SHREVEPORT–The official press conference announcing details for the 2006 All-American Bowl Game Classic, set for Jan. 5, in Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. was held this Monday.

An impressive group of All-American High School football players have been assembled for this Second Annual High School All-American Bowl Game Classic, which is an All-American Game that will pit All-American football players from the East against the West.

&#8220In fact, we have put together two All-American football teams that I would challenge any All-Star team in America to try to defeat, because I just don’t think that they could. The West Team will be led by a quarterback Greg McElroy of Southlake Carroll, Texas and he has already thrown 55 touchdowns, with one game to go. McElroy has his team #1 in the latest USA Today National High School Poll,” said Max Emfinger, All-American Bowl Classic chairman. Emfinger has been a professional high school football recruiting analyst for 30 years.

The East Team will be led by quarterback Chris Smelley of American Christian Academy in Tuscaloosa, Al. Smelley threw 59 touchdowns in only 14 games as a senior and has just committed to play for Steve Spurrier at the University of South Carolina, which is set to play in the 30th annual Independence Bowl, December 30 against University of Missouri.

This high school football All-American event has players coming from 41 different states across the country, four from Hawaii, one from Alaska, and one from Mexico City.

There are 75 national top ranked players. There are five 2005 Gatorade Players of the Year from Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Colorado, and Hawaii and there are 20 players that are originally from countries abroad, including six players who are originally from Samoa, three from Nigeria, two from Jamaica, one from Kenya, Liberia, Jordan, Haiti, and four from Tonga.