All-stars presented with equipment

By Melinda L. Lucas

Five of the eight local senior athletes who were selected to participate in this summer’s FCA All-Star games were presented last week with personalized items they would normally have received as part of the festival events.

Paul Johnston, who is a Big Country FCA representative, met with the Albany graduates at the high school flagpole last Tuesday, May 26.

He gave each all-star a plaque, an FCA Bible and their individual jerseys for the particular sport they were picked for.

AHS athletes who met with Johnston for the informal presentation were Tyler Beard, Alayna Koemel, Jaleigh Morales, Taylor Scott, and Ben West.

Unable to be present were Blaine Kayga, Aubrey Moon, and B.J. Morris.

The 2020 Big Country FCA All-Star Festival was originally scheduled for June 7-13 in Abilene, Brownwood, Eastland, and San Angelo, but was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“This year’s all-stars will be invited to come to the games next summer, and we will try to honor them the best we can, presenting them at the halftimes of the 2021 events,” said Johnston. “We feel really bad that we were not able to play the games this summer.”

West, Kayga, and Beard were selected to play in the FCA football games, while Koemel would have been cheering. 

Scott was picked for volleyball, Morales for girls basketball, Moon for softball, and Morris for baseball.

In addition, Albany baseball coach David Fairchild was named to head up the North All-Star team.

Members of the team were nominated by their head coaches for selection for the all-star teams, which represents athletes from 71 area schools in the 37-county area serviced by the Big Country FCA Chapter.

Other FCA activities scheduled during the month of June, including youth camps, are also cancelled.