby Horace Spanish Fort G 6-3 Undecided Rylan Houck Oxford G 6-4 Lipscomb U. Anthony Johnson Midfield G 6-3 Undecided Efrem Johnson, Jr. Grissom G 6-5 Undecided Michael Jones Pelham PG 6-1 Undecided Jacari Lane Lee-Huntsville G 5-11 North Alabama Martavious Russell Sipsey Valley G/F 6-4 Mississippi State Corey Stephenson Hueytown G/F 6-5 Undecided Elijah Terry Enterprise G/F 6-6 Undecided Colin Turner Spain Park F 6-9 North Georgia Knute Wood Brooks G 6-4 Tennessee StateCoaches
Mike Curry, Montgomery Catholic Jimbo Tolbert, Spanish Fort Dru Powell, Thompson (administrative) Deshena Thomas, Encore (trainer)