Eight players tabbed for All-State 2A team

By By Jeff Byrd / sports editor
Dec. 20, 2002
Eight players from area 2A schools were named to the All State 2A football team this week.
Enterprise High School which went 8-3 this season and earned a second place in Region 7-2A.
Center Bobby Moreland heads the list after being named to the first-team. Punter/kicker Michael Swancey was named the first team All-State 2A punter.
The pair of Enterprise players were joined on the first team by Scott Central linebacker Cedric Gray.
Five area players were named to the All-State second team.
Senior offensive tackle Henry Stringfellow (6-3, 350) heads the list. Stringfellow helped lead Clarkdale to its first winning season in football in over 20 years. Clarkdale went 7-4 and won its first-ever region/district football title this fall.
Clarkdale running back Kevin Matthews was also selected to the second team All-2A team. Matthews led the Bulldogs in rushing with 1,042 yards and nine touchdowns this season.
Newton High School placed two players on the second team. Leading the way was defensive back Laderrian Blaylock who was named the Region 5-2A Most Valuable Player. Blaylock was the Tigers' starting quarterback and also had seven interceptions to pace the Newton secondary.
Leroy Bowden, a starting guard for Newton, was the second selection for coach Brad Peterson's team.
The final selection was South Leake defensive end Hedrick Ficklen.