October 24, 2016
Pilot announced as game day sponsor, M&M Productions USA as video production sponsor
Sponsors of the Tennessee East vs. West All-Star Classic announce a national coverage partnership with ESPN3 and the coaches for the game at a press conference on Oct. 24. From left to right are Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce President George Halford, Pilot Facility Revenue/Marketing Manager Keith Maner, Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association President Bill Marbet, M&M Productions USA President and CEO Mike Brown and Toyota Motor Sales E-Commerce Field Manager Jamie McBee.
For the first time ever, the Toyota East vs. West Tennessee All-Star Classic will be streamed live Dec. 9 on ESPN3, making the 2016 game accessible to high school football fans, college recruiters and viewers across the country. The game will be held Dec. 9 at Tennessee Tech’s Tucker Stadium in Cookeville.
Local production company M&M Productions USA will produce the live video feed that will be distributed to ESPN3 for its national streaming, as well as to television stations across the state of Tennessee.
“While M&M Productions USA provides live video feeds for high school athletics year-round, the All-Star game is special because it is showing the best athletes that Tennessee has to offer,” said Mike Brown, president and CEO of M&M Productions USA. “The M&M Productions USA team will ensure that television audiences across the state and country are able to see these players perform at their best.”
The Toyota East vs. West Tennessee All-Star Classic is marking its 10th anniversary this year. Toyota has been the title sponsor of the matchup for the past eight years and brought several orange-and-white vehicles to display during the announcement. Pilot once again will be the game day sponsor of the matchup.
“The exposure for these Tennessee players and schools is going to be a huge opportunity,” said Bill Marbet, executive director of the Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association (TACA). “Many of our Tennessee All-Star players are destined for the Southeastern Conference or other major college programs. We are excited to show the nation and potential recruiters what our Tennessee All-Star teams can do through statewide and national viewership.”
TACA also announced the selection of the head coaches and coaching staffs for this year’s East and West teams.
Tony Lambert, head coach at Oneida, will serve as the head coach for the East Team. The coaching staff will also include Caine Ballard of Greeneville High School; Josh Kerr of Clinton High School; Carter Caldwell of Boyd-Buchanan High School; Matt Williams of Smyrna High School; Charles Fant of Notre Dame High School; Mark Wattenbarger of Stone Memorial High School; and Jeff McMillian of Carter High School
Major Wright, head coach at Raleigh Egypt High School, will serve as head coach for the West Team. The coaching staff will also include Johnny Allen of Harding Academy; Woodrow Lowe of Bolivar High School; Isaac Shelby of Clarksville High School; Rick Rice of Wayne County High School; Eddie Woods of Cane Ridge High School; and Brian Rector of Father Ryan High School.
The Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association will announce the player rosters in November.
The All-Star game also is supported by the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce.
“Going into our fifth year of partnering with TACA and Tennessee Tech to host this outstanding game, we could not be more thrilled about showcasing the talents of these young athletes on a new level,” said George Halford, chamber president and CEO. “This broadcast will highlight the best of the best from East to West and amplifies Cookeville-Putnam County as the capital of Tennessee high school football.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world’s top automaker and creator of the Prius and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to advancing mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 50 years, we’ve produced more than 30 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 44,000 people (more than 34,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.5 million in the U.S.) in 2015 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.
Toyota partners with community, civic, academic, and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We share company resources and extensive know-how to support non-profits to help expand their ability to assist more people move more places. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com
About Pilot Convenience Stores
Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Pilot operates 39 convenience stores in Tennessee.
About M&M Productions USA
Based in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, M&M Productions USA is a full-service event planning and production company. The company provides turnkey solutions for full production events, breakout meeting management, audience response systems, lighting and stage design, video production, digital signage, script writing, speaker training, webcasting, virtual conferences, live broadcast services and event choreography. Customers, such as the White House Office of Communications, NCAA, Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Department of Energy and Ripley Entertainment, discover that the certified professionals at M&M Productions USA deliver the best experience possible for all audience members. For more information, visit www.mmproductionsusa.com.
About the Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association
The Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association (TACA) is a non-profit organization founded by Jim Cartwright in 1983. His vision for TACA was to promote education, self-awareness and leadership skills through all youth sports, as well as providing many needs for student athletes that were not being met. Cartwright’s vision has become a reality that has been met over the years through his efforts and every individual who has been a part of TACA. TACA helps youth sports organizations keep sports fun, safe and accessible, by offering resources focused on the game, and promotes positive youth development.
