Three local athletes competed in the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s North-South All-Stars Sports Week.

Maplesville High School graduate Tyler Armstrong competed on the South’s football team, while Jemison High School senior Cameron “Banks” Woodley and Maplesville senior Trevor Wallace competed on the South’s baseball team.

Both held in Montgomery, the football teams went head-to-head on July 17, while the baseball doubleheader took place on July 21.

Each of the three athletes arrived in Montgomery a few days prior to their games to practice, bond and form a functional team from players who’ve likely never met before.

For Armstrong, this was one of the most difficult but enjoyable elements to the All-Star experience.

“It was a lot of fun getting to know people I never would have met otherwise,” Armstrong said. “I had to have a good bond with the inside linebacker. We worked good together.”

The 14-13 win for the North’s football team at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery did not result from a lack of defense on the South’s part.

The South tallied their 13 points with two field goals early in the game by Foley’s Jose Mendoza and an interception return for a touchdown by South Most Valuable Player, Foley’s Wendell Harris.

The North trailed 13-7 until the third quarter, when a blocked punt in South territory set up the winning touchdown drive for the North.

Armstrong turned in a strong performance from his linebacker position with four tackles and one fumble recovery.

“It felt like I was playing for Alabama or Auburn,” Armstrong said. “It was just awesome to be in such a big game.”

According to Armstrong, being exposed to a new level of competition during All-Star week helped prepare him for his fast-approaching freshman football season at the University of West Alabama.

“It’s taught me to be quicker, have better eye vision and be able to work with teammates from different places,” Armstrong said. “I was amazed to get to play with people that size, and people who have so much skill and ability. It definitely made me better.”

Armstrong was named 1A Lineman of the Year by AWSA in 2014. He will be attending UWA in the fall on an academic scholarship, and signed with the UWA football team in May.

Although the North broke the South’s two-year winning streak, the South still holds a 30-24-2 edge in the AHSAA All-Star football game series, which dates back to 1948.

On July 21, elite baseball players from across the state got the chance to showcase their skills at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery during the All-Star doubleheader.

This wasn’t the first time Woodley and Wallace took the field together, as the two seniors played youth league baseball together in Chilton County.

Woodley, Jemison’s ace pitcher, hurled the last two innings on the mound in Game 1, striking out one, allowing four hits and two runs.

Behind him, Wallace covered the middle infield, playing lights-out defense at shortstop and second base throughout the doubleheader.

Wallace made three outs at the combined positions on defense.

The South got a quick jump in the first two innings, seizing a 2-0 lead over the North in the first inning.

The lead was short-lived, as the North tied the game in the third, and tacked on four more runs by the fifth inning, to claim the 6-2 win.

The roles were reversed in the second game of the series, as the North ran up the scoreboard early in the game.

The South fought back with four runs in the latter half of the game, but it wasn’t enough to surpass the North’s hefty lead in the 6-4 loss.

“It was an awesome experience,” Woodley said. “You’ve got to be at your best game all the time at this level.

“I was really excited and nervous going into it, but it gave me more leadership qualities, and it’s something I’ll never forget.”

Wallace echoed Woodley in saying that the games were competitive, to say the least.

“No other game could compare to this one,” Wallace said. “All of it was competitive, especially the pitching.”

Wallace was the only Class 1A baseball player competing in the series.

“It was a really fun experience, playing with different guys, and playing with an old friend,” Wallace said.

While Woodley and Wallace have one more year to make plans for college, they both foresee sports in their future.

“Whether I play football or baseball in college, this experience helped to prepare me,” Wallace said.

“We got to play with the best of the best,” Woodley said. “The whole thing was just so much fun.”