St. Aloysius linebacker Noah Slater of New Orleans was one of 36 players picked out of 350 hopefuls for the 19th annual Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Football Classic.

Slater, a Brother Martin High School athlete, played his senior football season at St. Aloysius after evacuating to Vicksburg from New Orleans, which was swamped by Hurricane Katrina.

&#8220I was hoping I could make a team,” Slater said Thursday night from New Orleans. &#8220I’m working on my timing and stuff.”

Flashes coach Jim Taylor was elated to find Slater had made the first tier all-star list for the team that will represent Mississippi in its annual clash with Alabama. The game is held in June at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile.

&#8220He’s the first player we’ve had to be picked in the history of the Mississippi/Alabama game,” Taylor said. &#8220We’re real proud of him.

&#8220He’s a kid who led Class 1A in tackles (169) and that was just in 10 games because our first game came before Katrina. This is a great opportunity for him.”

This is the first time that a Louisiana resident will get to suit up for Mississippi’s all-star team. But the devastation and the mass displacement caused by Katrina was also unprecedented.

Slater made an impression on Oxford High coach Johnny Hill, who was tabbed to coach the Mississippi All-Stars.

&#8220We knew he was out of Brother Martin and we really liked him. He was the best 1A player available and we had to look at at least one 1A player from each region in the state,” said Hill, who is also a brother-in-law to Warren Central coach Robert Morgan. &#8220I coached with Coach Taylor at Warren Central and he sent me some film. When Slater got to the combine, we thought he could play well for us. He definitely comes to play.”

Slater, a 6-foot-2, 230-pounder, did not sign last week on National Signing Day. He has yet to meet NCAA academic requirements.

Kaiser said he is hoping Taylor’s connections with Mississippi’s junior colleges can help.

&#8220I talked to Gulf Coast, Pearl River and Hinds about him. He’s going to be classified as an out of state signee,” Taylor said.

Port Gibson lineman Kelvin Jackson was also selected to play for the Mississippi All-Stars.

Vicksburg and Warren Central, meanwhile, were shut out of the all-star selections both for the Mississippi-Alabama contest and the Bernard Blackwell All-Star game in July – despite having three first-team all-state players between them.

Two area players and one coach were picked for the Bernard Blackwell game.

Hinds AHS coach Michael Fields will be an assistant for the South All-Stars. Hinds AHS running back Albert Williams and wide receiver Marcel Young were also picked to the team.