By: Brittany Young
Midfield High School’s boys basketball program is hosting the first ever “Coaches Got Game Too” All-Star basketball game October 3.
The game will be held at Midfield’s gymnasium and will feature high school basketball coaches in the Birmingham Metro Area. Midfield’s Head Boys Coach Darrell Barber will serve as the Home team’s captain, while Midfield’s Head Girls Coach Charles Thomas will serve as the Away team’s captain.
Serving as the Home team’s head coach is also Wenonah’s Head Girls Coach and Three-Time State Champion Emmanuel Bell. He leads the way for a star-studded squad:
Darrell Barber – Current Midfield head boys coach and former assistant girls coach at Midfield; five-time state champion; played basketball at Tallahassee Community College, Texas College and Miles College.
Mike Barham – McAdory High School assistant boys coach.
Mathew Epps – Midfield assistant boys coach; two-time state champion; played basketball at the former Ensley High School.
Courtney Jones – Midfield assistant boys coach; former state champion; played basketball at Fairfield High Preparatory School.
Willie Moore Junior – Walker High School head girls coach; played college basketball at the University of West Alabama.
James Poindexter – McAdory head boys coach; former state champion at John Carroll High School; played basketball at Lipscomb University.
Randall Smith – Parker High School head girls coach; long time assistant boys coach to Reginald “Caveman” McGary at Parker and the former West End High School.
Ronald Steele – John Carroll assistant boys coach; former Carroll standout; played basketball at The University of Alabama; played overseas with many teams, but his last professional team was Bnei Hasharon.
Javonka Ward – Homewood High School head girls coach; former University of Alabama at Birmingham women’s basketball coach; played college basketball at Old Dominion and Hampton University.
Steve Ward – Huffman head boys coach; head boys coach at the former Hayes High School where he coached the Phoenix Sun’s Eric Bledsoe; played college basketball at Alabama A&M University; married to Javonka Ward.
Serving as the Away team’s head coach is Erwin Head Girls Coach and Former State Champion Ulysses Haynes. He certainly has the troops to put an “L” on the backs of Bell and company:
Charles Thomas – Midfield head girls coach; former Minor head girls coach.
Derrick Williams – Minor High School head boys coach; played basketball at Birmingham Southern College.
Zanu Taimu – Woodlawn High School assistant boys coach; played basketball at Miles with Coach Barber.
Andrew Steele – John Carroll head boys coach; played basketball at The University of Alabama; younger brother of Ronald Steele.
Cedric Lane – Jackson Olin High School head boys coach; former Wenonah head boys coach; three-time state champion; played football at Miles College. Lane, Barber, Taimu and Thomas all attended Miles together.
Torey King – Midfield assistant girls coach; played baseball at Ramsay High School.
Marvin Jones – Hoover High School assistant girls coach.
Audwin Howard – Wenonah head boys coach; former Woodlawn assistant boys coach; played basketball at Alabama A&M with Steve Ward.
Elton Green – Minor head girls coach.
Asia Bragg – Holy Family head girls coach; four-time state champion as a basketball player at Midfield; played at East Mississippi Community College.
Charles Burkette – Hoover head boys coach; 2015 state championship (defending state champ); former Saks High School head boys coach; played basketball at Jacksonville State University.
Maurice Ford will serve as the hype man. He’s the head boys coach at Fairfield and former, long-time Parker head boys coach. He also coached Eric Bledsoe and played basketball at Miles.
It seems as if Miles’ homecoming is arriving a little early this year. 95.7 Jamz will be in the building and a “Hit the Quan” dance contest will be held at halftime.
There will also be some good eats, as Wings Around the Clock and Lila’s Delights will have plenty of chicken plates and cakes for fans to snack on as they enjoy the game.
Admission is $3 and tipoff is set for Saturday at 1.pm.
