Coast trio helps Mississippi snap skid in all-star game
HATTIESBURG -- Brandon Walley knew he had to grab the ball when he got the chance. The George County tight end didn't make a catch in the contest, but he secured Mississippi's 28-21 victory Saturday by recovering the onside kick late in the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Classic at M.M. Roberts Stadium.
The one touch was just fine with him.
"I knew they were going to have a good kicker. This is the best 40 players in their state and I knew I had to make a big play," Walley said. "I felt like they were going to come to my side. I hadn't caught any balls, so it was a good opportunity for me to seal the game."
It was the first win for Mississippi in the series since 2007, and the first time the annual contest has been played in the Magnolia State. The Mississippi players said they felt pressure to end the losing steak, and to garner a win in front of the large contingent of Mississippi fans.
"They're playing in our home state, so we had to win," Walley said.
D'Iberville defensive end Jacques Turner, who finished with five tackles and one that went for a loss of 9 yards, said he was there to represent for the Coast.
"We wanted to do the best that we can, and I think we did that today," Turner said.
Added Walley: "It's awesome to have three Coast players picked and to be able to show out."
Ocean Springs kicker Brad Wall was the third local to play in the game. He made all four of his extra points. Laurel quarterback Keon Howard threw four touchdowns in the victory. Two went to Starkville's AJ Brown, while Oxford's DK Metcalf had the other two. The duo were named Co-MVPs in the game, a first in the series. They combined to catch 14 passes for 288 yards overall.
Brown caught his final touchdown as the third quarter came to an end. His 17-yard touchdown broke a 14-14 tie with Alabama, and put Mississippi up for good. Metcalf, who led Mississippi with 151 yards receiving, gave Mississippi the cushion it needed to claim the win with his 32-yard reception for a score with 6:54 left in the game.
"I felt like if we could have ever gotten that third score, that would be big for us," Mississippi coach Jeff Breland said. "We got the lead with AJ there and then with the way that our defense was playing, I felt we were in pretty good shape. Then when we got that other one from DK there at the end, that kind of iced it. AJ and DK are incredible. They have bright futures. And that defensive line is pretty good, too."
Alabama scored its final touchdown with 39 seconds left in the game, but it was too little, too late. Mississippi finished with 395 yards on 58 plays, while Alabama had 309 on 64 snaps.
This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 6:20 PM with the headline "Coast trio helps Mississippi snap skid in all-star game ."