Herbstreit’s Football Fest Bigger, Shinier
The Herbsteit Challenge, started as an event pitting Ohio prep teams against powerhouses from around the nation is all growns up now.
The event, in its 4th iteration, was rechristened yesterday as the “Kirk Herbstreit Varsity Football Series Presented by BURGER KING” (and just like in Idiocracy, you get paid every time you say those last two words).
Gone are the rumored money problems of last year, thanks to the King. The event has also partnered with the National Football Foundation and a quality sports promotions firm and as a result, will be expanding to 30 teams and holding games outside of Ohio for the first time, when eight teams will go head-to-head in Texas Stadium.
ESPN will be telivising the marquee matchup between Elder and St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) — featuring future Buckeye Duron Carter. Aquinas, the defending Florida 5A champ, is currently ranked #13 in MaxPreps.com preseason high school rankings. Another stellar battle will feature #9 St. X taking on #21 Prattville (AL). In all, 13 Ohio teams will take the field.
If you’re a recruitnik or just a fan of quality high school football, this is about as good as it gets. Who knows, maybe we’ll see some more magic like when Elder stunned #3 Charlotte Independence last season, snapping their 109-game winning streak.
The full lineup:
| Saturday, 8/30 @ Fawcett Stadium, Canton, OH |
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| 11:00 AM ET: Warren Howland (OH) vs. Klein Forest (TX) |
| 2:00 PM ET: Canton McKinley (OH) vs. Indianapolis Cathedral (IN) |
| 5:00 PM ET: Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (OH) vs. Covington Catholic (KY) |
| 8:00 PM ET: Massillon (OH) vs. Jordan High (UT) |
| Saturday, 8/30 @ Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH |
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| 11:00 AM ET: Cincinnati Elder (OH) vs. #4 St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) – ESPN (9/1 @ 12:00 PM ET) |
| 2:00 PM ET: Middletown (OH) vs. Warren Central (IN) |
| 5:00 PM ET: Cincinnati Colerain (OH) vs. McKeesport (PA) |
| 8:00 PM ET: #9 Cincinnati St. Xavier (OH) vs. #26 Prattville (AL) |
| Saturday, 8/30 @ Texas Stadium, Irving, TX |
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| 11:00 AM CST: Mansfield Timberview (TX) vs. Buford (GA) |
| 2:00 PM CST: Cedar Hill (TX) vs. LaSalle Catholic High School (OH) – Versus (Live) |
| 5:00 PM CST: Justin Northwest (TX) vs. Woodland Hills (PA) – Versus (9/3 @ 5:30 PM ET) |
| 8:00 PM CST: Arlington Bowie (TX) vs. Trotwood-Madison (OH) – Versus (9/4 @ 5:30 PM ET) |
| Sunday, 8/31 @ Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH |
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| 12:00 PM ET: Cincinnati Moeller (OH) vs. Montgomery Bell (TN) |
| 3:00 PM ET: Huber Heights Wayne (OH) vs. East St. Louis (IL) |
| 6:00 PM ET: Lakota West (OH) vs. St. Rita (IL) |
| Monday, 9/1 @ Texas Stadium, Irving, TX |
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| 11:00 AM CT: #1 Euless Trinity (TX) vs. #23 River Ridge John Curtis (LA) |
| 2:30 PM CT: Klein Oak (TX) vs. Mandeville (LA) |
| 6:00 PM CT: Colleyville Heritage (TX) vs. Clovis East (CA) |
So Spielman and Herbie both have High School football classics, whose next Bruce Hooley?
Actually, I heard Mo Clarett has organized a flag football tourney in the Toledo Pen. It’s on CourTV next Friday night. Losers toss the salads.
Can’t seem to bring myself to sneer at Clarett’s troubles. I hope the jail doesn’t have BTN. I can’t imagine sitting there, locked up, watching myself carry the ball in a national title game. Unreal.
I love this kind of stuff, and I’ll be interested to see how the games play out, since they’ll feature a bunch of slow northern teams against all that speed from down South.
Joe….was that a sarcastic remark that actually (somewhat) defended the Buckeyes?
What? No powerhouses from Arkansas?
The Ozark Hillbillies (seriously, that’s a team here) would love to womp up on some Yankee a**. And they’ll have the cash for the trip what with the Independence Day methamphetamine fund raiser out behind the local Wal-Mart this weekend.
Arkansas Buckeye, unfortunately the Herbstreit Classic requires players to wear jerseys over their shoulder pads. From experience, I know shirts are not a popular item down in Arkansas, especially while grocery shopping.
I went to Canton last year to watch Grove City get destroyed by that Buford GA team. I watched almost 3 full games and the best team I saw was Cardinal Mooney. Overall, a pretty good event if you like HS football.
Elder is going to whoop that team from Florida
From experience, I know shirts are not a popular item down in Arkansas, especially while grocery shopping.
Oh yeah. Isn’t the southeastern part of the United States just a grand ol’ place? If you’re lucky on your next trip down these parts, you might double your pleasure and see not only a shirtless dude doing some grocery shopping, but bringing his shirtless toddler with him too.
Wasn’t Santonio Holmes out of St. Thomas Aquinas?
Close — I guess Nate Salley is from St. Thomas Aquinas (though you had the class right).
http://phi.scout.com/a.z?s=67&p=2&c=35099
Yes, I was being facetious, Wil. I’ll go slower next time.