Blakely's A.J. McCarley demonstrates the technique he hopes will earn him the crown of USA Best Bagger Champion, a title bestowed each year by the National Grocers Association. (Photo by Kyle Kornegay) Ask Blakely's A.J. McCarley to comment on his upcoming bid for a national championship and he just might answer, "It's in the bag."

Cockiness? Braggadocio? Egomania?

No. None of the above.

On February 5, Mc- Carley and 25 other contestants from across the country will gather at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada to vie for top honors in the U.S.A. Best Bagger Championship, sponsored by the National Grocers Association (NGA). The contest, and its subsequent outcome, is indeed "in the bag." That is, totally dependent upon how each participant handles and bags an identical selection of grocery items.

McCarley, a 2004 graduate of Early County High School and presently a 23-yearold senior mass media major at Valdosta State University, is excited about representing Georgia in this year's competition as well as the prospect of possibly returning to South Georgia bearing the title of best grocery bagger in the nation.

"It's pretty amazing how serious a competition this is," he said during a recent interview. "When I first agreed to participate, I did it mainly because it seemed like it would be kinda fun. I really didn't know what to expect, and certainly had no idea how it was all going to play out. Then, when I started winning the preliminary events and advancing farther and farther, I started taking it pretty seriously as well. It'd be a pretty neat thing to win it all if I can."

McCarley has been a part-time employee of the J.H. Harvey Company, which operates around 70 Harvey's Supermarkets in South Georgia and North Florida, for nearly six years. Originally employed at Harvey's Blakely location, he has worked at Harvey's Supermarket 2309 since moving to Valdosta in late 2004.

"Back in June (2008), my store manager asked me to participate in the Harvey's Valdosta District bagging competition," he said. "I bagged against 25 or 30 opponents and won. First prize was $100. By winning the district, I earned a shot at the company title. In that contest, I went up against five other district winners, all Harvey's employees. I took first place there and took home $500. Then it was on to state competition, which was held in Orlando at the Georgia Food Industry Association's annual convention. I won that one bagging against competitors from other Georgia grocery stores like Publix, Winn Dixie, and Kroger. There were six contestants in all."

The state championship win earned McCarley $2000 and a shot at the national title in Las Vegas. The national winner receives $2000, a $6000-$7000 prize package, and an appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman." In addition, the newly crowned U.S.A. Best Bagger will compete against the Canadian bagging champion for international honors.

In the competition, contestants will bag the same 30-odd items and be judged on speed, technique, weight, style, and appearance. All participants will fill plastic bags during the first round, during which 20 will be eliminated. The top five advance to the second round, in which paper bags will be used.

According to McCarley, most of his work time during the past several weeks has been devoted to practicing for the upcoming competition, an arrangement that has the full blessing and encouragement of Harvey's management, from store level, where "Go A.J.!" posters bedeck the walls, to upper corporate echelon.

"It's all pretty neat," McCarley concluded. "My buddies picked at me some when all this started, but they're all excited about it now. They're giving me a big send-off and wishing me well. Besides, no matter what happens, I feel like a winner already. I mean, I've earned some money and received an all-expenses paid trip to Orlando and now my mom and I are going to Las Vegas free of charge. It's a real adventure for me. I've never even ridden in an airplane before. I'm really looking forward to it."