High School Football 9/14-9/15

WE TAKEN STATE HERE.

 

Got a 26-4 game last night. When the prep guy saw it, he fussed, "we gotta make calls on this, that's not right." I told him that I asked the stringer three different times and he said, yes -- two safeties....

 

Feelin' like a lazy slug this morning.

Harrisburg (Pa.) High vs. Bishop McDevitt, 10:30 a.m. this morning. Two schools three blocks apart. If the visitor wins, they walk up the main street in the city back to their school toting the trophy. Crazy, good high school stuff.

Really should be there, but the traffic's just too crazy. I knew I was going to have a six-block walk from wherever I parked, almost all uphill, and still have to make my way around McDevitt to the football field, which is cut into a hill behind the school.

Watching CFB on TV just seems a little bit easier.

 

Why such an early kickoff, shottie? I'm assuming it is a "keeping with tradition" type deal.

 

I covered probably the biggest upset in my 14-odd years of covering high school football last night. I'd reveal, but it would out me!

 

McDevitt home games are always 10:30 a.m. until October, Trey. Yeah, it's a very traditional thing; the entire McDevitt "extended family" and the football team have breakfast together around 8, then they fill this little stadium affectionately called the "Rockpile" for reasons you might expect. The ambience is thick.

Addendum: Harrisburg wins 29-7. They're 3-0 and very good. Coached by the former Navy head coach, George Chaump, and they have D-I kids at QB and WR.

 

Euless over Permian?

 

Just read this in the NYTimes about national TV coverage of high school football games.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/17/sports/17highschool.html?hp&ex=1158465600&en=2c72cb4a8c0c4fbe&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Nike, for example, is the lead sponsor for Fox Sports Net’s high school package and a secondary sponsor for ESPN, and was “heavily involved” with “Two-a-Days” on MTV, said Dean Stoyer, a Nike spokesman. It also sponsors 20 high schools — 13 of the top 20 in the USA Today football poll — by outfitting all sports teams at each school. Stoyer called it a significant but worthwhile investment.

“We know that we’re hitting that sweet spot that lives for it and who firmly believes that football is everything.” Stoyer said.

Anyone else find this, well, slightly exploitive?

 

I'm guessing that any high school AD in the country who could get Nike to foot the bill for everything from football to freshman cross country would jump on the deal like Mark Mangino on a plate of Pizza Rolls.

 

That was no upset.

 

Lakeland Florida beat St. Xavier in the Herbstreit classic by 3 in OT. Byrnes, SC beat Moeller 21-20.

 

I don't know but I admit it, I watch the show.

I saw the Nike swoosh on their jerseys and had a feeling it was some kind of sponsorship deal.