Gatlinburg All American Bowl/Rising Stars
Event Director: Andrew Capps, Rocky Top Sports World
Event Coordinator: Jordan Straus, Rocky Top Sports World
Director of Competition/Coaching: Coach Tim Smith, Evangel Lightning
The Gatlinburg All American Bowl is owned and operated by Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg, TN. The event was created in 2020 and is exclusive to 8-man football and private/home school 11-man football. RTSW saw the need to give these athletes additional exposure and that continues to be the #1 goal of this series. Gatlinburg was deemed as a perfect fit for this event with its centralized location and attractions/restaurants that are good for all ages. In addition, the Rocky Top Sports World facility, and its partnership with Gatlinburg Pittman High School, is the perfect venue to make this event special. With the support of coaches and athletic directors from all over the country, RTSW was able to host a successful inaugural event, while safely navigating the difficulties presented by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The inaugural event in 2020 and second event in 2021 featured an 8-man and 11-man upperclassmen game. The increasing popularity of the event in Year 2 showed that an expansion was needed. In 2022, the inaugural Rising Stars game was created and added to the overall event. The Rising Stars game was created exclusively for underclassmen. The average age in this game is 16 with the majority of the roster being sophomores with a few juniors and freshmen sprinkled in. The game was a huge success in its first year and it was clear that it was going to stay long term. The roster is typically split 50/50 with 8-man and 11-man football players playing an 11-man format game. This is a great opportunity for young 8-man players especially to have 11-man film going into their Junior season.
The expansion did not stop there! In 2023, two exciting elements were added to the event: Cheer and a standalone 8-Man Juniors game. Adding cheer to the event was a huge success in Year 1 and added a special element to the games. Cheerleaders were included in the Opening Ceremony, practiced their routines, and performed both on the sidelines and during the Halftime Show on gameday. The Juniors 8-man game allowed RTSW to accept more 8-man players overall and give juniors and seniors a separate stage to showcase their skills. RTSW is looking forward to hosting the 5th annual Gatlinburg All American Bowl/Rising Stars Series in 2024!
Check out our FAQ page for more info on the event, selection process, playing time initiatives+more!
Gatlinburg Black Bear Brawl
Event Director: Andrew Capps, Rocky Top Sports World
Event Coordinator: Jordan Straus, Rocky Top Sports World
The inaugural Gatlinburg Black Bear Brawl event was created and hosted in 2022. The event was created a Week 0 "Meet in the Middle" matchup for 8-man and private/home school football teams. For Example: A program from Alabama playing a program from North Carolina in Gatlinburg to cut the travel time in half. Gatlinburg and Rocky Top Sports World proved once again to be a perfect fit for this type of event. In Year 1 the event featured matchups against some of the top 8-man and Private/Home School programs in the southeast. In 8-man you had PAC Panthers (SC) vs Lighthouse Warriors (AL) and Evangel Lightning (AL) vs Cary Christian Knights (NC). PAC, Lighthouse and Evangel all ended up ranked in the Top 5 nationally for home school 8-man football programs by the end of 2023. In 11-man, you had Georgia Force (GA) vs Cabarrus Stallions (NC). The Force won an OT thriller and later in 2023 met the Stallions again in the Conference Championship game.
In 2024, RTSW is expecting to have up to 8 total matchups in Week 0 and have offered additional date options throughout the season. If your program is interested in participating in the event and/or would like more information, please email Andrew Capps.
Gatlinburg Cap Classic Baseball All American
Event Director: Andrew Capps, Rocky Top Sports World
Event Coordinator: Jordan Straus, Rocky Top Sports World
The Gatlinburg Cap Classic's inaugural year will be 2024 and is an All American baseball showcase exclusively for homeschool and private school baseball players. Andrew Capps and RTSW saw the need to expand into other sports and baseball was the first to make sense. The goal of the Gatlinburg Cap Classic is to get the best baseball players in private and home school sports to Gatlinburg. 3 Teams will be created, Team Honor, Team Valor, and Team Courage, to play two games each on Saturday, May 18th. Like with All American football, the event will include a combine, opening ceremony and multiple practices options. The player package includes several event branded items like a cage jacket, dri-fit shirt, game hat and sublimated drawstring bag. It will also include two spectator admissions for gameday.
We're excited to see the growth of this event and looking forward to a great Year 1! If you have any further questions or concerns, please email Andrew Capps.