Lastest High School Football Rankings

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

PrepNation.com, USA Today and MaxPreps.com had shuffling in their Top 25 polls this week.

The "funniest" move of the week is by Manatee (Bradenton, FL), which movies up in all three polls after a solid 48-10 win over Plant, which entered the game ranked #2 by PrepNation.com, #6 by USA Today and #11 by MaxPreps.  What makes it "funny" is the fact that Manatee's win doesn't count, because Florida doesn't use its Kickoff Classic games in a team's record...so Manatee and Plant are 0-0.

Below are all three rankings with each seeing eye-to-eye on the nation's top team....Euless Trinity.

National Prep Poll by PrepNation.com

1. Euless Trinity (TX) 1-0, LW: #1
2. Abilene (TX) 1-0, LW: #3
3. South Panola (MS) 2-0, LW: #5
4. Grant (CA) 1-0, LW: #9
5. Manatee (FL) 0-0, LW: #21
6. Lake Travis (TX) 1-0, LW: 4
7. St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) 0-0, LW: #7
8. Glenville (OH) 1-0, LW: #8
9. Hoover (AL) 1-0, LW: #10
10. Colerain (OH) 1-0, LW: NR
11. Good Counsel (MD) 1-0, LW: #12
12. De La Salle (CA) 0-0, LW: #14
13. West Monroe (LA) 0-0, LW: #16
14. Miami Central (FL) 0-0, LW: NR
15. Hamilton (AZ) 2-0, LW: 11
16. Dwyer (FL) 0-0, LW: #6
17. Phoebus (VA) 0-0, LW: #17
18. Servite (CA) 0-0, LW: #15
19. Camden County (GA), LW: #18
20. Stony Point (TX) 1-0, LW: #19
21. Bingham (UT) 2-0, LW: NR
22. Dorman (SC) 1-0, LW: #20
23. Don Bosco Prep (NJ) 0-0, LW: #22
24. Mission Viejo (CA) 0-0, LW: #24
25. Wheaton-Warrenville South (IL) 1-0, LW: #25

USA Today


1. Euless Trinity (TX) 1-0, LW: #1
2. Miami Central (FL) 0-0, LW: #2
3. South Panola (2-0), LW: #4
4. Abilene (TX) 1-0, LW: #3
5. Bingham (UT) 2-0, LW: #5
6. Manatee (FL) 0-0, LW: #8
7. Phoebus (VA) 0-0, LW: #7
8. Lake Travis (TX) 1-0, LW: #8
9. Good Counsel (MD) 1-0, LW: 10
10. Hamilton (AZ) 2-0, LW: #16
11. Hoover (AL) 1-0, LW: #15
12. De La Salle (CA) 0-0, LW: #12
13. Har-Ber (AR) 0-0, LW: #13
14. Mater Dei (CA) 0-0, LW: #14
15. Glenville (OH) 1-0, LW: #22
16. Dorman (SC) 1-0, LW: 1-0
17. North Gwinnett (GA) 2-0, LW: NR
18. West Monroe (LA) 0-0, LW: #18
19. Glades Central (FL) 1-0, LW: #21
20. St. Peter's Prep (NJ) 0-0, LW: #20
21. Bishop Gorman (NV) 1-1, LW: #11
22. Chaparral (CA) 0-0, LW: #24
23. Shiloh Christian (AR) 0-0, LW: #25
24. Grant (CA) 1-0, LW: NR
25. Warren Central (IN) 1-1, LW: #23

