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: Rusty Bradley, Cody Core, Eric Dye, Josh Jones, I’tavius Mathers, Jordan Natour, Ivan Phillips, Amari Rodgers, Bryn Tucker, Jay Whinery, John Wright
Coming Soon
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)
