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Alabama Squad Named For 2016 Ala-Miss Football Game

Seventeen players already committed to Division I-A schools are among the players have been selected to the 40-player Alabama All-Star Team that will face Mississippi in the 30^th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Game Dec. 10 at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl.
The roster, comprised of current high school seniors, was announced Tuesday by Alvin Briggs, Director of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association. The annual contest is an event of the AHSADCA and the Alabama High School Athletic Association.
The game was played in Mississippi for the first time in the series last year. The hosts won 28-21 on the Southern Miss campus in Hattiesburg. That win by Mississippi snapped a seven-game winning streak by Alabama, which now holds a 21-8 edge in the series.
“We hope the 40-man Alabama roster selected for this year’s game will bring the Alabama-Mississippi Game Championship Trophy back (to Alabama),” Briggs said.
UMS-Wright Coach Terry Curtis, who is serving as the head coach for Alabama, will be coaching a squad full of Division I-A prospects – several still embroiled in national recruiting battles.
The roster, comprised of current high school seniors, was selected through a rigorous process that began last winter, Briggs said. “The selection committee has worked extremely hard to trim down the strong list of nominations to the 40 selected. It is a difficult task for sure, and we thank the committee for its dedication.
“We are excited about returning to Cramton Bowl. This will provide another opportunity for the AHSAA and City of Montgomery to work together to produce an exciting event for local fans as well as our friends from Mississippi and the vast TV and Radio audience that tunes in via Raycom Media’s Alabama-Mississippi TV Network and the AHSAA Radio Network.”
The annual all-star event was played at Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium since its inception in 1988 until 2010. It moved to Cramton Bowl from 2011-2014. It is now on a rotating basis between the two states.
Of the 17 players picked that are already committed, five have selected defending National Champion Alabama: running back Brian Robinson of Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa; offensive linemen Hunter Brannon of Cullman and Kendall Randolph of Bob Jones; defensive back Chadarius Townsend of Tanner; and linebacker Markail Benton of Central-Phenix City. Auburn has commitments from two, defensive backs Malcolm Askew of McAdory and Jordyn Peters of Muscle Shoals.
Three other SEC schools (Arkansas, Florida and LSU) have commitments from players on the roster while Southern Cal, North Carolina, Michigan, Duke, Purdue and UAB have at least one each.
Committed to LSU are defensive lineman Justin Thomas and McGill-Toolen defensive back John Young III. Arkansas has a commitment from quarterback Daulton Hyatt of Etowah, and tight end Zech Byrd of Stanhope Elmore has announced plans to sign with Florida.
Curtis’ Alabama All-Star coaching staff includes Caleb Ross of McGill-Toolen, Ben Blackmon of Spanish Fort, Kelvis White of Mae Jemison, Keith Etheredge of Pell City, Steve Smith of Piedmont, Ed Rigby of Elba and Richie Busby of Fultondale.
The game will be televised live over the Raycom Network of stations in Mississippi and Alabama. The contest will also be broadcast live over the AHSAA Radio Network.

-AHSAA

Foley Patient of the Month, Lew Powell.

We would like to recognize our Foley Encore Patient of the Month, Lew Powell! Mr. Powell has been coming to our Foley clinic for physical therapy since mid August, after his rotator cuff surgery. He was referred to us by Dr. Mason and Encore came highly recommended by his friends. Mr. Powell has done an outstanding job with his therapy program and has improved greatly.

“I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank the entire Encore staff, from the check-in ladies to my therapists. They are true professionals in every sense of the word- knowledgeable and dedicated to patient recovery. This is not my first rodeo. The entire staff has been nothing short of outstanding. If you are looking for a physical therapists with a comprehensive and thorough program, Encore is for you.”

– Mr. Powell

Long Beach Encore Athlete of the Month, Anastasia Thibodeaux.

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Congratulations to the Long Beach Encore Athlete of the Month, Anastasia Thibodeaux. Anastasia is a senior athlete at Long Beach High School in Mississippi. She has been a member of the Varsity Lady Bearcats Cross Country and Track teams for 6 years now. Anastasia has built up quite an impressive awards list during her high school sports career: Cross Country MVP for 4 years in a row, 4x District Champion in Cross Country, Cross Country All-State runner for 5 years, and made top 3 in the State High Jump event.

