RAYMOND – The North will battle the South in the 51st BernardBlackwell All-Star Football Classic Friday night at Madison CentralHigh School. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. with pregame ceremoniesbeginning at 7.

In last year’s contest, the North beat the South 17-7. The Southleads the series 23-20-3.

Coach Roe Burns, who retired as Loyd Star head football coachafter the 1999 season, is an assistant on this year’s coachingstaff. The head coach is Ronnie Cuevas of Gulfport. Otherassistants include Greg Amacker of Stone County, Jeff Breland ofNewton County and Howard McNeil of Gulfport.

Loyd Star tailback Marcus Shannon and Lawrence County linebackerKendrick Bournes will be playing for the South squad.

Burns, 52, was named the Daily Leader’sCoach of the Year on the 1999 All-Star Lincoln County FootballTeam. This is the fourth time Burns has won this award.

In the last four years at Loyd Star, the Hornets havefinished with 10-plus wins. This season, Loyd Star won their firstever first-round playoff game (against Philadelphia) in fiveappearances.

During his 20-year coaching career at Loyd Star, Burnsposted a record of 124 wins and 101 losses. Five times the Hornetsmade the state playoffs and they played in three bowl games. TheHornets beat the Mize Bulldogs in the Mid-South Bowl, the firstBowl played at Loyd Star.

Burns is native of Lincoln County. He graduated fromEnterprise in 1965 then attended and graduated from Copiah-LincolnCommunity College and the University of SouthernMississippi.

Coaching with Burns during the 1999 season were Ricky Smith,an assistant for over 20 years; new head coach Anthony Hart andShannon Eubanks.

At Loyd Star, Burns coached under five principals. He alsocoached his two sons, Brooks and Brodie. Burns’ wife Kay teachesthird grade at Loyd Star and daughter Kami also teaches at LoydStar and teaches Spanish at Bogue Chitto. They are members of thePleasant Hill Baptist Church. Burns is a deacon and Sunday Schoolteacher.

Shannon stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 185 pounds. Hewas a key player on the Loyd Star offense, rushing for 1,127 yardsand scoring 23 TDs during his senior year.

In his varsity career at Loyd Star, Shannon rushedfor a total of 3,747 yards and recorded 47 touchdowns. He alsoreturned punts for a 24.8 yard average.

As a receiver, Shannon caught 8 passes for 248 yardsand 5 touchdowns.

Shannon has signed a scholarship to play with theUniversity of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles thisfall.

Bournes is a 6-foot-four, 240-pound powerhouse whoplayed for Coach Danny Adams’ Class 4A State Champ Lawrence CountyCougars in 1999. He led the Cougar defense with 78 solo tackles and55 assists, with eight tackles for losses.

Bournes was named the MAC (Mississippi Association ofCoaches) Defensive Player of the Year. He will be playing for theCopiah-Lincoln Community College Wolves this fall.

The Bill Blackwell All-Star Football Classic was originallystarted in 1950 by Mississippi State coach Arthur “Slick” Mortonand was known as the Mississippi High School All-Star Footballgame. The MAC took over sponsorship from the Jackson Touchdown Clubin 1993. Coca-Cola became a joint sponsor 1985. The game wasrenamed for the late Executive Director of the MAC, Coach BernardBlackwell, in 1994.