LSU LBs Kelvin Sheppard and Perry Riley

Georgia RB Kregg Lumpkin and SE T.J. Gartrell (the coach's son)

Vanderbilt WR Alex Washington

Alabama DB Lionel Mitchell

Then there's junior free safety Michael Grant, who originally signed with Georgia but ended up with the Arkansas Razorbacks. Grant had 39 tackles and three interceptions in nine games. He will miss Saturday's game because of an injury.

"Michael Grant, during the time he was in high school, was one of the fastest kids in the country," Gartrell said.

The coach told us that Grant, who played safety and occasionally offense while also running track in high school, was heavily recruited by numerous teams. He eventually chose the Razorbacks, and that gives Coach Gartrell an easy decision to make on Saturday.

He'll root for Arkansas.

Actually, not so fast.

I forgot to tell you about Florida's freshman defensive end Jermaine Cunningham, another Stephenson High School superstar.

"Tremendous football player," Gartrell said. "One of the best defensive players we've ever had. One of the best high school defensive players that anybody's ever had."

Cunningham has seen limited action this year as a backup on a very deep defensive line. In high school, he set a Stephenson single season record with 25 sacks and a career record with more than 50 sacks.

"Jermaine was the hardest hitter," Stephenson fullback Jeffrey Tarver said.

Stephenson is actually the only high school with a player on both Arkansas and Florida. So who will the coach be rooting for this weekend?

"We don't have any preference in terms of who wins and who loses," he said. "We'll let them guys do the bragging about that. We just want to see our kids do well."

Gartrell's kids have done very well. Stephenson High School also provided Georgia Tech with its quarterback - Reggie Ball. And while Arkansas and Florida are playing in the Georgia Dome this week, one more win for the Stephenson Jaguars puts them in the semifinals of the playoffs. That game will be held in downtown Atlanta, at the Georgia Dome.

Friday's quarterfinal game will be huge for the Jaguars, but the following day, the focus will shift to the guys who are playing at the next level and representing their high school.

"I'm gonna cheer for them both," Tarver said, "but I think Florida's gonna pull it out, though."

Another teammate, running back Louis Manning, shared his memories of playing with both Grant and Cunningham.

"I just know you had to be on your P's and Q's when they're out on the field practicing, because they come hard every play."

Both Tarver and Manning are inspired by the success of their former teammates. They hope to follow in their footsteps soon. Many of these Stephenson stars come back to their high school and give advice to the current players. They tell them to stay focused and keep their heads up.

If they get a chance to watch the SEC Championship on Saturday, it will be a special moment for the Jaguars players and coaches who shared a locker room with Grant and Cunningham. It's special any time they flip through the channels on a Saturday and see Stephenson High School being represented all over the country.

"It means a lot to us," Manning said. "They're putting us out on the map."

Unfortunately, it can make watching television difficult.

"Sometimes," Gartrell said, "just sit there on Saturdays. Just flick through the TV because you've got so many that's playing."

That's a good problem to have.