15 area athletes are North-South all-stars
The trigger man for Airport High's perfect season will get to show his talents on a statewide stage next month.
W.T. Murden, the dual-threat quarterback who has led the Eagles (10-0) to the Region 5-3A championship and the No. 5 ranking in Class 3A, is among 15 Midlands athletes from 11 schools selected to the North-South All-Star game.
Rosters for the Dec. 12 game, which will be played at Myrtle Beach High's Doug Shaw Stadium, were announced on Tuesday.
Airport coach Kirk Burnett said Murden's athleticism makes him a perfect fit for the all-star game, where he'll play for the South team.
"Whatever you want to do," Burnett said. "He can punt for them. He can run 65 yards or throw it 65 yards. We feel like, as a high school football player, he is complete."
Murden will be protected on the South team by Richland Northeast offensive linemen Jaquez Jenkins and Jordan Thomas.
"Both are great kids, tremendous young men who are great workers and good in the classroom," RNE coach Jay Frye. "They do everything you ask. They are good character young men."
Joining Jenkins and Thomas on the South offensive line are USC commitment Eric Mack of Calhoun County and Ruiz Reyes from Camden. Sumter teammates Tyler Smith (wide receiver) and Tennessee commitment Marques Pair (offensive line) also made the South team, as did Calhoun County defensive back Dante Stewart and Crestwood defensive lineman Travis McConico.
Fairfield Central joined Sumter and Richland Northeast by having the maximum of two players selected for the game.
Griffins defensive linemen Derrius Hamlet and Roman Broome are on the North squad.
"Both of those guys have had really good years," Fairfield Central coach Reggie Kennedy said. "They've both been three-year starters. I'm glad to see the hard work pay off for them."
The North squad also will feature Newberry strong safety Marcus McMorris, Keenan running back/safety Phillip George, Chapin wide receiver Victor Frick and Lugoff-Elgin defensive back Julian Baxter.
Lugoff-Elgin coach Scott Jones is an assistant for the North squad.
Tickets to the 62nd annual all-star game, sponsored by the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association, are $15 at the gate on gameday. Kickoff is at noon.
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North Roster
Pos. No. Player Ht. Wt.. School Coach
7 SS Marcus McMorris 6-0 190 Newberry Sam Baird
10 DB Jamaine Thackson 5-9 160 Abbeville Jamie Nickles
11 QB Jake Lambert 5-11 185 Woodruff Brian Lane
12 QB Drake Thomason 6-2 200 Eastside Jay Feltz
15 RB Dominique Parks 5-9 185 Greer Will Young
19 QB Chas Dodd 6-0 191 Byrnes Chris Miller
20 P/K Jeremy Tommie 5-10 180 Emerald Tim McMahon
22 WR Burton Harbin 5-11 179 Travelers Rest Shane Clark
24 DB Quantel Mack 5-10 175 Williston-Elko Dwayne Garrick
25 LB Marcelis Thompson 5-10 180 Strom Thurmond Lee Sawyer
27 LB Andre Whitmire 6-1 225 Spartanburg Freddie Brown
30 LB Michael McClure 6-1 200 Rock Hill Joe Montgomery
31 RB Jamal Tyler 5-11 181 Rock Hill Joe Montgomery
32 DB Okoya Houston 6-0 185 Woodmont Richard Schrader
33 RB Zacharious Woolridge 5-11 207 Belton-Honea Path Wayne Green
34 WR Quinten Darby 6-0 210 South Pointe Bobby Carroll
38 DL Marcus Felton 6-1 235 Greenwood Gene Cathcart
40 DB Freddie Martino 6-0 175 North Demond Logan
41 WR Bobby Kelly 5-9 165 Chester Maurice Flowers
42 SS Phillip George 6-1 200 Keenan Mitchell Moton
44 LB Kentrell Freeman 6-2 205 McCormick Frank Brown
48 LB Malik Barnes 5-11 230 Greenville Phil Magdic
50 LB Chris Adams 5-11 215 Gaffney Phil Strickland
51 LB Kelvin Wilkins 6-2 193 Spartanburg Freddie Brown
52 OL Kenneth Ramey 6-1 290 Greer Will Young
53 LB Chris Turner 6-3 190 Daniel Randy Robinson
54 DL Darius Robinson 6-2 247 Lancaster Bennie McMurray
