WC’s Carson will suit up for state stars|[5/18/06]
Published 12:00 am Thursday, May 18, 2006
Before suiting up at Jackson State, Desmond Carson will strap on the pads for one final high school football game.
The hulking Warren Central defensive end will play in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Classic on Saturday in Mobile, Ala. Carson is a late addition to the Mississippi roster.
Carson will join St. Aloysius linebacker Noah Slater, a Hurricane Katrina evacuee from Brother Martin High School in New Orleans, as the two representatives from the state.
“He’s such a tremendous athlete,” Warren Central coach Curtis Brewer said. “Jackson State got them a diamond in the rough.”
Carson earned All-State honors in his senior season, leading the Vikings to the Class 5A state playoffs. He doesn’t know whether he will play linebacker of defensive end in Mobile.
Carson’s dominance on the defensive line had one opposing coach quip, “we tried to run around him, under him and over him. We couldn’t do anything against him.”
He’ll look to bring that intensity to Mobile, which hasn’t had a Warren Central athlete on the roster since Brett Morgan played in the annual showcase in 2002.
Carson has not put on a pair of pads since school ended and will only have two weeks to prepare for the all-star game.
Alabama leads the annual series 12-6, but Mississippi is coming off a win last season.
Carson’s addition to the lineup begins the push toward the start of high school football season.
Warren Central completed its spring workouts with a intrasquad scrimmage on Tuesday night. The game was pushed up a couple days to allow players more time to study for final exams, which begin on Monday.
“We did pretty good,” Brewer said. “Offense was the biggest thing we were focusing on.”
The Vikings lost much of their offense after last season and will debut a new quarterback this year. Brewer said five quarterbacks saw time during workouts.
One week after school ends, the Vikings will begin working in the weightroom in anticipation for the Aug. 25 Red Carpet Classic at Vicksburg High.
“Before you know it, these children will be playing football again,” Brewer said.
Vicksburg High wrapped up their spring drills on Friday with a four-team scrimmage at Mendenhall.
The Gators went 3-1 with a close loss to defending Class 3A champion Hazlehurst, a team Vicksburg lost to in the regular season, 30-0.
“It was one of the best springs we have had since I have been here,” Vicksburg coach Alonzo Stevens said.