Decades from now, Brian Goodwin would like to be in the same position Ozzie Smith is in today. You know, a star. A legend. A Hall of Famer. But for the time being, Goodwin will settle on an afternoon in a Major League outfield.

Goodwin, the center fielder for the Rocky Mount High baseball team and the 2008 Telegram Offensive Player of the Year, is one of 38 players from around the nation who will play this afternoon in the annual Aflac High School All-American Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The game will be televised at 3 p.m. on Fox Sports Net. And plenty of folks from coast to coast – and right here in the Twin Counties – will be watching, including Rocky Mount High coach Pat Smith.

"If one television breaks down tomorrow," Smith said, "well, at least I've got two in here."

Goodwin has been in California for about a week, and he and his teammates have been treated like stars throughout their trip.

"We've been doing so much," Goodwin said Friday in a telephone conversation. "We've been signing tons of autographs, we went to the children's hospital, we went to Universal Studios."

And, in case Goodwin or any of the 37 other players managed to forget the reason for their trip, they have been practicing regularly, though the practices have been relaxed, Goodwin said.

Ozzie Smith, the honorary chairman of the game and a 2002 Hall of Fame inductee, has had the opportunity to watch Goodwin "from a distance," Smith said Friday during a telephone conversation. "And he is one of those young players who possesses the tools. Just the fact that he's part of this team says a lot about his abilities."

Goodwin batted .473 (44-for-93) and rolled up a .591 on-base percentage this season to spark the Gryphons to the NCHSAA 3-A state championship. He also scored 45 runs, and finished with 21 RBI, 21 steals and 15 doubles. His goals for this game, during which he said he has been told he will start in right field, correspond with those statistics. Two hits and a steal.

"But I won't be picky," he said.

This all-star stop will be the second for Goodwin, who batted 4-for-10 with four steals during four games last weekend at the East Coast Professional Showcase in Lakeland, Fla. He will also play in the Under Armour All-America Game on Aug. 17 at Wrigley Field.

Matt LaWell can be reached at 407-9952 or mlawell@coxnc.com