Herbstreit Challenge pumps up talent level By Christopher Lawlor, USA TODAY
Bill Castle says he was looking for a way to move his Lakeland, Fla., team, which finished on top of USA TODAY's Super 25 football rankings in 2005, to another level next season.
He may have found it — Lakeland will play Cincinnati power St. Xavier in the Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge Sept. 16.
The Herbstreit Challenge has nine games over two days at two Ohio sites. The teams involved have finished on top of USA TODAY's Super 25 seven times, five of those by Concord, Calif., De La Salle. Nine of the teams won or finished second in their state, sectional or conference title games last season.
"(We wanted) to challenge our players and coaches with a quality matchup against a powerhouse team," says Castle, USA TODAY's reigning coach of the year.
"We're putting these games in two of Ohio's hotbeds for high school football," says Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quarterback and current ESPN college football analyst.
The weekend kicks off with two games, Findlay (Ohio) vs. Texas High (Texarkana, Texas) and Colerain (Cincinnati) vs. Cardinal O'Hara (Springfield, Pa.), on Sept. 15 at the University of Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium.
The next day will feature seven games at two Ohio sites.
Moeller (Cincinnati) vs. Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.); St. Xavier (Cincinnati) vs. Lakeland; Centerville (Ohio) vs. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.); and Elder (Cincinnati) vs. De La Salle will be played in Cincinnati.
Kent State University's Dix Stadium will host three games: Hilliard (Ohio) Davidson vs. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia); St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) vs. Springdale (Ark.); and Massillon (Ohio) Washington vs. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.).
Five of the teams, four from the top 10, were in last season's final USA TODAY Super 25.
Analyst Tom Lemming of CSTV estimates 75 Division I players, as many as 10 from Lakeland, will be among the teams.
"In my 27 years (as an analyst), it's an unprecedented event mainly because of the quality of competition," he says.
Event director Josh Johnston of CJC Sports estimates it'll cost $45,000 to lodge, feed and transport the non-Ohio teams. "We'll pay the bills through sponsorship and ticket sales," he says.
Herbstreit is already planning for the 2007 event, which will be Sept. 1 in Canton and Cincinnati.
Teams under contract are Pittsburgh Central Catholic, DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.), Union (Tulsa), Long Beach Poly, Mission Viejo (Calif.), Hoover (Ala.) and Evangel Christian (Shreveport, La.).
Texas showdown:
In Texas, two events will be played over the Labor Day weekend (Aug. 31-Sept. 2). The Texas Football Classic will be held at San Antonio's Alamodome with five matchups involving Class 4A and 5A schools. The pairings will be announced March 2.
Tyler's Rose Stadium will host the East Texas Football Classic. Although the pairings won't be released until later, event director Dave Stephenson says the feature matchup — John Tyler (Tyler) vs. Texas High (Texarkana) — will be played on Sept. 2.