MaxPreps.com Xcellent 25


1. Euless Trinity (TX) 1-0, LW: #1
2. Abilene (TX) 1-0, LW: #2
3. South Panola (MS) 2-0, LW: #3
4. Grant (CA) 1-0, LW: #5
5. West Monroe (LA) 0-0, LW: #6
6. Westlake (CA) 0-0, LW: #7
7. Dwyer (FL) 0-0, LW: #8
8. Bingham (UT) 2-0, LW: #9
9. Lake Travis (TX) 1-0, LW: #10
10. Glenville (OH) 1-0, LW: #12
11. Manatee (FL) 0-0, LW: #15
12. Good Counsel (MD) 1-0, LW: #14
13. Servite (CA) 0-0, LW: #13
14. Hoover (AL) 1-0, LW: #17
15. Northwestern (SC) 1-0, LW: #18
16. Hamilton (AZ) 2-0, LW: #19
17. Colerain (OH) 1-0, LW: #20
18. Armwood (FL) 0-0, LW: #21
19. Long Beach Poly (CA) 0-0, LW: #22
20. Katy (TX) 1-0, LW: NR
21. Stony Point (TX) 1-0, LW: NR
22. Shiloh Christian (AR) 0-0, LW: #25
23. De La Salle (CA) 0-0, LW: #23
24. Phoebus (VA) 0-0, LW: NR
25. Butler (NC) 1-0, LW: #24

Saturday High School Football Scores

High School Football Scores
National Games

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Bell Glade Glades Central (FL)  6  Dallas Skyline (TX)  0
Hoover (AL)  14  Byrnes  (SC)  0

State-by-State High School Football Scores

Alaska Scores
Hawaii Scores
South Carolina Scores

Check-out High School Football America's Inside Look at the Pius X Royals

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

With its last scrimmage out of the way today against Wilson, the Pius X Royals have one week to get ready for its season opener next Saturday against Pottstown at Amelio Scott Alumni Stadium.

I'll be on hand in Roseto, Pennsylvania to capture the entire day for my season-long look the Royals at High School Football America.

Click here to check-out all of the videos from the 2010 pre-season camp.

Friday Night High School Football Scores

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Back from an incredible night in Rockville, Indiana!

Aside from meeting great people, I got to meet former Rox player Matt Kinsey, who was on the sidelines coaching his former team tonight against Covington High, just two months after losing his foot while serving his country in the military in Afghanistan.

Words cannot possible begin to describe what I saw tonight, but I was able to capture it all on video for a story that you'll see on High School Football America this week.  Kinsey, who is fully mobile on a prosthetic foot was honored before the game in a moving ceremony.

To make the night complete, the Rox beat Covington 20-6.

For all of the scores from around America tonight, click on the links below...

Alabama Scores
Alaska Scores
Colorado Scores
Florida Scores
Georgia Scores
Hawaii Scores
Indiana Scores
Illinois Scores
Iowa Scores
Kentucky Scores
Michigan Scores
Mississippi Scores
Missouri Scores
Montana Scores
Nebraska Scores
New Mexico Scores
North Carolina Scores
Ohio Scores
South Carolina Scores
Tennessee Scores
Texas Scores
Utah Scores

Thursday Night High School Football Scores

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Looking for scores from tonight?  Click on the link below to find them.

Alabama Scores
Florida Scores
Iowa Scores
Michigan Scores
Ohio Scores
Tennessee Scores
Texas Scores
West Virginia Scores
Wisconsin Scores

Sports Illustrated Writer Tim Layden Examines the Origin and Evolution of Offensive & Defensive Schemes in New Book

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Award-winning Sports Illustrated writer Tim Layden has written a great book that I highly recommend reading to get you ready for the upcoming season...no matter what level of football you are interested in.

Blood, Sweat and Chalk takes readers inside the game's greatest schemes and plays without getting to dry and technical.  Layden does a magnificent job of weaving interviews with the game's legendary coaches...Bill Belichick, Don Coryell, Joe Gibbs, Darrell Royal and Tom Osborne...into the X's and O's that many fans don't understand.

The journey starts at the turn-of-the-century Single Wing and ends at the crazy A-11 offense that was created at Piedmont High School in northern California.

To learn more about the book, listen to my High School Football America podcast interview with Layden below.

High School Football America - On the Road Again

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Willie Nelson couldn't have said it any better..."Just can't wait to get on the road again"!! 

While we're not making music, the sound of pads popping is like music to my ears. Yes, high school football is in the air, and I can't stop taking deep breaths of it!

Since August 12th, High School Football America has visited South Bend, Indiana; New Buffalo, Michigan; Roseto, Pennsylvania (3 days) and Rockville, Indiana.

