TCA hosting all-star basketball games

All-star high school basketball is returning to Jackson next month.

Trinity Christian Academy Athletic Director Dexter Williams announced the return of Golden Circle Auto Group High School Basketball All-Star game, which will consist of one girls’ basketball game followed by a boys’ game.

“We did this for a few years when I was at Liberty, and then it went away,” Williams said. “So we talked about it here and decided to bring it back.”

The game will feature high school basketball players who just graduated and played their senior seasons this past winter from across rural West Tennessee.

“We had a selection committee look at all of the senior players across 20 counties of West Tennessee and select the best players in this year’s senior class to play one more game before they go on to college or whatever they are doing after high school,” Williams said. “There are a lot of talented players in West Tennessee, so we’re looking forward to a fun night of games.”

The coaches for the girls’ South team will be South Side’s Brent McNeal and Adrian Comer. The North girls' coaching staff will be led by South Gibson’s Catie Embrey, Gleason’s Sean Stephenson and South Gibson assistant Preston Embrey. 

McNeal and Comer will coach a team of players made of their own seniors from their undefeated state championship run plus players from teams they’re familiar with. The

South Side’s Jakarrah Anderson, Albany Collins and Ti’Mia Lawson will be on the team along with Scotts Hill’s Heather Bartholomew, North Side’s Kierstyn Beard, McNairy Central’s Maddie Kirk and Chester County’s Annabelle Lockridge.

The North will be made of Amari Bonds (Union City), Karmen Frost (Crockett County), Tyneequa Gilchrist (Fayette-Ware), Libby Goad (Gibson County), Jakyla Hill (Lake County), Jeniya Jones (Crockett County), Kaidence Morton (Milan) and Alana Seals (South Gibson).

The North team in the boys’ game will be coached by South Gibson’s Keith Runyon, Milan’s Jason James and South Gibson assistant Preston Embrey.  The South team will be coached by Sacred Heart’s Nick Beauregard, Bolivar’s Cameron Crisp and Liberty assistant Preston Barbee.

The players on the South team will be Jamarion Anderson (Bolivar), Bryce Arnold (Bradford), Barkley Biggs (Greenfield), Devin Bryant (Lexington), Malik Currie (North Side), Jackson Hayes (          Henry County), Will Keltner (Trinity Christian Academy), De'Andre Minor (North Side), RJ Robinson (Middleton), Devon Napier Smith (Liberty), Kaden Story (          Camden), DJ Traylor (Jackson Christian), Keylson Turner (Sacred Heart), Cory Warren (Middleton) and Dantrez Young (Middleton).

The North team will consist of Jaylon Brown (Dyersburg), Isaiah Claybrooks (Crockett County), Ashton England (South Gibson), Antonio Gause (Ripley), Derek Key (Peabody), Camden Lockett (South Gibson), Ryan Lowrance (Dyersburg), Juwan Maclemore (Crockett County, Matthew Reynolds (Gibson County), DJ Robinson (Union City), Janerus Snipe ( Haywood), Bralyn Taylor (Dyer County), Ethan Turner (Gibson County) and Andy Westbrooks (Milan).

The All-Star Game will be on Saturday, June 3, with the girls’ game tipping off at 6 p.m. at TCA. Admission for the game will be $10.00. Each game will be played similar to men’s college basketball with 20-minute halves.

Brandon Shields, brandon@jacksonpost.news