Daphne head football coach Kenny King will lead the South All-Star squad staff as they search for their fourth win in the last five years since the AHSAA North-South All-Star Football Classic moved to Mobile’s Hancock Whitney Stadium.

King’s assistant coaching staff was announced Friday by James T. Lawrence, director of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association, who also said the rosters for the Dec. 13 contest were set to be announced later this month.

“The two staffs are loaded with outstanding coaches,” Lawrence said in a press release. “This game means a lot to each of them. It is the oldest all-star game in the AHSAA dating back to 1948 and has provided opportunities for our players and coaches over the last 77 years to share memories and form lasting friendships through their participation in the annual game.”

A 1999 graduate of Daphne High School, King played in the 1998 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game before starring at Alabama where he earned All-SEC and Academic All-American honors at defensive lineman. He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft and also spent time with the Baltimore Ravens.

Since taking over the Trojan program in 2016, King has registered a 56-38 overall record with a 44-20 mark in region play to help punch tickets to the playoffs in six seasons. This year, Daphne enters a Week 8 contest against Alma-Bryant 4-3 overall and 2-2 in Class 7A Region 1.

At this winter’s all-star game, King will be joined on the sidelines by Jed Kennedy of Dothan (linebackers), David Watts of G.W. Long (running backs), Bobby Carr of Carver-Montgomery (quarterbacks and offensive coordinator), Brian Seymore of Trinity Presbyterian (offensive line), Lawrence O’Neal of Tallassee (defensive backs) and Justin Jones of Beauregard (wide receivers).

“Kennedy (133-58), who has coached in Illinois, Wisconsin and Florida, is in his third season at Dothan (2-4) guiding the Wolves to an 18-11 record,” the AHSAA press release says. “Watts (28-31) is 25-14 at G.W. Long (2-4) since becoming head coach in 2021; Carr (259-61), in his first season as head coach at Carver (5-1), won 10 state titles in the AISA at Edgewood Academy and Autauga Academy; Seymore (141-70), in his second year at Trinity Presbyterian (5-2), has also served as head coach at Pike Liberal Arts, Andalusia, Mary G. Montgomery and Demopolis.

“O’Neal (22-19),” it continues, “the son of Hall-of-Fame Coach Jackie O’Neal, is in his first year as head coach at Tallassee after guiding B.T. Washington of Tuskegee to the 4A state semifinals in 2023; and Jones (72-55), in his fourth season at Beauregard (5-2), has guided the Hornets to a 25-15 since 2021. He served as head coach at Florala, New Brockton, and Cordova as well.”

The South All-Stars will be looking to expand on its 35-28-2 lead in the all-time series as well as extend a two-game winning streak following the most lopsided victory in history (42-7 in 2022) and a late field goal (31-28 in 2023).

“The North-South All-Star Classic was discontinued for 12 years from 1985-1996 but returned when the AHSAA began its annual All-Star Sports Week series of all-star events in 1997 as part of the AHSAA’s annual Summer Conference held each July in Montgomery,” the release says. “The football game moved from July to December in 2020 – and moved to Mobile that same year.”

The 66th North-South All-Star Classic is scheduled for Dec. 13 at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of South Alabama. The game will be broadcast live over the AHSAA TV Network (WOTM TV), the NFHS Network and the AHSAA Radio Network.

Stay tuned for the full roster announcements.