VanHooks and Donaldson to Coach Teams In
13th Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game
Cecil VanHooks (left) will serve as the head coach of the Blue Team and Robby Donaldson will lead the Red team in the 13th Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl All-Star Game
Two of the brightest young coaches in the Memphis area will meet in the 13th Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Football Game presented by the Governor's Highway Safety Office and Conway Services/ARS. Craigmont High School head coach Cecil VanHooks will coach the Blue Team and Robby Donaldson, the head coach at First Assembly Christian School (FACS), will lead the Red Team. The All-Star Game will feature the top 84 players from Shelby County Schools and private schools in the Memphis area.
The game will be played Saturday, December 13 at Memphis University School. Kickoff is at 2:30 pm. Tickets cost $10, for kids 6 and under the cost is $5. The All-Star Game will also be broadcast on radio by 87.7 FM.
“The AutoZone Liberty Bowl All-Star Game is 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 twelve years.”
Cecil VanHooks is in his 9th season as a head coach, all of them at Craigmont. VanHooks is a 1995 graduate of Craigmont and prior to being named head coach, he served as an assistant coach at Craigmont from 2001 to 2005, the last two seasons as Offensive Coordinator. VanHooks has a career record of 58-37. He has led Craigmont to the post-season the past six seasons. VanHooks served as an assistant coach in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game in 2010, 2011 and 2013.
“The AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game gives us a chance to showcase the abundance of talent in the Memphis area,” said VanHooks. “It gives many seniors one last opportunity to go out as a winner in their final high school game. It’s a great way to kick-off the activities for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.”
Robby Donaldson is in his fifth season as head coach at FACS. He has a career record of 30-18 as a head coach, all at FACS. Donaldson led FACS to the state playoffs last year for the first time under his direction. Prior to taking over as head coach at FACS in 2010, he served as an assistant coach for seven seasons at Briarcrest (two of which were under current Ole Miss Head Coach Hugh Freeze). Donaldson served as an assistant coach for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
"The AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game gives the fans an opportunity to see local talent that, in many cases, they have only heard or read about,” said Donaldson. “Because of the exposure the All-Star Game has created over the past twelve years, there has been an increase in appreciation for the overall talent that Memphis and Shelby County have at all levels.”
The All-Star teams will be chosen by a selection committee comprised of area head coaches and other football analysts.
Each team will have 42 players, who will be selected from the list of schools below. Each player must have the recommendation of his head coach and will be selected on the basis of his character, on-field achievement and classroom performance.
| Red Team |
| Head Coach: |
| Robby Donaldson (FACS) |
| Assistants: |
| Teran Conley (FACS) |
| Will Hudgens (Houston) |
| Joey Lowe (FACS) |
| Joe Rocconi (White Station) |
| Greg Wallace (Northpoint Christian) |
| Eddie Woods (Melrose) |
| BTW |
| Carver |
| Central |
| East |
| FACS |
| Fairley |
| Hamilton |
| Harding Academy |
| Hillcrest |
| Houston |
| Kirby |
| Lausanne |
| MAHS |
| Melrose |
| Mitchell |
| Munford |
| MUS |
| Northpoint Christian |
| Oakhaven |
| Sheffield |
| Southwind |
| St. Benedict |
| Westwood |
| White Station |
| Whitehaven |
| Wooddale |
| Blue Coach |
| Head Coach: |
| Cecil VanHooks (Craigmont) |
| Assistants: |
| David Carter (St. George's) |
| Carl Coleman (Manassas) |
| Anthony Jones (Cordova) |
| Mike O'Neill (Collierville) |
| Scott Vogel (CBHS) |
| Teli White (Trezevant) |
| Arlington |
| Bartlett |
| Bolton |
| Briarcrest |
| Brighton |
| CBHS |
| Collierville |
| Cordova |
| Covington |
| Craigmont |
| Douglass |
| ECS |
| Fayette Academy |
| Germantown |
| Kingsbury |
| Manassas |
| Millington |
| MLK Prep |
| Northside |
| Overton |
| Raleigh Egypt |
| Ridgeway |
| Rossville Christian |
| St. George's |
| Tipton Rosemark |
| Trezevant |
