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Evangel and Cornerstone were well-represented at the Gatlinburg All-American Bowl as the Lightning and Chargers showcased their skills. (Contributed)

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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

GATLINBURG, Tenn. – Some of the brightest stars from Shelby County’s two 8-man football state championship-winning programs got to showcase their skills on the national stage.

Multiple players from the Evangel Christian Lightning and Cornerstone Christian Chargers represented the county at the Gatlinburg All-American Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

For Evangel, six different players took the field in the seniors game. Linemen Reed Castleberry and Ethan Stallings, quarterback and linebacker Kemp Swords, wide receiver, defensive back and punter Will Welch, receiver and defensive back Paul Dixon and defensive back Simon Stafford represented the Lightning.

Cornerstone had two seniors represented in the game as well with their coach James Lee alongside them. Drake Dunning and Seth Dillard both played for Team Glory in the All-American Game. Quarterback Zeke Adams was invited but missed the game due to illness.

As a linebacker, Dunning finished with three tackles and two quarterback hurries. Dillard featured in the game as a tight end and caught one pass for five yards.

Evangel also had five players take the field in the 11-man Rising Stars game for underclassmen, including sophomore linebacker and fullback David Johnson, freshman defensive end Max Watson, freshman quarterback Sawyer Welch, freshman tight end and defensive end Jackson Lowden and sophomore lineman James Wolfe.

Those 11 players were joined by coach Tim Smith along with five ECS cheerleaders, including Sarah King, Anna Armstrong, Kira Bailey, Erin Eicher and Sawyer Griffin.

Cornerstone sophomore lineman Malachi Adams also took part in the Rising Stars Game as a part of Team Navy. He finished with three tackles, including two tackles for loss, along with two quarterback hurries while playing along the defensive line.

The 2024 Gatlinburg All-American Bowl was the fifth edition of the event. The week spotlights 8-man football players as well as private school or homeschooled 11-man players who are nominated by their coaches to give them increased exposure.

Both the Lightning and Chargers finished the 2024 season as 8-man state champions.

Evangel won the ACSC for the third straight season by defeating East Central Home School on Nov. 9 to finish undefeated in 8-man play, extending their win streak in the format to 38 in a row.

The Lightning were also the six-time defending champions in the NHSA national tournament but opted not to defend their title this year.

Cornerstone earned its second-straight AISA 8-man state title after finishing a perfect 12-0 season with a win over Macon-East Montgomery Academy on Nov. 21. The Chargers have now won 33 8-man games in a row dating back to 2023 and each of their last 14 games.

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