Judging by the jump in hits to the website, everyone is enjoying High School Football America's inside look at the Pius X High School Football program.  Your all-access pass will continue through the entire season.

This past Saturday, Trish and I ventured 180 miles south of Chicago to Rockville, Indiana to begin preparing for our first visit of the 2010 season.  We'll head back to the town of 2,900 Friday night for the Rockville Rox home opener against Covington.

The side story on Friday night will be the fact that Rockville is situated in the heart of Parke County, which is known as the "Covered Bridge Capital of the World".  There are 31 of these magnificent structures along five color-coded routes that total approximately 161 miles of driving.

We ventured along the 'yellow route" on Saturday, starting at the West Union Bridge, which at 315 feet long is slightly longer than a football field.  The bridge is closed to traffic, but the next one, the Marshall Bridge (pictured above), isn't.

The oldest bridges date back to between 1856 and 1860.

As we drove around the 34 mile yellow route, we let our minds dance back to a bygone era when people weren't as lucky to be driving the route in a car.

We were surprised at how much wooded area was in this part of the country...I always thought Indiana had nothing but flat farmland.

We ended the night at the Thirty-Six Saloon where we enjoyed a well-prepared walleye platter and a porterhouse steak, served by a very friendly staff. The Thirty-Six Saloon is also a taxidermist's dream with a wide array of stuffed animals ranging from a rattlesnake to a mountain lion.

However, when we return on Friday night, we'll be hunting for some good ole' fashion small town high school football.

PrepNation.com - Week 2 High School Football Rankings

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Only two teams in the PrepNation.com National Prep Poll played last weekend, and with both South Panola (Batesville, MS) and Hamilton (Chandler, AZ) winning, there are no changes in the latest poll.

PrepNation.com National Prep Poll
Week 2


1. Euless Trinity (TX) 
2. Plant (Tampa, FL) 
3. Abilene (TX) 
4. Lake Travis (Austin, TX) 
5. South Panola (Batesville, MS) 1-0
6. Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) 
7. St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) 
8. Glenville (Cleveland, OH) 
9. Grant (Sacramento, CA) 
10. Hoover (AL) 
11. Hamilton (Chandler, AZ) 1-0
12. Good Counsel (Olney, MD) 
13. St. Xavier (Cincinnati, OH) 
14. De La Salle (Concord, CA) 
15. Servite (Anaheim, CA) 
16. West Monroe (LA) 
17. Phoebus (Hampton, VA) 
18. Camden County (Kingsland, GA) 
19. Stony Point (Round Rock, TX) 
20. Dorman (Roebuck, SC) 
21. Manatee (Bradenton, FL) 
22. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, NJ) 
23. LaSalle College (Wyndmoor, PA) 
24. Mission Viejo (CA) 
25. Wheaton-Warrenville South (Wheaton, IL) 

The Huddle High School Football Scoreboard

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

There are officially eight states now playing games that count...it's actually 11 if you count the Champions Challenge in Alabama and the Sollenberger Classic between Arizona and Nevada champs.

Over the last three years, one of the biggest features here at The High School Football Huddle is centralizing scores throughout the weekend.  When the scores come-in, I post them on the corresponding state huddle sites.

To make scores easier to find, I've posted links below that will take you right to the scores.

Alabama Huddle
Alaska Huddle
Hawaii Huddle
Indiana Huddle
Kentucky Huddle
Mississippi Huddle
North Carolina Huddle
South Carolina Huddle
Utah Huddle

High School Football Regular Season Begins in Six States This Weekend

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

High school football's regular season comes to the Lower 48 tonight and tomorrow.

While the season officially began in Alaska two weeks ago, and then in Hawaii last week, the Lower 48 get into playing the games for real this weekend with the regular season opening in Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Utah.

While those states open en masse, a couple of states start with just a few high-profile match-ups.  In Arizona tomorrow defending Arizona Class 5A Division I state champ Chandler Hamilton against Nevada 4A champ Bishop Gorman in the Sollenberger Classic .  In Alabama, six teams will play in the 5th Annual Champions Challenge Prep Football Classic in Montgomery.  Georgia kicks-off with the Corky Kell Classic in the Georgia Dome.

