High School Football America Wants Your Help in Finding Unique High School Football Stories

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

By the end of next month, high school football practice will be underway for the 2010 season, and I for one couldn't be happier!

As the editor-in-chief of High School Football America, I'm busy trying to figure-out where I'll be going this season.  The one thing I know for sure about our second year is that it will be bigger-and-better than our inaugural season in 2009.

Last season we traveled 4,700 miles and visited eight different states.  Those video vignettes can currently be seen at www.highschoolfootballamerica.com/videos.

While, I'm pretty good about discovering great stories, I'm also turning to my readers this year to make sure I know about all of the great stories around this great country of ours.

If you know of a story that I should be aware of, please email me at jeff@highschoolfootballamerica.com.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Jeff

High School Football America Profiles America's Oldest High School Football Game

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

It's a known fact that Princeton and Rutgers played the first-ever college football game on November 6, 1869...and that fact is what sent me searching for which teams played the first-ever high school football game.

After a little research, I discovered that the distinction belongs to two Connecticut schools.  Norwich Free Academy and Bulkeley School for Boys (now New London High School) played the first-ever high school football game on May 12, 1875.

So with that info in-hand, High School Football America winged its way to southern Connecticut last Thanksgiving to check-out America's oldest high school football game.

That trip resulted in a two-part video series on the rivalry that can be viewed at High School Football America @ www.highschoolfootballamerica.com.

In Part 1, High School Football America co-host Trisha Hoffman takes you to New London's pep rally to celebrate the historic battle.  Part 2 of the series will be released on June 30th.

If your school has a unique story to tell, please feel free to contact me at jeff@highschoolfootballamerica.com.

Sincerely,

Jeff

High School Football America Unveils New Logo

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Things certainly are starting to shape-up for my newest project, High School Football America.

Earlier this week, I unveiled my new logo and new web design.  It's just the start of big things to come in the next few weeks as I prepare for the 2010 high school football season.

Currently I'm working a two-part video series for High School Football America that will introduce my readers to America's oldest high school football game.  The piece was shot last Thanksgiving in the communities of New London and Norwich, Connecticut.

Norwich Free Academy and New London High School began playing back in 1875, although New London was known as the Bulkeley School for Boys.

And, for those of you worried that The High School Football Huddle and it's 51 blogs will be ending...don't worry...we're not going anywhere!  We're just getting bigger and better!

And, finally for investors looking for a new innovative idea, write me for my business plan that will launch High School Football America as the most unique high school football website on the internet.  You can contact me at jeff@highschoolfootballamerica.com.

Jeff

High School Football America™ asks "Is This Heaven...No, it's Iowa"

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

To say it's been difficult balancing earning a living while trying to launch my passion - High School Football America - is an understatement!

Last fall, I traveled over 4,800 miles by car and plane to capture high school football stories that weren't being found anywhere.  The good news is I found them...the bad news is...it's taken me a little bit longer to put together the video vignettes.

As June began, I made a promise to tackle my High School Football America project head-on without any excuses.

So without any further ado, here's my third video vignette from the 2009 season from Miles, Iowa.  A tiny town of 462 residents that play 8-man football in eastern Iowa.

In this story, my co-host Trish Hoffman and I go inside the locker room for an inspirational pep talk from East Central High School head football coach Dave Jenkins, who rallies his troops for battle against its arch-rival Preston, which entered the game with an unbeaten record.  We'll also take you up to the press box where Dick Keeney, the mayor of Miles, has doubled as the team's PA announcer for 16-years.



These types of stories are what High School Football America is ALL about - Small Towns...Big Games™.

For other video stories from the 2009 season, please go to www.highschoolfootballamerica.com/video.

BTW...in the coming weeks, you'll see videos from places around the country like Norwich/New London, Connecticut; Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania; Burlington, Wisconsin and Woodstock, Illinois.  All of these towns have interesting stories where high school football is woven directly into the fabric of the communities.

Enjoy,

Jeff

How Southlake Carroll (TX) Grooms Top-Notch College Quarterbacks

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Over the past decade, Southlake Carroll has gained national attention for playing winning football.

Most of that success has been because the Dragons have had top notch quarterbacks starting with Chase Wasson in 2002, who led the team to a state title an a perfect 16-0.  It then continued with Chase Daniel and and Greg McElroy, who combined to lead the team to a 47-1 mark under the direction of offensive-minded head coach Todd Dodge, who is now the head coach at North Texas.

Who's the next great Dragon QB?

According to writer Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News says it's Daxx Garman, a transfer from Oklahoma, who writes about how Southlake Carroll has developed talent in Groomed to be great: Carroll's system has develop some of area's top QBs.

MaxPreps.com Looks at 2010 Top 25 Contenders

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

With the start of high school football practice set to set in 54 days in Alaska and Tennessee, MaxPreps.com is first to market with an early look at what the its Top 25 high school football rankings will look like.

MaxPreps.com writer Stephen Spiewak does a good job of giving fans an overview of what lies ahead when two-a-days start in High School Football Top 25 Early Contenders.

Here's how Spiewak ranks the early contenders with 2009 records:

1. Trinity (Euless, TX) 14-2
2. Butler (Matthews, NC) 15-0
3. Abilene (TX) 15-0
4. South Panola (Batesville, MS) 14-1
5. Grant (Sacramento, CA) 12-1
6. West Monroe (LA) 15-0
7. Westlake (Westlake Village, CA) 14-0
8. Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) 14-1
9. Bingham (South Jordan, UT) 13-1
10. Lake Travis (Austin, TX) 16-0
11. Plant (Tampa, FL) 13-1
12. Glenville (Cleveland, OH) 13-2
13. Servite (Anaheim, CA) 14-1
14. Good Counsel (Olney, MD) 11-1
15. Manatee (Bradenton, FL) 13-2
16. Warren Central (Indianapolis, IN) 13-2
17. Hoover (AL) 15-1
18. Northwestern (Rock Hill, SC) 9-6
19. Hamilton (Chandler, AZ) 14-0
20. Colerain (Cincinnati, OH) 8-2
21. Armwood (Seffner, FL) 13-2
22. Long Beach Poly (CA) 7-5
23. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) 15-0
24. St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia, PA) 9-3
25. Shiloh Christian (Springdale, AK) 13-1

Georgia High School Football Coach Named National Coach of the Year

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

The National High School Coaches Association has named Greenville (GA) High School's Jeremy Williams as its National High School Coach of the Year.

Williams, who has gained national attention because of his battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, led his team to a perfect 10-0 regular season last year before losing in the second round of the Georgia high school football playoffs.

Williams was also featured on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.  Below is the show from Hulu.com.

Two Ohio High School Football Players Become Entrepreneurs to Pay to Play Football This Season

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

 

Parma head football coach Rob Cyr may have two of the most committed high school football players in the country!

Above is a story run by FOX 8 on Parma football players Patrick McDonough and Patrick Juhn, who have started their own lawn care business to help defray the cost of playing high school football this year.

With the economy wreaking havoc with high school sports programs all across America, some districts have decided that "pay for play" is the way to go.  Meaning players will pay for the right to wear their school colors and battle for state championships.

According to the FOX 8 report, McDonough and Juhn have started All Around Lawncare to try to raise $600 each this fall to play football, rather than asking mom and dad for the money.

Kudos to the guys for going with good ol' American ingenuity to play high school football this year!

If you live in the Parma-area and want to help the boys, you  can call All Around Lawncare at 440-521-8653 or via email at reachmcdonough@yahoo.com.