Northeast Lauderdale High School head football coach Curt Blackburn will be one of eight coaches to lead the South Team in the 2016 Bernard Blackwell Classic North-South All-Star Game at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Gulfport High School.

Blackburn, a 13-year coaching veteran, spent time as an assistant at Lake High School before landing at Northeast Lauderdale in the same capacity. He was named head coach of the Trojans five years ago.

He said he was made aware of his selection earlier this spring.

“Coach Todd Breland, the head coach at Laurel, called me and told me I had been selected by the (Mississippi) Association of Coaches to work the game this year,” Blackburn said. “We’ve kind of been meeting off and on throughout the summer and the beginning of the football season on evaluating film and selecting players and going through that process. It was an exciting time for me in my career to be selected by the other coaches to come work the game.”

Blackburn will serve as the South Team’s wide receivers coach, where he’ll work with local standouts DJ Clayton (Kemper County) and Mack Martin (Meridian). Clayton and Martin combined for 3,071 receiving yards and 42 touchdowns this season.

Blackburn said the experience has been enjoyable, and although he’s there to coach, he’s picked up a couple of ideas he plans to bring back to Northeast Lauderdale.

“With the different coaches, you learn different concepts, and that’s one thing I’m looking forward to and going to bring back — different ideas for running practices, organization and things like that,” he said. “It’s been a really good learning experience for me, and will hopefully help our team in the future.”

Other area players on the South Team roster include Meridian’s D’Angelo Anderson, West Lauderdale’s Michael Washington, Kemper County’s Gus Nave and Union High School’s Tradarius Harris and Qui’Darian Jackson. For the North Team, Neshoba Central kicker Kameron Ferguson made the squad.

Anderson, listed as a linebacker/defensive end, said the players have been practicing at Harrison Central High School for the past several days, and so far he’s liking the experience.

“It’s been pretty good,” Anderson said. “I’ve been meeting new players from all around Mississippi and really enjoying myself.”

After finding out in class a couple of months ago he would be playing in the All-Star game, Anderson said he was happy to learn about it at the time and even more grateful now that the game is just days away.

“It’s very special,” Anderson said. “It really shows that my hard work has paid off. I’m just really proud of myself. My family and coaches have pushed me, and I did what I had to do and did a good job.”

He also said there’s no slacking off, since he’s going up against the best players in the state each day in practice.

“It’s very fun, because you really have to compete,” Anderson said. “Everyone out here is good, and everyone is trying to get better so we can win the game Saturday.”

While it’s a chance to have one more high school game, Anderson said it’s also a chance to represent his school under a statewide spotlight.

“It’s very, very important (to represent Meridian),” Anderson said. “Meridian playing in the All-Star game is very special. When people ask me if I’m from Meridian, it really makes me proud.”