The 62nd Bernard Blackwell All-Star Football Classic, sponsoredby Russell Athletic and Rex Team Sports will be held on Saturday,at Greyhound Stadium in Ocean Springs, with kickoff scheduled fornoon. Representing this area and playing on the South squad areoffensive tackle Sam Ballard of Brookhaven, defensive back MiltonGriffin of Franklin County, and wide receiver Gabriel Gray andlinebacker Leviticus Cain of Hazlehurst.

General admission tickets will be available at the gate for $5 perperson with all seats general admission. After being played for thelast four decades in the Metro Jackson area, the game this year isbeing played for the second consecutive year on the GulfCoast.

Ballard (6-2, 250) was a veteran on Ole Brook’s offensive line,helping the Panthers (9-5) to the Class 5A state championship gametwo weeks ago. They won three straight state playoff games againstfavored opponents before losing 21-3 to West Point in the titletest.

Griffin was a 2-way standout for the Franklin County Bulldogs,helping them to Class 3A state playoffs. Cain led the HazlehurstIndians in tackles. Gray was a 2-way starter for Hazlehurst,racking up big numbers on offense as a runner and receiver.

The game will also be televised statewide for the second straightyear. It will be carried on WLOX of Biloxi and broadcast on thefollowing local stations: WMC, Memphis, TN; WLBT, Jackson; WTOK,Meridian; WDAM, Hattiesburg; WABG, Greenville; and WCBI,Columbus.

Russ Robinson will handle the TV play-by-play of the game withRicky Mitchell providing color commentary and Kim Tanner as thesidelines reporter.

The North will be coached by Kenny Burton of Ridgeland. The Southwill be guided by Teddy Dyess of Philadelphia.

Each squad consists of 40 players. The game features a North-Southformat and the South leads the series 28-25-4. The South beat theNorth 24-17 on December 19, 2009 at Joseph Milner Stadium, LindyCallahan Field, in Gulfport, their second victory in a calendaryear following a 30-14 win in July, 2009, in a game delayed byinclement weather.

In last December’s contest, quarterback Dylan Favre of St.Stanislaus was named South MVP, Domonique Carothers of South Panolawas selected as North MVP, and the annual Bill Stewart Award winnerwas LaVadius Lyles of Forest.

The Bernard Blackwell All-Star Football Classic Was formerly knownas the Mississippi High School All Star Football Game and wasoriginated in 1950 by Mississippi State coach Arthur “Slick”Morton. The MAC assumed sponsorship of the game from the JacksonTouchdown Club in 1993. In 1994, the game was renamed for CoachBernard Blackwell, the late Executive Director of the MAC.