Cheesesteaks & High School Football

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Before getting into today's first post, I just want to apologize to my readers for a technical snafu by Blogger that caused us to be down for three days.  The good news is everything is back to normal now.

My three-day odyssey to Roseto, Pennsylvania for an inside look at the opening of Pius X High School's 2010 high school football season has ended...for now.

Some of the numbers...65 hours on the ground; 13 hours of video shot; 11 hours of sleep; 3 "flats" (hoagies) from Ruggiero's Market; 2 cheesesteaks at Detzi's Tavern and ONE great memory...with more to come.

Here is the first video from Day 1 of Camp Royal.  It's a 90-second sights-and-sounds piece from the Royals first official practice under first-year head coach Phil Stambaugh, who is a Pius alum and also played in the NFL and NFL Europe.


I will be posting dozens of other video clips and stories at High School Football America over the next two weeks, leading up to the Royals' season opener against Pottstown on September 4th.

To learn more about this Class A program with only 180 students in grades 9-12, please go to the 2010 Pius X HS Story at High School Football America.

High School Football America in Pennsylvania for Opening Day of High School Football

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

It's 4:52 A.M. Eastern Time and my adrenaline is flowing as I'm up early to catch the first day of high school football practice in Pennsylvania.

When I'm finished with this post, I'm out-the-door of the Hampton Inn in Bethlehem to travel to Pius X High School for the first of the Royals three practices today.  As I've been mentioning since last Wednesday, I will be profiling Pius throughout the season, and it all starts today when the sun rises on the new season.

Camp Royal officially opens at 6:45 A.M. EST when the players, who are spending the first week staying at the school all-day and sleeping in the wrestling room, get there wake-up call.  I'll be there with camera in-hand as the players awake with blurry eyes that will then begin focusing on the 2010 season.

You'll be able to check-out tons of video from the first three days of camp at High School Football America throughout the week.  I should be able to have a quick snippet posted by sometime after lunch...just click on the 2010 Pius X HS Story tab.

Everybody on three...one-two-three...let's go!

I needed to do that to wake-up my brain!

It's going to be a long day that will last until the players eat dinner on-campus around 8.

Jeff

Kenny Chesney Releases High School Football Anthem - Boys of Fall

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America



Most people don't know this about me, but my first full--time job in radio was as a county music morning-drive disc jockey at WHOL-AM radio in Allentown in 1980.

I can still hear the jingle I had to play four-times an hour...Top Gun in Allentown...W-H-O-L...followed by a Ricochet Rabbit-type gunshot and the bullet hitting some metal object.

I loved those days...got kissed by Barbara Mandrell; the owner of the station was in Willie Nelson's first band and I met Eddie Rabbit, who wrote Elvis' Kentucky Rain, which I still love to this day.

Without waxing too nostalgic, I always enjoyed country music and thought it needed to be the genre for a high school football anthem.

Well, the anthem is here...and it's sung by former Gibbs High (Tennesse) football player and now country music star Kenny Chesney.

Boys of Fall, which can be viewed at the top of this post, was written by Dave Turnbull and Casey Beathard for an upcoming documentary on high school football by Chesney, who played wide receiver in high school.

While I wish the song was a little bit more uptempo, it's still creates the great feel of Friday nights.  The opening of the video is awesome with a great pre-game speech from a coach.

On his website Chesney says, "Having played football, I know how true that song felt to me.  And, that song is real not just for anyone who's ever played, but for the moms driving their kids to peewee football, for the guys in the barbershops talking about this year's team at the local school, for the kids on the sidelines cheering and it's certainly for anyone who's ever coached little kids, junior high schoolers and certainly for high school players coming into their own.

How is the song resonating with America, according to Chesney's website, after just one day of play, it debuted in the Top 20.

What are your thoughts on this song?

High School Football America to give its readers the "Royal" treatment

by Jeff Fisher

High School Football America

As I contemplated what I could do special for the 2010 high school football season, one thought came to mind...think SMALL!

