Team History and Awards
Webb School of Knoxville, located at 9800 Webb School Lane in Knoxville, Tennessee, fields athletic teams known as the Spartans, sporting green and white colors. Founded in 1955 by Robert Webb, grandson of Webb School of Bell Buckle founder Sawney Webb, the school is a prestigious private coeducational day school enrolling students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. With an enrollment of approximately 494 students, Webb competes in TSSAA Division II-AA East.
The Spartans’ football program has established itself as one of Tennessee’s most successful private school programs, with an impressive collection of state championships spanning multiple decades. Webb has earned over 80 state championships across 14 different sports programs, demonstrating excellence across all athletics. The football team has captured seven TSSAA state championships: 1981 (Class A), 1987 (Class AA), 2006 (Division II-AA), 2009 (Division II-Small), 2010 (Division II-Small), 2012 (Division II-Small), and 2014 (Division II-A). The Spartans maintain an intense rivalry with Knoxville Catholic High School dating back to the 1970s.
Team Highlights and Championship History
Championship Legacy: Webb’s seven state football championships place them among Tennessee’s elite programs. The Spartans’ first title came in 1981 when the team fielded fewer than 20 players in any one game, with most starters playing both offense and defense. After going 7-3 in the regular season, they defeated Sweetwater, Coalfield, and Meigs County in the playoffs before beating Memphis Preparatory School in the championship game at Bearden High School on December 4, 1981.
State Championships by Year:
- 1981 – TSSAA Class A Champions (defeated Memphis Preparatory School)
- 1987 – TSSAA Class AA Champions (defeated Goodpasture 27-20)
- 2006 – Division II-AA Champions (defeated Evangelical Christian School 17-14 after finishing as runner-up in 2005)
- 2009 – Division II-Small Champions (12-1 record)
- 2010 – Division II-Small Champions (defeated St. Georges 42-7, finished 13-0)
- 2012 – Division II-Small Champions (defeated ECS 47-14)
- 2014 – Division II-A Champions
Historic Achievements: The 2010 perfect 13-0 season stands as one of the program’s greatest accomplishments. The 2006 championship was particularly sweet, as Webb avenged their 2005 championship loss to Evangelical Christian School with a thrilling 17-14 victory, bringing home the school’s third state football title.
2025 Season Leadership: Under Head Coach Don Mahoney and his experienced coaching staff including Billy Beron, Chris Brown, Sam Brown, Chris Hickman, Tim Huddleston, Kevin Julian, and Toby Strange, the Spartans continue to compete at the highest level of Tennessee private school football.
Notable Current Players:
- Shavar Young Jr. (#0, Sr., FS/WR) – 6’1″, 185 lbs – Highly recruited defensive back
- Gage Porter (#3, Sr., QB/FS) – 6’1″, 185 lbs – Dual-threat quarterback and team leader
- Parks Lederer (#4, So., QB/LS) – 6’2″, 210 lbs – Promising young quarterback
Meet the Team – 2025 Roster Snapshot
Head Coach: Don Mahoney
Assistant Coaches: Billy Beron, Chris Brown, Sam Brown, Chris Hickman, Tim Huddleston, Kevin Julian, Toby Strange
Statistician: Ashleigh Walters
Offense
- Gage Porter (#3, Sr., QB/FS) – 6’1″, 185 lbs
- Parks Lederer (#4, So., QB/LS) – 6’2″, 210 lbs
- Ben Baisley (#18, So., QB) – 6’0″, 155 lbs
- Hudson Woods (#8, Jr., LB/RB) – 5’11”, 195 lbs
- Greyln Gordon (#13, Fr., RB) – 5’11”, 170 lbs
- Baxter Johnson (#42, Sr., RB/SS) – 6’1″, 185 lbs
- Shavar Young Jr. (#0, Sr., FS/WR) – 6’1″, 185 lbs
- Gregory Tate III (#1, Sr., WR/CB) – 5’9″, 160 lbs
- Brailen Robinson (#5, Jr., WR) – 5’9″, 175 lbs
- Beckett Rivers (#7, So., WR/DB) – 5’10”, 170 lbs
- Javon Dirl (#11, Jr., DB/WR) – 6’1″, 175 lbs
- Cullen Heck (#14, So., WR/DB) – 6’2″, 180 lbs
- Brayden Rivers (#15, Jr., WR/FS) – 6’0″, 180 lbs
- Chase McDowall (#20, Fr., DB/WR) – 5’9″, 150 lbs
- Sammy Steimer (#21, Fr., DB/WR) – 5’8″, 150 lbs
- Drew Johnson (#22, Jr., DB/WR) – 6’1″, 185 lbs
- Caz Bane (#24, Fr., DB/WR) – 5’9″, 150 lbs
- Reggie Bishop (#25, Fr., LB/WR) – 5’10”, 160 lbs
- Caleb Davis (#10, Jr., TE/LB) – 6’0″, 160 lbs
- Brody Kulisek (#30, So., TE) – 6’1″, 170 lbs
- Lance Herman (#34, Fr., LB/TE) – 5’11”, 165 lbs
- Jackson Walters (#44, So., DL/TE) – 6’5″, 242 lbs
- Da’ran Taylor (#6, So., DE/TE) – 6’3″, 240 lbs
- Tahj Bowers (#8, Jr., DE/TE) – 6’5″, 230 lbs
Offensive Line
- Gabriel Gonzalez (#55, Fr., OG/DL) – 6’3″, 300 lbs
- Michael Pemberton (#56, Sr., OL/DL) – 6’4″, 235 lbs
- Will Overton (#58, Jr., DL/OL) – 6’4″, 235 lbs
- Jay Lowery (#60, Sr., DL/OL) – 5’4″, 200 lbs
- Jake Rogers (#61, So., OL/DL) – 6’6″, 310 lbs
- Brayden Gonzalez (#64, Fr., C/DL) – 6’3″, 295 lbs
- Jamil Thompson (#75, Fr., T/DE) – 6’6″, 315 lbs
- Marvin Hicke (#77, Sr., OL/DL) – 6’5″, 250 lbs
Defense & Special Teams
- Connor Garmer (#59, So., LB) – 5’9″, 215 lbs
- Clay Fultz (#28, Sr., K/P) – 5’11”, 175 lbs
- Aidan Lindwall (#32, Jr., P) – 6’0″, 165 lbs
2025 Season Schedule
(District games marked with *)
- Aug 22 – vs Upperman (Home), 7:00 PM
- Aug 29 – vs ASHS (Home), 7:00 PM
- Sep 5 – @ Silverdale Academy* (Away), 7:00 PM
- Sep 12 – @ Lakeway Christian Academy* (Away), 7:00 PM
- Sep 18 – @ Grace Christian Academy* (Away), 7:00 PM
- Sep 26 – vs CAK* (Home), 7:00 PM
- Oct 3 – @ Notre Dame* (Away), 7:00 PM
- Oct 17 – @ Stewarts Creek (Away), 7:00 PM
- Oct 24 – vs Chattanooga Christian* (Home), 7:00 PM
- Oct 31 – vs Boyd-Buchanan* (Home), 7:00 PM
