There could only be one most valuable player at AutoZone Liberty Bowl high school all-star game. And while Isaiah Tate was certainly deserving, the trophy could have easily been split five ways.

Tate, from Germantown, threw for two touchdown passes and ran for a third as the Red team defeated the Blue, 24-10, in the annual end to the high school football season at Memphis University School’s Stokes Stadium. Tate is headed to North Alabama to play his college football and when he gets there, he’ll be lucky if he gets the line play that he and his teammates received Saturday.

Relying primarily on Misan Sisk of MASE, Germantown’s Milton Grant, Walker Hawkins of St. George’s, Bartlett’s Hayden Edge and Clarence Livingston of Fairley, the Red established their domination up front early. They marched 80 yards in 16 plays to open the scoring — taking nearly 10 minutes off the clock — and followed with a 15-play, 77-yard march.

Tate did the honors on the first one, scoring on a 24-yard keeper. He then found Houston’s Alex Desarzant from a yard out to make it 14-0 before the Blue team had even managed a first down.

“It was great,” said Tate. “We all got together over four days (of practice) and just the way they played. It shows how smart they are to put up a game like this in a short amount of time. (The line) was wonderful; they gave me all the time I needed.”

Perhaps it wasn’t surprising the Red team’s o-line stood out. Their coach, Houston’s James Thomas, is himself a former offensive lineman. And he brought along his assistant, former University of Memphis line coach Vance Vice, to help mold the unit in the day’s leading up to the 20th edition of the game.

It worked like a charm.

“None of us knew each other but we clicked immediately,” said Edge. “We’ve got a hard-working center (Hawkins) who’s smart and he was telling us what to do every single play. When we did it back-to-back (put together a long scoring drive) you could tell. 

“At first they (the Blue) team were excited but after we scored on them once and then twice, you could tell they were dreading to come on the field.”

The line play was also a boon for running backs like Taliko Russell. Coming from a small, Class 1A school at Bluff City he stood out on the big stage, picking up key yards on the ground and also hauling in a pass from Houston’s Triston Lurry that set up a 40-yard field goal by Mr. Football winner Oziel Hernandez of Germantown that gave Red a 17-3 halftime lead.

“Throughout the season, I just depended on myself out there,” Russell said. “My mindset was to go big or go home and I loved it. I never had a line like this.”

With all-star game rules preventing rushing on field-goal attempts, Thomas sent Hernandez on to attempt a 54-yarder in the third. He was a short and Briarcrest’s Reed Linder, who was stationed in the end zone, alertly returned it 109 yards the other way. The longest play in all-star game history made it 17-10 and Northpoint coach Tyler Gold’s squad had seemingly seized the momentum.

But Red quickly regained control as Tate zipped a 67-yard pass over the middle to Bartlett’s Deshaun Catron. Catron and the Panthers eliminated Tate’s Red Devils in the Class 6A quarterfinals three weeks ago and the quarterback said it was good to have Catron on his team this time.

That sentiment went double for Thomas.

“The guys executed really well,” he said. “We were able to run the ball and hit some passes too. We were pretty balanced and any time Isaiah Tate had the ball in his hands, it was electric. I told him all week, ‘I’m glad you’re with us and not against us.’ And he really is a great kid, a pleasure to be around.”

The Red team leads the all-time series, 11-9.

Five Mr. Football Semi-Finalists Among All-Stars

The 20^th Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game presented by ARS/Rescue Rooter and Conway Services and the Tennessee Highway Safety Office will feature the top senior players from Shelby County Schools, municipal schools and private schools in the Memphis area. Each player was selected on the basis of his character, his on and off-field achievements and his classroom performance.

A total of 88 players (44 on each team), representing 54 different area high schools were selected for the All-Star Game.

Five semi-finalists for the state of Tennessee’s Mr. Football Awards are among this year’s All-Star Game participants: Blue Team – running back Braxton Sharp (Munford HS), linebacker Max Carroll (Briarcrest Christian School), quarterback Brock Glenn (Lausanne Collegiate School), kicker/punter Max Gilbert (Lausanne Collegiate School); Red Team – kicker/punter Oziel Hernandez (Germantown HS).

James Thomas, the head coach at Houston High School, will coach the Red Team and Northpoint Christian School head coach Tyler Gold will lead the Blue Team.

“With these two outstanding head coaches leading the teams and the abundance of talent that will be featured in the game, we will continue the tradition of excellence the All-Star Game has established over the past two decades,” said Steve Ehrhart, Executive Director of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

The All-Star Game will be played Saturday, December 10 at Memphis University School. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10, for kids 6 and under the cost is $5. Tickets may be purchased through the AutoZone Liberty Bowl ticket office by calling 795-7700.

Red Team Roster

Blue Team Roster

Red Team Coaches:                            Blue Team Coaches:

(HC) James Thomas - Houston H.S.     (HC) Tyler Gold - Northpoint Christian School

Frederick Copeland - Fairley H.S.          Joe Rocconi - Collierville H.S.

Joey Magnifico - St. Benedict                 CJ Marshall - Bolton H.S.

Mitch McDaniel - FACS                          Rodney Saulsberry - Whitehaven H.S.

Derrick Bobo - Melrose H.S.                   Slade Calhoun - Munford H.S.

Keith Setler - Cordova H.S.                    Tommy Miller - Arlington H.S.

The 20th Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game will be played Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 2:30 PM at Memphis University School. The game will be broadcast on radio by Sports 56/87.7 FM. 

Class of 2018 (2017 All-Star Game) - 50 

Class of 2017 (2016 All-Star Game) - 20

Class of 2016 (2015 All-Star Game) - 20

Class of 2015 (2014 All-Star Game) - 38

Class of 2014 (2013 All-Star Game) - 33

Class of 2013 (2012 All-Star Game) - 46 

Class of 2012 (2011 All-Star Game) - 34

Class of 2011 (2010 All-Star Game) - 12

Class of 2010 (2009 All-Star Game) - 30

University of Memphis standout defensive lineman Dontari Poe, whose outstanding performance at the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine led him to be drafted in the 1st round by the Kansas City Chiefs, played in the 2007 AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game. At the NFL combine, Poe (a product of Wooddale High School) had the highest number of bench press reps of any player (44). He also ran a 4.98 in the 40-yard dash which is quite impressive for a 6’4”, 346 lbs defensive lineman. Poe is one of the top defensive tackles in the NFL and was selected to play in the 2013 & 2014 Pro Bowl games.

O.C. Brown, the focal point of the 2012 Academy Award-winning documentary "Undefeated," participated in the 2009 AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game following a successful prep career at Manassas High School. Brown, who originally signed with Southern Miss, transferred to Austin Peay State University in the spring of 2012.

H.R. Greer, a standout fullback from SBEC, received very little attention from college recruiters before participating in the 2007 AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game. However, his performance in front of college coaches during the all-star game enabled him to earn a full scholarship to play at Ole Miss. Greer capped off his career with by being part of the senior class that helped the Rebels get back to the postseason.

During the 2010 NFL Draft, University of Tennessee standout defensive tackle Dan Williams was selected in the first round by the Arizona Cardinals (26th overall pick). Williams participated in the 2004 AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game after a successful prep career at East High School.

In 2009, University of Kentucky standout defensive lineman Jeremy Jarmon was selected in the third round of the NFL Supplemental Draft by the Washington Redskins. Jarmon, a standout at Houston High School, participated in the 2004 AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game. Jarmon also participated in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl as a key member of a Kentucky team that defeated ECU in the 50th Anniversary game.