All-Star Game Showcases Prep Stars

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A pair of veteran coaches will lead the teams in the 8th annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Football Game. Nathan Cole, the head coach at Mitchell High School, will coach the Red Team. Germantown High School head coach Charlie White will coach the Blue Team.

The All-Star Game will feature the top 80 players from Memphis City Schools, Shelby County Schools and private schools within Memphis, Shelby County, Fayette County and Tipton County. The game will be played Saturday, December 12 at Memphis University School. Kickoff is at 2:00 pm. Tickets cost $10, kids 6 and under are free.

For the fifth consecutive year the game will be televised locally. Comcast Cable will carry the game as the season-ending culmination of its coverage of high school football in the Memphis area. The All-Star Game will also be broadcast on radio by WHBQ Sports 56.

“The All-Star Game has established itself as one of the marquee events on the local high school scene,” said AutoZone Liberty Bowl executive director Steve Ehrhart. “With two of the most successful coaches from Memphis and Shelby County leading the teams, we will continue the tradition of excellence the All-Star Game has created over the past six years.”

Nathan Cole has been head coach at Mitchell since 1999. He has an overall record of 71-37. Cole led the Tigers to the playoffs numerous times, including the State Championship Game in 2000 and 2008. Cole served as an assistant coach in the All-Star Game in 2008.

“The AutoZone Liberty Bowl All-Star Game gives Memphis a chance to showcase the abundance of talent in the Memphis area,” said Cole. “It gives many seniors one last opportunity to go out as a winner in their final high school game if they didn’t win the state championship. It’s a great way to kick-off the activities for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.”

Charlie White is in his seventh season as head coach at Germantown. In his first season at the helm in 2003, White lead the Red Devils to the State Championship. Germantown reached the semi-finals in 2004 and the quarterfinals in 2005 and 2008. White has an overall record of 56-21. White served as an assistant coach in the All-Star last year.

“The AutoZone Liberty Bowl All-Star Game gives the fans an opportunity to see local talent that, in many cases, they have only heard or read about,” said White. “Because of the exposure the game has created over the past years, there has been an increase in appreciation for the overall talent that Memphis and Shelby County have at all levels.”

The AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Football Game is sanctioned by the Tennessee Secondary Scholastic Athletic Association. NCAA college coaches are permitted to attend the All-Star Game.

The All-Star teams will be chosen by a selection committee comprised of area head coaches, media and other football analysts.

Each team will have 40 players, who will be selected from the following schools. Each player must have the recommendation of his coach. Players will be selected on the basis of his character, his on-field achievement and his classroom performance.

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Red Team – Coach: Nathan Cole Blue Team – Coach: Charlie White

Bishop Byrne          Arlington
B.T. Washington     Bartlett
Carver                     Bolton
Catholic                  Briarcrest
Central                    Brighton
East                         CBHS
FACS                       Collierville
Fayette-Ware           Cordova
Frayser                     Covington
Hamilton                  Craigmont
Harding Academy    Douglass
Hillcrest                    ECS
Houston                    Fairley
Kirby                         Fayette  Academy
Melrose                    Germantown
Mitchell                    Kingsbury
Munford                    Manassas
MUS                         Millington
Oakhaven                 Northside
SBEC                       Overton
Southwind                Raleigh-Egypt
St. Benedict             Ridgeway
Westwood                 Rossville Christian Academy
Whitehaven              Sheffield
White Station            St. George’s
Wooddale                 Tipton
Rosemark Academy  Trezevant

AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School
All-Star Football Game

HISTORY

2002:
Date: December 14

Site: Memphis University School

Coaches: Ken Netherland – Germantown H.S. (Red)
Al Cate – Central H.S. (Blue)

Final Score: Blue 14, Red 9

2003:
Date: December 13

Site: Memphis University School

Coaches: Wayne Randall – East H.S. (Blue)
Maurice Harris – Whitehaven H.S. (Red)

Final Score: Blue 7, Red 6

2004:
Date: December 11

Site: Memphis University School

Coaches: Terry Ryan – Frayser H.S. (Red)
Kevin Locastro – CBHS (Blue)

Final Score: Red 17, Blue 10

2005:
Date: December 10

Site: Memphis University School

Coaches: Major Wright – White Station HS (Red)
Duron Sutton – Kingsbury HS (Blue)

Final Score: Red 14, Blue 7

2006:
Date: December 9

Site: Memphis University School

Coaches: Tim Haney – Houston HS