After graduation next spring, Anastasia plans to run cross country and track in college while obtaining her degree in communications. She is the daughter of Katherine and Joseph Thibodeaux. Keep up the good work, Anastasia, and good luck your senior year!

*Photo taken from http://www.sunherald.com/sports/high-school/article75452737.html

Foley Encore Athlete of the Month, Chris Armstrong.

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Congratulations to the Foley Encore Athlete of the Month, Chris Armstrong! Chris is a Junior athlete at Foley High School. He has been a member of the Varsity Lions Football team for 3 years and wears jersey #1. After graduation, Chris hopes to continue playing football in college while obtaining his degree. Chris is the son of Sherett Scott. Good luck this weekend Chris, and Go Lions!

8 Horrible Things High Heels Do to Your Body

“Yes, your favorite stilettos make your feet hurt, but high heels may also be hurting your ankles, knees, and back if you’re wearing the wrong type too often.”

Heels can give you varicose veins… ew…

When your legs move forward in heels to float over your toes, your calf muscles contract and stay contracted, instead of contracting and releasing as they usually do in lower-heeled shoes. As a result, your blood can’t use that regular calf muscle contraction as a pump to move up and out of your legs, and blood flow throughout your lower limbs slows down, according to Mayo Clinic. When blood can’t escape your legs, it pools in veins that swell and rise into what are widely known as varicose veins. Horse chestnut may help treat varicose veins.

Heels put more pressure on the ball of your foot

Your upright foot is used to balancing on both its front and its back, so when you tilt it into your favorite black stilettos, it’s no wonder your forefoot starts to feel so much more pressure. According to Jane Pontious, DPM, chair of the department of podiatric surgery at Temple University, this pain in the joints in the ball of the foot, known as metatarsalgia, can even lead to stress fractures over time. The good news is that you can easily decrease the pain by decreasing your heel’s height. Research from the Spinal Health Institute shows that while three-inch heels put 76 percent of your foot’s pressure on your forefoot, two-inch heels decrease the pressure to about 57 percent, and one-inch heels lower it to 22 percent. That’s cutting the pain by more than half with a decrease of just two inches. Here’s what your shoe salesperson is secretly thinking about you.

High heels can cause plantar fasciitis in the heel and arch of your foot

Your Achilles tendon, or the band of tissue stretching from the back of your heel all the way to your calf, lengthens and shortens with your foot movement. When you point your toes and your heel rises closer to your calf (like you do when wearing heels), your Achilles tendon shortens. But too much shortening is a bad thing, according to Dr. Pontious. Because the Achilles connects to the plantar fascia, or the ligament that stretches along the bottom of your foot, shortening your Achilles tendon pulls on the plantar fascia, causing it stress. The result is a form of pain in your heel and arch known as plantar fasciitis.

Their pointy ends push your toes together

Dr. Pontious has noticed that many popular high heels are not only tall, but narrow, too. “The reason for that is because it makes our feet look smaller, and smaller feet are viewed in general as being more attractive,” she says. But when fashion starts to compromise foot function, there’s a problem. Women who regularly wear heels with narrow, pointy toes develop muscle imbalances, hammertoes, or bunions as a result of the pressure the shoes put on their toes when they shove them together. Sometimes pointy toed-shoes can even irritate or inflame the nerves enough to cause nerve conditions in the feet that cause pinching and pain sensations. To avoid these, make sure to buy a shoe that doesn’t narrow too much at the toe, especially if it’s a heel. Here are foot doctors’ tips for pain-free sandals.

High heels put extra stress on your knees

When you shift the pressure on your foot forward by strapping on high heels, the center of gravity of your body immediately moves forward, too. Unfortunately your knees feel the brunt of this change as they struggle to keep your body up and balanced in this shifted position. In fact, a 2014 study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research showed that increasing your heel height or your weight hurts your knees even more, and possibly increases the risk of arthritis in the knees. Here are proven knee pain treatments and when to try them.

