Last week, the Cartersville Purple Hurricanes sent five seniors to play in the North-Central All-Star football game. On New Year’s eve, quarterback Brooks Barden will be the only football player who will represent Bartow County and the Canes in the third annual AT&T Georgia Junior Bowl.

Barden is one of 98 rising seniors throughout the state who was selected to participate in this prestigious postseason game that will be played at Grady High School in Atlanta. The junior signal caller threw for 2,870 yards and 39 touchdowns in leading the Canes to the Class AAA state semifinals this past season. He was recently named Class AAA’s offensive player of the year.

Barden will be a member of a West team which will be coached by Chip Walker, who led Sandy Creek to the Class AAAA state championship. A member of Walker’s coaching staff will be Cartersville head coach Frank Barden. The East team will be coached Ware County’s Ed Dudley. Ware County lost to Gainesville in the state Class AAAAA finals.

“It’s going to fun for all the players involved,” coach Barden said.

The AT&T Junior Bowl has been held in association with AT&T, the NFL Players Association, Rawlings, the NFL, and Curing Kids Cancer.