TIFTON — For the second straight season the Tift County Blue Devils will have two football players take part in the annual GACA North-South All-Star Football Classic in Columbus.
Linemen Zach Allen and Larry Bryant have been picked for this year’s game, which will be played at Memorial Stadium in Columbus Dec. 29 at 2 p.m.
Kicker Charlie Edwards and wide receiver Israel Troupe were picked for last year’s game from Tift County. There has also been five players picked in the past three years from Tift County High as Larry Dean was selected in 2005.
“It says a lot for our program to have had that many selected,” said Tift coach Jay Walls. “There has not been many schools that have had two players picked the past two seasons.”
Allen was selected after having had a senior season that saw him grade out in the low-to-mid 90s in every game. He also had a lot of pancake blocks during the year.
Before his senior season, Allen also verbally committed to North Carolina State University.
“It is no surprise that Zach got picked. It is a great honor for him to be selected,” Walls said. “Zach was one of the top offensive line recruits in the state this season.”
Bryant was strong all year for the Devils, but the senior saved his best for last.
The South team’s head coach this season is Jeff Herron of Camden County. Herron saw Bryant have 14 total tackles and 1.5 sacks against his Wildcat squad in the first round of the state playoffs.
“He also had several tackles for loss yardage in that game,” said Walls.
On the year, Bryant had 69 total tackles, eight sacks and three caused fumbles. He was selected the 2007 Region 1-AAAAA Co-Defensive Player of the Year, along with Valdosta’s Curtis Weatherspoon, this past season.
“Larry played some really good football this season, especially late in the year,” said Walls. “He is a great player and I am happy he will get to play in the North-South game.”
There were also two people selected for the team from the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes, linebacker Malcolm Lundy and defensive lineman Anthony Brooks.
Lundy had 98 tackles, 15 tackles for loss yardage, seven sacks, four caused fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two blocked punts and one interception in 2007.
Brooks added 86 total stops, 12 tackles for loss yardage, six sacks, 2 caused fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three blocked punts and three pass breakups on the year.
The other player selected from the Tiftarea is Irwin County Indian linebacker Marcus Walker.
The senior had 39 tackles on the year for the Indians. He also rushed 79 times for 389 yards and three scores.
Other names of local interest picked for the South roster were Valdosta’s Weatherspoon and David Arnold, Lowndes’ Darriett Perry and Thomas County Central’s Debrale Smiley.
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Five players from Tiftarea picked for North-South game
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