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High School 2007 Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge

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OSUBasketballJunkie

OSUBasketballJunkie

Never Forget 31-0
Canton

7/24/06

Valdosta-Massillon game now possible

Monday, July 24, 2006


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER[/FONT]



MASSILLON - High school football games like this are only talked about in bars and Internet chat rooms. Two of the most storied high school football programs in the country — Massillon and Valdosta, Ga. — playing against each other is the stuff of fantasy.

Not any longer.

The McDonald’s Ohio vs. USA Herbstreit Challenge has verbal agreements from both programs to face each other in 2007. The game, not yet finalized, would take place Labor Day weekend as part of the 2007 Kirk Herbstreit Challenge at Fawcett Stadium.

“I think Massillon will play Valdosta next year. It’s in agreement, but the contracts aren’t signed yet,” said Ken Halloy, director of operations for the Herbstreit Challenge. “It’s an obvious game to get in this. You’re talking about No. 1 vs. No. 2 in all-time wins. Both have verbally agreed to play in 2007.”

Valdosta, Ga., is the winningest high school football program in the country. Massillon is No. 2. For years, Tiger fans have talked about such a game, but it would be an expensive proposal without the help of a third party.

Valdosta has 828 all-time wins; Massillon has 767.

However, Valdosta has been down by its standards. The Wildcats have lost 17 games the last four seasons, including records of 7-5 and 8-5 the last two. Their last state title was in 1998.

The Wildcats hired a new coach, Rick Tomberlin, this year to replace Rick Darlington, who went 26-14 the last three seasons, the lowest winning percentage at the school since the 1940s.

“First, I think it’s a great opportunity to play in the Herbstreit games,” Massillon head coach Tom Stacy said. “They do an outstanding job of getting teams in, and they do a first-class job with everyone. We’re proud to be a part of it.

“As far as playing Valdosta, that would be neat. The No. 1 and No. 2 programs in the country in terms of winning playing would have some interest.”

The Herbstreit Challenge games will begin this year in Cincinnati and Massillon with nine games between Nippert Stadium and Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

The games in Massillon will be Sept 16. Hilliard Davidson will play St. Joe Prep (Pa.) at 2 p.m.; Lakewood St. Edward will play Sprindale (Ark.) at 5; and Massillon will take on Hamilton-Chandler (Ariz.) at 8. Tickets are $13, or $17 at the gate.

Next year, the games will be held at Fawcett Stadium, and the Massillon-Valdosta game will be a part of a doubleheader. After this season, all the Northern Ohio Herbstreit games will be at Fawcett and include McKinley, Massillon and Cleveland Glenville every year, according to Halloy.

Halloy, who was at Saturday night’s Repository East-West All-Star game, didn’t dismiss the possibility of ESPN televising the game if Massillon and Valdosta both sign contracts to play.

“Absolultely, I would think (ESPN) would be interested in it,” he said. “There would be a lot of hoops to jump through because of college football that weekend, but ESPN would drool over the idea of a Massillon vs. Valdosta game.” Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: [email protected]

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Link

Buford invited to Ohio event featuring elite teams

By John Hollis
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/01/06 Buford's football team might spend next Labor Day weekend in Ohio. But before the Wolves can accept an expenses-paid trip to face elite competition, a conflict needs to be resolved.
The Wolves have been asked to play in the Ohio vs. USA Challenge, which pits some of Ohio's best teams against powers from outside the state, Buford athletics director Dexter Wood said.
But Buford has scheduled East Coweta for the same 2007 weekend; it's the second of a two-game contract between the schools. Buford won this year's meeting at Tom Riden Stadium 35-7 on Sept. 1.
The Wolves could agree to buy out the return game if efforts to help East Coweta find another home date don't work out, Wood said.
The Ohio event, played this year at Kent State and the University of Cincinnati, is the brainchild of former Ohio State quarterback and current ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit.
Fourteen teams, including several with national rankings, have guaranteed their appearance, but Buford can't get on board yet.
"We're just in talks right now," coach Jess Simpson said.
The Ohio vs. USA Challenge featured nine games this season.
The 2007 lineup includes well-known programs such as Hoover (Ala.), Mission Viejo (Calif.) and metro Washington's DeMatha.
Hoover, listed eighth in last year's final USA Today rankings, has won Alabama's past four Class 6A state championships and five of the past six. Mission Viejo, which finished last fall ranked 20th by USA Today, has won the past six South Coast League titles.
Buford ranks as one of Georgia's premier programs after reaching five consecutive state finals from 2000 to 2004, winning three consecutive from 2001 to 2003.
Sponsors of the Ohio vs. USA Challenge pay for teams' travel, room and board during three days and two nights in Ohio.
"The fact that we'd be invited to play as an elite national program is one of the greatest honors our football program has ever received, which is really saying something," Wood said.
 
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Honor&Glory;653142; said:
I am hearing strong rumors from my Colerain connection that the Cardinals will be matched with Hoover in 07...
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Colerain in the USA-Ohio Challenge.

Interesting, I guess Brookhaven doesn't want anything to do with Colerain anymore after this years game.

Colerain-70
Brookhaven-0

:tongue2:
 
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Link

Central Catholic, Gateway invited to football classic

By Tricia Lafferty
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, February 24, 2007

Central Catholic and Gateway will venture outside Pennsylvania to open their 2007 football seasons at the Kirk Herbstreit Challenge in Ohio. Sixteen teams will play; eight teams from Ohio will play eight from around the nation over Labor Day weekend.
Games will be played in Cincinnati, Canton and Columbus. Dates, times, sites and matchups have not been determined.
Central Catholic and Gateway have never opened their season outside Pennsylvania. Gateway has opened its past five seasons at home at the Gateway Kickoff Classic.
 
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Cincy

Herbstreit Challenge returning
BY TOM GROESCHEN
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The third annual Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge will return this September, featuring most of Cincinnati's top high school football teams.
Event president Josh Johnston revealed the schedule today, with a South event featuring Greater Cincinnati teams at UC's Nippert Stadium and a North event featuring upstate Ohio teams at Canton's Fawcett Stadium.
The 2006 event, including several games at Nippert Stadium, cost organizers an undisclosed amount of money that they are still trying to pay various vendors.

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Canton

Herbstreit Challenge is coming to Fawcett
Wednesday, April 18, 2007


Week 2 of the high school football season will bring some of the best teams in the nation to Fawcett Stadium in the third annual Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge.

McKinley will host Union (Okla.) on Sept. 1 as part of the northern portion of the 11-game event, according to Lynn Wafler, Canton City Schools director of facilities and physical activities. Other games at Fawcett that day include Youngstown Mooney vs. Gateway (Pa.), Glenville vs. Long Beach (Calif.), and Grove City vs. Pittsburgh Central Catholic. Times have not yet been announced.

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ol104;814758; said:
I am amazed at the number of BIG names in high school football that are coming to Ohio to play in the Classic....great event for HS football fans
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I just wish St. X could be playing a bigger out of state power. X should have a great team this year. (Not to diss Indy Cathedtral, but it'd be more fun to see X playing a team with a bigger rep.)
 
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