2016 Autozone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game Recap w/Game Video

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Defense steals show at high school all-star game

 

Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal December 12, 2015 - Herb McGowan (left) of Kirby picks off a pass intended for Drew Croegart of ECS during the Autozone Liberty Bowl All-Star Game at MUS Saturday evening. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)

Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal Lilotis Walker (bottom) of Ridgeway recovers a fumble before Mitchell’s Calvan Scott (left) can pick it up during the Autozone Liberty Bowl All-Star Game at MUS Saturday evening.

 

By John Varlas of The Commercial Appeal Dec. 12, 2015

 

After a three-year hiatus, defense was back at the AutoZone Liberty Bowl high school all-star game.

Whitehaven defensive back Donte Vaughn took game MVP honors after a big fourth-quarter interception as the Red team downed the Blue, 18-14, at the annual season-ending contest at Stokes Stadium on the campus of MUS.

"We just wanted to come out and have fun," said the Notre Dame commitment. "I still have a bad taste (after Whitehaven's loss in the state semifinals) but this was fun. This is nice."

The previous three contests ended 58-49, 43-38 and 45-39, all in favor of the Blue team. And perhaps fittingly for a game that featured two legends coaches — Glen Rogers Sr. for the Red and Tom Nix of the Blue — the score was a bit of a throwback as well.

Kirby defensive back Herb McGowan also had an interception for the Red and said he learned a lot from his teammates.

"I learned a lot from (Red assistant and Whitehaven coach) Rodney Saulsberry," he said. "And I picked up some new techniques from Donte Vaughn and Rodney Saulsberry Jr.

"Coming in, we talked about how we hadn't won for three years so we wanted to come out with the victory. The defense had to win it for our offense."

Early on though, it looked like it would be another high-scoring affair.

Hamilton's Jonathan Robinson threw an 81-yard touchdown pass to Whitehaven's Kerrick Jones on Red's first play from scrimmage and then Northpoint's Christian Saulsberry scored on a 3-yard run to make it 13-0 just six minutes into the game.

Lausanne's Doni Thomas made it 16-0 with a 38-yard field goal early in the second quarter before the Blue defense started to assert itself.

"We worked hard in practice and it showed in the game," said Christian Saulsberry, who committed to Army earlier this week. "We executed and (even though) we had some mistakes we pulled it out."

The Blue didn't get on the scoreboard until close to halftime, when Manassas quarterback James Smith found Arlington's Everett Mitchell from seven yards out. Blue then made it 16-14 early in the third when Millington's Eldon Tyms hit Arlington's Bryan Lewis with a 21-yard score.

But — appropriately enough — Red got a safety with 7:54 to go to make it 18-14 then snuffed out Blue's final chance with about two minutes left when Northpoint's Tyree Bryant sacked Smith on fourth down near midfield.

"We just didn't make the plays," said the 6-3, 240-pound Smith, whose college stock should improve after a good showing Saturday. "It wasn't anything unexpected they were doing, just a couple of bad balls."

With the victory, the Red tied the all-time series between the two teams at seven wins apiece.

The only blot on the game was a serious ankle injury suffered by CBHS running back Austin Lee. The Division 2-AA Mr. Football runner-up was tackled on the second play from scrimmage and left the field in an ambulance with his ankle — which appeared to twist at an unnatural angle — in a splint.

 

2016 Autozone Liberty Bowl High School Football Game Rosters

Edited December 16, 2015 by kwc

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2016 Autozone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star football Game

 

Due to some copyright issues, the entire game is muted. But, it is the whole game as streamed live on the 12th.

Edited December 16, 2015 by kwc