No fewer than nine finalists for this year’s Tennessee Titans Mr. Football awards will be a part of the annual Toyota East-West All-Star Classic. The event is scheduled for Friday, December 11, at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville.
Rosters for both the east and west teams were announced by Bill Marbet, executive director of the Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association, the organization that stages the annual contest.
“The State of Tennessee is beginning to show itself as a major player when it comes to the recruiting of high school football talent and we’re very excited about the list of players who will be showcased in this game,” said Marbet.
“Several players on this year’s rosters are destined for play in the Southeastern Conference, as well as other major programs across the country. Many of our all-stars from previous years are now representing major college programs on Saturday afternoons all across the country and this year’s group of players will continue that tradition in the future,” he added.
Earning spots on the East roster from the Chattanooga area were Soddy-Daisy's Tre Carter, Sweetwater's Bailey Byrum, East Ridge's Jesse Jones, Ooltewah's Rashun Freeman, Rhea County's Tyler Pendleton, and Baylor's Ryan Parker.
Head coaches for this year’s teams are Jay Gore of McGavock (West) and Shawn Witten of Elizabethton (East). A variety of events and speakers await the 88 players who have been selected to play in the game. Players will arrive in Cookeville on Tuesday evening, December 8. Practice sessions will take place Wednesday and Thursday with walk-throughs slated for the morning of the game.
This year’s game will kick off at 7 o’clock and will be televised on a statewide television network that includes stations in Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville and the Tri-Cities.