Gulfport's Conerly, Cole look to put on show for home crowd in Blackwell Classic

LYMAN -- A pair of Gulfport seniors will suit up for a football game at Milner Stadium for the final time on Saturday.

Defensive back Alton Conerly and running back Deon Cole will take the field for the South squad in the Bernard Blackwell All-Star Classic at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday on their home field.

The two players played big roles in leading the Admirals to a Region 4-6A championship and a 9-3 record in 2015.

While the 42-6 loss to Meridian in the first round of the playoffs still lingers, Conerly and Cole can look back with pride on their final season at Gulfport.

Conerly points to the "brotherhood" of this year's team as the biggest takeaway from the 2015 campaign.

"Me and Deon were counted on to be leaders," Conerly said. "It was a nice opportunity to get ready for college."

On Saturday, Cole and Conerly will look to lead the South to its fifth consecutive victory in the all-star contest.

"I think (the all-star game) has been in the back of my head since we lost to Meridian," Cole said. "We've got to go out and put on a show for the home crowd one last time."

Lead Admirals

Cole rushed 215 times for 1,668 yards and 14 touchdowns to pace the Gulfport offense. Conerly was a big-play threat at receiver with 27 catches for 651 yards and seven touchdowns.

Both were important two-way players for the Admirals.

Cole picked off three passes at linebacker and had 27 total tackles. As a defensive back, Conerly had 42 tackles and an interception.

Cole is working at running back this week while Conerly is getting a lot of time at cornerback.

Up in the air

Both players are undecided on where they plan to attend college, but there were several junior college coaches on hand Wednesday to watch the South practice at Harrison Central's Earl Phillips Sr. Stadium.

Cole, who is talking with several junior colleges, expects to play on the defensive side of the ball, probably at safety, in the next step of his career.

"I just have a better feel on defense," Cole said. "I'm more comfortable. I have a better chance to succeed."

Cole and Conerly have enjoyed the Bernard Blackwell All-Star Classic experience under South head coach Lance Mancuso of Bassfield.

"It means everything to be selected to play with these dudes," Conerly said. "These are great dudes out here. It's a once in a lifetime experience."

Both the North and South teams are practicing twice on Thursday and Friday to get ready for the game.

"I was really excited when I first got here," Cole said. "I want to meet new people coming into a different environment. I look forward to building chemistry with the other players."

This story was originally published December 17, 2015 at 3:36 PM with the headline "Gulfport's Conerly, Cole look to put on show for home crowd in Blackwell Classic ."