MADISON- The 65^th AHSAA North-South All-Star Football Game will have a local flavor amongst the North team, though be it just one flavor.

Nate Jennings of James Clemens is the lone representative from the local schools to be selected to partake in the annual game scheduled for Friday, Dec. 15 inside Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama (USA) in Mobile.

“It felt great when I found out I had been selected as I’m the third player from James Clemens to be selected in recent years,” said Jennings. “I like making the history for our school and it was a humbling moment for me.”

Jennings, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound defensive lineman, is excited about the opportunity to play for the 37-member North squad which will be pitted up against a similar selected squad featuring players from the South portion of the state. Jennings is also excited at the chance to play on the field that will be his home location as he’s verbally committed to USA and will sign with the Jaguars after the current season is complete for his Jets.

“I’ve had a good season so far and I’m doing everything I can to help our defense,” said Jennings, who has 50-plus tackles and six sacks on the season heading into the tail end of the 2023 campaign. “I try my best on every play, and I’ve been very lucky by staying injury free.”

“Jennings is as good of a player as I’ve coached, but he’s not missing those important intangibles that many players just don’t have,” said James Clemens head coach Chad McGhee. “His ceiling is unlimited. Nate is the whole package.”

Jennings will graduate in December with a 2.8 grade point average and will enter classes at USA with hopes of studying engineering and sports medicine. He chose USA over the likes of Georgia Southern, Arkansas State, Troy, Central Michigan, Tennessee State and Maryland, and is already feeling the urgency of remaining in great physical condition as the current season is quickly winding down with less than two months before kickoff in Mobile.

“I’ll keep doing everything in the workout area that I’ve been doing,” added Jennings. “I’m getting excited about playing in the game as I don’t really know any of the other players in the game, but I know of them.”

Head coach of the North squad will be Lee Ozmint of Arab. All players selected are seniors. The game is scheduled to kick off at 2:00 p.m. and will be televised live over the AHSAA TV Network and live streamed over the NFHS Network.

The South won last year’s contest 42-7 and holds a slim 34-28-2 edge in the series with this year’s game the fourth to be played in Mobile in the game’s long history.