The National Guard Border Bowl is a non-profit organization established to promote high school football in Kentucky and Tennessee. The objective is to provide an ALL-STAR game featuring the top players in Kentucky and Tennessee. This game allows players to have one more opportunity to play, practice and battle it out for the rights to the border. It also allows high school seniors to gain additional exposure and perhaps earn a scholarship for college. This year the game will be played on Saturday, January 17th with kick-off at 1 PM.

On Wednesday, January 14, 2009, over 100 players and 20 coaches registered to participate. TV crews and media were on site interviewing and preserving the special occasion. The teams wasted no time as they strapped it up, in bitter cold temperatures, for their first team practices under the lights at Williamsburg and Whitley County High School stadiums. Three-a-day practices are scheduled for Thursday and Friday before the Battle at the Border showdown on Saturday.

Participating in the 2009 National Guard Border Bowl are:

Kentucky Team:

Belfry High School – Charlie Dotson and Ivan Lee
Bell County High School – Monte Merrick, T. Spencer Greer, and Tyler Harbin
Boone County High School – Zac Eagler
Bryan Station High School – Chase Blackburn, Earl McCann, Muhammad Saifullah, and Roy Philon
Clay County High School – Zach Lewis
Conner High School – William Englemon and Max Muckerheide
Corbin High School – Jesse Hayden and Michael Campbell
Estill County High School – Ben Benedict
Franklin County High School – Deron Hicks, Oakley Watkins
Fort Thomas Highlands High School – Adam Dempsey, Tony Guidugli, and Oliver Head
George Rogers Clark High School – Ryan Williams
Harlan County High School – Cody Ison and Nathaniel Gilliam
Hazard High School – Greg Adams and Josh Kidd
Holy Cross High School – Mike Sullivan
Johnson Central High School – Ian Welch and Chase Richardson
Knox Central High School – Cory Smith
Lafayette High School – Gary Demus and Keenan Parker-Green
Lexington Catholic High School – Will Letton and Michael Harmon
Lynn Camp High School – Steven Davis
Middlesboro High School – Hunter Adams
Montgomery County High School – Grant Darnell
Paul Dunbar High School – Christopher Douglas
Perry County High School – Demetri Travis
Pike Country Central – E.J. Hampton
Pineville High School – Tyler Woolum
Powell Country High School – Tyler Perkins
Prestonsburg High School – Allen Craynon, Austin Gearheart and Seth Setser
Raceland High School – Bret Denton and Robby Logan
Scott County High School – Anthony Sandoval and Jon Cox
South Laurel High School – Jeremy Armfield and Ricky Bowling
Tates Creek High School – Heith Castle
Whitley County High School – Jason Powers, Anthony Rider, and Cody Jones
Williamsburg High School – Aaron Brock, Ed Lawson, and Tyler Rollins

Tennessee Team:

Anderson County High School – Paul Longmire, Chad Coleman, Justin Ellis, and Zeke Rogers
Austin East High School – Chance Jones and Antone Dean
Boyd-Bucannon High School – Nic Hughes and Cole Webster
Bradley Central High School – Deonte Lindsey
Campbell County High School – Tyler Albright, Phillip Wells, and Stephen Wells
Cumberland Gap High School – Jon Shipley
Dobyns-Bennett High School – Zach Fleming
Farragut High School – Alex Encarnacion and Derrek Harper
Fulton High School – Courtland Styles and Jermichael Williams
Grace Baptist Academy – Stephen Polley
Grace Christian Academy – Tyler Richardson
Gatlinburg-Pittman High School – Taylor Ogle and Mathew Pittser
Hixson High School – Todd Worley
Knoxville Catholic High School – Nick Branum and Jordan Howantz
Knoxville Central High School – Jacob Rhine and Dylan Wolfenbarger
Morristown West High School – JJ Goforth and Tyrell McKinney
Oneida High School – Justin Terry and Cody Posey
Powell High School – Devin Collins, Kier Houston, and Will Barnes
Red Bank High School – Terrell Torrence
Rhea County High School – Josh Davis
Science Hill High School – Isaac Kinley
Sevier County High School – Patrick Miller and Patrick Sutton
Seymour High School – Brandon Galyon
Soddy Daisy High School – Bubba Haney
South Doyle High School – Chase Phillips and Hakeem Worthen
Sullivan East High School – Preston Frye
Sweetwater High School – Sammy Blomstrom and Tyler Bradley
William Blount High School – Darren Garner and Cole Lail
White County – Seth McDonald
Jeff Hickman – High School unknown at time of release

The final and official roster for the 2009 National Guard Border Bowl will be released on Friday. The roster will include the jersey numbers for each team.

Attendance at the 2008 Border Bowl held at the University of the Cumberlands James H. Taylor, II Stadium, in Williamsburg, Kentucky exceeded 5,500, including more than 20 colleges. The 2009 Border Bowl Committee is hoping to double the 2008 attendance record with added activities and events for the fans. Tickets are $6 with children under the age of 10 admitted free. In addition, all military and their family members will receive free admission to the game.

For more information about the 2009 National Guard Border Bowl, please visit www.ky-tn-borderbowl.com, email Andy Croley at croley@2geton.net, or call 606-215-1235.