9 make MPSA All-Stars
By By Marty Stamper / staff writer
March 8, 2002
Nine area athletes have been selected to participate in the A.R. Smithers All-Star Basketball Games today at Mississippi College in Clinton. The teams are made up of players from the Mississippi Private School Association.
The games get under way at 2 p.m. in the A.E. Wood Coliseum with the A-AA girls' contest starting the four-game slate.
Area girls playing for the North team are Jessica Harpole of Kemper Academy, Katie Rose White of Winston Academy, and Ashlie McInnis of Heidelberg Academy.
Kemper's Russell Cruise will coach the North team.
Harpole made the all-star game as the Most Valuable Player in the Academy 3-A league. She declined to take credit for the honor, instead crediting her Lady Ram teammates for getting her here.
Morgan Gulley and Emily Luke were the last Kemper girls to be selected all-stars and that's been several years ago.
Harpole did not see them play in the all-star game.
Cruise turned a 16-17 team of a year ago into a 28-game winner this season despite having only one senior.
Kemper won the Academy 3-A regular season and tournament championships as well as the Academy A Central Region Tournament en route to a 28-8 season.
McInnis was a standout on Heidelberg's 12-16 team, while Rose led Winston to a 19-12 season and a AA state tournament berth.
Also on the North team are Lauren Adams of Academy A state champion Delta Academy and Emily Mabus of Strider Academy. Both are headed to Delta State University.
Playing for the South girls is 5-foot-8 B.J. Helton of Leake Academy. She averaged nine points and 10 rebounds for the 31-9 Rebelettes.
The A-AA boys' game follows at 3:30 p.m. and has five area players chosen to play.
The North boys have three members of Winston Academy's North AA state runner-up team. Patriots picked are 6-foot-3 forward Caleb Metts, 6-foot guard Jonathan Stevens, and 6-foot-4 center Blake Fulton. Winston won the Academy 2-AA regular season and tournament championships. Also on the North team is Heidelberg Academy's Jonathan Cranford.
Playing for the South A-AA team is 6-foot-2 Luke Culpepper of Leake Academy. The Rebels, 31-9, were the only area team to advance to this year's Academy Overall Tournament. Culpepper averaged 11 points.
No area players were picked for AAA-AAAA girls' or boys' games. The girls' game is slated for 5:30 p.m. with the boys' scheduled for 7 p.m. Lamar is the only AAA area school. There are no AAAA area schools.
