Team History and Awards
Knoxville Catholic High School, established in 1932 in Knoxville, Tennessee, fields athletic teams known as the Fighting Irish, sporting green and gold colors. Originally located on East Magnolia Avenue, the school moved to its current West Knoxville campus in 2000.
The Fighting Irish football program is one of the most successful in Tennessee high school football history. The team has won three state championships (2008, 2015, 2017) and has been a consistent playoff contender with 31 championship tournament appearances. Under coaches Mark Pemberton and Steve Matthews, the program reached the pinnacle of Tennessee football, with Matthews becoming the first Knoxville Catholic coach to win multiple state titles.
OEB Law LOVES local High School Football!
To support local youth high school football programs, OEB Law donates a $1,000 check every week to different Knoxville area high schools and we sponsor the championship games!
Team Highlights and Star Players
State Championships and Recent Success: The Fighting Irish captured state titles in 2008 (15-0 season, defeating Memphis Mitchell 28-18), 2015 (11-4 record, defeating Pearl-Cohn 48-8), and 2017 (12-3 record, defeating Beech 45-28). The program has also been state runner-up in 2003.
TSSAA Mr. Football Winners: Knoxville Catholic has produced eight TSSAA Mr. Football winners, including Harrison Smith (2006), Daniel Hood (2008), Kyler Kerbyson (2010), Amari Rodgers (2015 & 2016), and Cade Mays (2016 & 2017).
Notable Alumni:
- Harrison Smith – NFL safety for Minnesota Vikings, 6x Pro Bowl, 1st Team All-Pro (2017), Class of 2007
- Cade Mays – NFL offensive lineman for Carolina Panthers, 2x Mr. Football winner, Class of 2018
- Cooper Mays – Current Tennessee Volunteers center, All-SEC performer, Class of 2020
- Amari Rodgers – Former NFL wide receiver, 2x Mr. Football winner, Class of 2017
Meet the Team – 2026 Roster Snapshot
Head Coach: Philip Shadowens
Assistant Coaches: Jaylen Adams, Cody Core, Eric Dye, Josh Jones, Jordan Natour, Ivan Phillips, Amari Rodgers, Bryn Tucker, Jay Whinery, John Wright
| # | Player | Grade | Position | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Matthew Ayo | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Caleb Bales | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Mack Bartholomew | Sr. | — | — | — |
| — | Jonathon Jj Boyd | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Abram Brach | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Samuel Mykel Broyles | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Shaud Broyles | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Kruise Buntyn | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Javier (Javi) Burdick | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Mitch Cannon | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Charlie Castle | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Jeremiah Caswell | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Brogan Corley | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Keagan (Skylar) Covington | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Casen Culbreath | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Joshua Diaz | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Mesac Diaz | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Shannon Dunn | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Jaylen Fitzgerald | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Timothy Gay | Sr. | — | — | — |
| — | Braylen Gibbs | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Ryder Ginn | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Brayden Gonzalez | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Gabriel Gonzalez | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Amarion Graves | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Liam Gray | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Jamarquis Jay Hampton | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Harrison Holmes | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Isaac Hooper | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Baylor Houston | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Brayden Howard | Sr. | — | — | — |
| — | Kyle Humphrey | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Tristan Jarvis | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Robert (Rl) Jessee | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Skylan Johnson | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Brooks Johnston | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Brayden Kowen | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Ryheem Lee | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Frank Mancini | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Davis Masengill | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Thadeus (Thad) McLaurin | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Arthur (Owen) McNally | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Mark Medlock | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Alex Mohr | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Connor Mohr | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Maddux Moore | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Christopher Olvera | Sr. | — | — | — |
| — | Liam Patterson | Sr. | — | — | — |
| — | Phillip Patterson | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Jimmy Jj Payne | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Mason Price | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Stephen Warren Reece | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Aidan Reed | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Saquan Samuel | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Jeremiah Santos-Silva | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Simon Scileppi | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Mark Max Shipe | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Robert Sills | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Cylar Sohrab | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Conseco (Cj) Stewart | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Braxton Stinnett | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Paul Sudderth | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Nicholas (Nicky) Sutherland | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Joseph (David) Thomas | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Nathaniel Truax | So. | — | — | — |
| — | Quandavis Watson | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Joseph (Pierce) Welch | Jr. | — | — | — |
| — | Jackson Whelan | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Key’juan Witt | Fr. | — | — | — |
| — | Markise Witt | So. | — | — | — |
2026 Season Schedule
(District games marked with *)
- Aug 22 – vs Riverdale HS (Home), 6:00 PM
- Aug 27 – vs Anderson Co. HS (Home), 7:30 PM
- Sep 4 – at Lipscomb Academy (Away)
- Sep 11 – vs Cardinal Ritter Prep (MO) (Home), 7:00 PM
- Sep 18 – at Montgomery Bell Academy* (Away)
- Oct 2 – vs Ensworth HS* (Home), 7:00 PM
- Oct 16 – at McCallie School* (Away), 7:00 PM
- Oct 23 – at Christ Presbyterian Academy* (Away)
- Oct 30 – vs Baylor School* (Home)
Your Referrals Help The Kids
$500,000+
Given to the Kids
16+
Years
7
Counties
1
Goal
Supporting East Tennessee High School Football
OEB Law LOVES local High School Football! To support local youth high school football programs, OEB Law donates a $1,000 check every week to different Knoxville area high schools and we sponsor the championship games!
OEB Law is a proud sponsor of Rivalry Thursday and BBB12’s game of the week. We love giving back to our local communities and showcasing the individual high schools around East Tennessee.
When we win, the community wins—over $500,000 reinvested in East Tennessee youth sports and education.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident,
call the team at OEB Law at (865) 546-1111