55 DL Matthew Craig 6-2 255 Daniel Randy Robinson
63OL Quintin Griffen 6-2 270 Chester Maurice Flowers
64 DL Roman Broome 6-1 245 Fairfield Central Reggie Kennedy
65 OL Jacob Morris 6-1 230 Dorman David Gutshall
66 NG Jawaan Smith 6-1 260 J.L. Mann Mickey Crocker
74 OL Jonathan Williams 6-4 235 Strom Thurmond Lee Sawyer
75 OL Salvatore Lombardi 5-11 260 Christ Church Don Frost
76 OL Joel Townsend 6-3 286 Riverside Steve Eoute
77 DL Derrius Hamlet 6-3 265 Fairfield Central Reggie Kennedy
80 WR Victor Frick 5-11 171 Chapin Scott Earley
81 DB Julian Baxter 6-0 185 Lugoff-Elgin Scott Jones
82 WR Bryan Ross 6-3 180 Blue Ridge Wade Cooper
83 WR Joe Craig 6-0 170 Gaffney Phil Strickland
87 DB Kenyatta Cook 6-5 190 Clinton Andy Young
88 DE Brandon Willis 6-3 255 Byrnes Chris Miller
89 TE Justin Burrell 6-3 230 Chapman Kevin Farmer
90 WR Sergio Johnson 5-8 162 Chesterfield Steve Taneyhill
Head coach: Phil Strickland, Gaffney. Assistants: Scott Jones, Lugoff-Elgin, Lee Sawyer, Strom Thurmond, Don Frost, Christ Church, Joe Watson, J.L. Mann, George Harrelson, Travelers Rest
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South roster
7 QB Elliott Alford 6-2 190 Marlboro County Dean Boyd
10 WR Melvin Clanke 5-8 160 Orangeburg-Wilkinson Tommy Brown
11 WR Alex Sharpe 5-9 160 Battery Creek Carlos Cave
12 Ath. Del'Javon Simmons5-11 190 Burke Earl Brown
15 QB William Murden 6-2 195 Airport Kirk Burnett
19 DB Quintin Brown 6-0 180 Hemingway Kenneth Cribb
20 RB R.J. Robinson 6-1 210 Berkeley Jerry Brown
22 RB Quinton Singleton 5-11 185 Scott's Branch Leonard Johnson
24 RB Martell Johnson 5-11 225 James Island John Patterson
25 RB Jeremy Robinson 5-9 192 Midland Valley Rick Knight
27 DB Ricardo Chaney 6-2 200 Battery Creek Carlos Cave
30 DB Dante Stewart 5-10 180 Calhoun County Walt Wilson
31 DB Jerrell Priester 5-10 180 Allendale Fairfax Wayne Farmer
32 DB Laurez Matthews 5-11 170 Fort Dorchester Steve LaPrad
33 DB Denzel Myers 6-0 185 North Charleston Jimmy Brown
34 LB Jovanta Middleton 5-11 223 Bamburg-Ehrhardt Kevin Crosby
38 DL Demarcus Lawrence 6-3 225 Silver Bluff
40 K Ray Early 6-0 180 Darlington Justin Danner
41 LB Montel Hughes 6-1 200 North Augusta Dan Pippen
42 LB Rashawn Smalls 6-1 205 Hemingway Kenneth Cribb
44 LB Malik Brown 5-10 185 Edisto Andy Palmer
48 DL William Morant 6-7 240 Manning Robbie Briggs
50 LB Corde Doiley 5-11 190 Cross Shawn Wright
51 LB Geno Porter 6-0 215 Fort Dorchester Steve LaPrad
52 OL Jaquez Jenkins 5-11 275 RNE Jay Frye
53 LB Brandon Hudson 5-11 200 Darlington Justin Danner
54 OL Charles Coleman 6-2 230 North Augusta Dan Pippen
55 OL Marques Pair 6-6 275 Sumter Paul Sorrells
58 OL Lee Pegues 6-2 265 Marlboro County Dean Boyd
60 LB Ian Thompson 5-11 202 Stratford Ray Stackley
62 DL Michael Klein 6-2 240 Wando Jimmy Noonan
68 DL Travis McConico 6-2 260 Crestwood Keith Crolley
70 OL Kaleb Carter 6-4 265 Wilson Darrell Page
72 OL DeAndre Shell 6-1 300 Goose Creek Chuck Reedy
75 OL Jordan Thomas 6-2 290 Richland NE Jay Frey
76 OL Eric Mack 6-4 315 Calhoun County Walt Wilson
77 OL Ruiz Reyes 6-1 227 Camden Jimmy Neal
78 DL Trevelle Stephens 6-2 289 Bethune-Bowman Glynn Darby
80 WR Tyler Smith 6-2 185 Sumter Paul Sorrels
81 WR Francis Lloyd 5-11 175 Stratford Ray Stackley
82 WR Corey Washington 6-4 190 North Charleston Jimmy Brown
83 TE Steven Cobb 6-2 198 Myrtle Beach Mickey Wilson
87 WR Morgan Byrd 5-11 170 Myrtle Beach Mickey Wilson
90 DL Jonathan White 6-2 235 Cheraw Johnny White
Head coach: Tommy Brown, Orangeburg-Wilkinson . Assistants: Carlos Cave, Battery Creek, Andy Palmer, Edisto, Ken Cribb, Hemingway, Tony Crobb, Stratford, Marty Haper, Midland Valley.
This story was originally published November 4, 2009 at 12:00 AM with the headline "15 area athletes are North-South all-stars."