Clarksdale High School senior linebacker De'meric Strong may have been on the losing side of the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Game at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. recently, but that did not stop him from being one of the team’s leading tacklers.
Strong (6 feet, 1 inch, 239 pounds) said he had about 10 tackles, which he believed to the second most for Mississippi. Alabama won the game 19-7.
One of Strong’s biggest plays came early in the third quarter when Alabama had the ball with a second down and two at its own 29. The Alabama player ran to his left, but Strong caught up with him near the sideline to make the tackle.
“I don’t show him committed anywhere, but he is definitely a good looking kid,” said the announcer following the tackle.
Strong was able to see where the Alabama offense was going on the play.
“The defense needed a stop and I just made the play happen,” Strong said.
“The guard, he was trying to stretch it out and I just kind of got out of the block and made the play.”
He is still looking at all of his options, but he has publicly announced offers to play for Pearl River and Hinds community colleges. National Signing Day is Feb. 3, 2021.
Wildcats coach Henry Johnson attended the game with Strong.
“I’m proud of him,” Johnson said. “We’re very, very proud of him. He had a good game. He played very well. A lot of people had a lot of good things to say about him.”
Johnson said the coaches had positive things to say about Strong.
“I enjoy watching him from a different viewpoint as a fan,” Johnson said. “I watched him as a fan rather than as a coach. I was pleasantly surprised at his performance. Even though we lost the game, we still had a good game.”
Strong arrived in Alabama Dec. 8 and the team took precautions to avoid COVID.
“We were kind of like in a bubble,” Strong said. “We just stayed with our team and our coaches. We wore our masks.”
Strong said there were two practices a day for three days.
“The scheme, it was easy,” Strong said. “We ran a 5-2 front. We ran that Clarksdale, too.
“It was just a fun experience playing with different players all over the state and having the opportunity to play against players in Alabama.”
Strong enjoyed being on the same team with his friend Lake Cormorant defensive back Tony McCray Jr.
“We both started,” Strong said.
While COVID ended the Wildcats season prematurely as they were forced to forfeit their second-round game, Strong was glad to end on a high note.
“It was just a blessing from God that he blessed me to have an opportunity to have one more high school game,” he said.
Many schools canceled their season due to COVID, but the Wildcats were still able to play nine games, win the district championship and one home playoff game. Strong was grateful for those things.
“It was very important for me and teammates to have our senior season even though it ended that way,” Strong said.