Heels change your posture for the worse

Because your legs are pushed forward in high heels, your upper body is forced backward to counterbalance your lower body. Your lower back arches, your chest is pushed forward, and the normal “s-curve” of the spine, which typically acts as a shock absorber for the vertebrae, is shifted, according to the Spinal Health Institute. As a result, muscle overuse can lead to back pain, not to mention other issues like spondylolisthesis, or the crowding of vertebra over each other in the lower back, where weight is suddenly more concentrated in heels. These easy tricks can correct your posturefast.

Heels decrease your ankle strength over time

Maybe you’ve only just started wearing heels regularly and have yet to experience much pain at all. Unfortunately, that’s quite normal for women who a few years later experience ankle injuries from high heels. A 2015 study in the International Journal of Clinical Practice showed that women who wore high-heeled shoes often actually strengthened their ankle muscles over the first one to three years through wearing the shoes, only to experience a weakening of the same muscles when they continued to wear them after that time period (for four years or more). Weak ankles detract from your dynamic balance, lessening your ability to avoid falling, spraining your ankle or otherwise hurting yourself. To protect your ankles and yourself while wearing heels, try practicing ankle-strengthening exercises on a regular basis, like “heel walking” (practicing balancing on your heels to walk) and “heel raises” (standing on your toes and raising and lowering your heels).

They can be too small for your feet

Just as narrower feet are perceived as more attractive, so, too, are shorter feet, and some women are willing to sacrifice the comfort of their feet to make them appear smaller. According to WebMD, nine out of 10 women wear shoes that are too small, causing bunions, corns, and blisters, and irritating foot joints enough to potentially cause arthritis. If you’re going to wear a heel, make sure it’s a comfortable size for your foot; you’ll thank yourself later. Should you get a blister anyway, try one of these home treatments to heal blisters quickly.

**This article and picture was found on the Readers Digest website. Read the complete article here: http://www.rd.com/health/wellness/high-heels-pain/

Columbia Encore Athlete of the Month, Garry Martin, Jr.

Congratulations to the Columbia Encore Athlete of the Month, Garry Martin, Jr! Garry is a senior athlete at West Marion High School in Mississippi. He has been on the Varsity Trojan’s football team for 5 years now and wears jersey #19. Garry has also been awarded the 3A Region 8 All-District award in football. After graduation next spring, Garry plans to attend Jackson State and major in Criminal Justice. He is the son of Garry and Rolanda Martin.

Columbus Patient of the Month, Allen Saxton.

Congratulations to the Columbus Patient of the Month, Allen Saxton! Mr. Allen lives in Reform, AL and has been coming to us for physical therapy on his hip since the beginning of the month. With the help of his Physical Therapist, Lee, and his personalized therapy exercises, Mr. Allen has been making great progress and will be back in the swing of things in no time!

Fairfield Encore Athlete of the Month, Skylar Roy.

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Congratulations to the Fairfield Encore Athlete of the Month, Skyler Roy! Skylar is a freshman athlete at Fairfield Prep High School. She has been on the Lady Tigers Cheerleading team for 1 year now and loves it. Skylar has a 3.6 GPA and plans to attend college after high school to major in Physical Therapy. She is the daughter of Sherree Williams.

Patient of the Month, Ally Iachino!

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Congratulations to Ally Iachino who was chosen as the Patient of the Month at our Ocean Springs Spine and Orthopedic clinic. Ally lives in Ocean Springs, MS and has been coming to us for Physical Therapy after suffering from a high ankle sprain while competing in a national dance competition. Her dream job of dancing professionally at Disney World seemed to be something that she may not be able to do with the show starting in October. However, through the personalized physical therapy program we created for her, she is now a stronger dancer and says she feels very confident to start her dream job. We are proud of you for following your dreams, Ally, and we’re cheering for you the whole way!

Arab Encore Athlete of the Month, Brent Myers.

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Congratulations to the Arab Encore Athlete of the Month, Brent Myers! Brent is a senior athlete at Brindlee Mountain High School. He has been a member of the varsity Lions Football team for 4 years now and wears jersey #6. During his high school career, Brent has won the All-County, All-Region, and All-State awards in football. After graduation he plans to go to UNA and major in sports medicine to become an Athletic Trainer. Brent is the son of Corey and Derrick Duke.