Yes, I said SMALL.

You see, as I’ve been telling my readers for the past year, High School Football America is all about covering good stories.  It’s almost like we’re miners looking for those hidden gems of high school football stories that are buried deep beneath national rankings and recruiting stories.

So with that in mind, I wracked my brain for something small that could be turned into something big. 

It didn’t take me long to come-up with the answer.

I wanted to chronicle a small town football team for an entire year to give fans a feel for how the line between a community and its football team blurs, and the team becomes part of the fabric of the community.

But the question was which team?

Once again, it didn’t take long to come-up with the answer.

I just had to look a little north of my hometown of Easton, Pennsylvania to the tiny borough of Roseto…home to the Pius X Royals, a small catholic school with an enrollment of approximately 260 students in 7-12 grades.  The Royals play in Pennsylvania’s smallest classification (Class A). 

That definitely qualifies as small, but what the school and the football program have accomplished through the years in sports is big, including an NFL quarterback in Phil Stambaugh…and that’s where the story begins.

Stambaugh, who just celebrated his 32nd birthday on Tuesday, is preparing to open his first camp as a head coach at his alma mater on Monday, August 16th…and High School Football America will be there with him.

Even after spending time as a quarterback in the NFL and NFL Europe, Stambaugh is your typical Pius X alum…once a Royal, always a Royal.

What seems to make this story feel right is Stambaugh and I have a history that includes me covering him while I worked at WFMZ-TV while he was leading his team to a 1995 District 11 Class A championship, plus his brilliant career at Lehigh University where he spent his four years re-writing school and Patriot League record books.

What appeals the most to me about Pius is how it truly is a family affair for the approximately 1,600 people that reside in the community. 

Like Stambaugh, eight of his eleven assistant coaches attended the “old school” brick school building on 3^rd Avenue.  Heck...Stambaugh’s mom Connie currently is the athletic director at the school.  His dad, Mike, coached football, volleyball, girls’ softball and wrestling at Pius.

Roseto is a little bit like the imaginary TV show bar Cheers…everyone knows your name.

Hopefully, between now and the end of the season, America will know the Pius X Royals.

Editor’s note: Beginning Monday, August 16^th, High School Football America, The High School Football Huddle and the Pennsylvania High School Football Huddle will have daily stories on the Royals.

To learn more about the upcoming season, go to the Pius X Royals football website

High School Football America Teams-up with Seattle Seahawks Rookie Golden Tate

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

As I expand the amount of original content for my readers, I've partnered with Seattle Seahawks rookie receiver Golden Tate to help him write his bi-weekly blog that you can check-out at Golden's website www.playmakertate.com.

Our first collaboration is entitled How Do I Engage Seattle's 12th Man?

Tate, who left Notre Dame after his junior year, was taken by the Seahawks in the 2nd round (60th overall) of the NFL Draft.

In the coming weeks, I'll be writing about Tate's high school memories.  Born in Hendersonville, Tennessee, he played his high school football at Pope John Paul II High School.

Tate will wear #81 in the NFL, not his familiar #23 that he wore in high school and college.  Speaking of #23 check-out this video I found of Golden from a high school game in 2006.

In the 2007 YouTube video Tate's team was down by 14 points with 7.5 second left in regulation.  What you don't see is Tate scoring a touchdown to cut the lead to 49-42.  What you do see is #23 recovering the ensuing on-side kick and then catching a TD pass with no time left in regulation.  The game went to overtime with Tate helping Pope John Paul II get the victory.



Tate's website was created by Curv Sports LLC To follow Golden on Twitter, click here.

About Curv Sports
CurvSports delivers an online monetization and brand management strategy for professional athletes, media personalities and celebrities via a unique platform that connects sponsors and fans with the athlete’s entire digital community.
 
For the Celebrity:  CurvSports enables athletes, media personalities and celebrities to define, promote and monetize their digital presence, resulting in an expanded, more connected, and more committed fan base that is motivated to support the athlete's initiatives.
 
For the Fans:  CurvSports enables fans to more closely connect with their favorite athletes by providing direct access to the athlete's "personal story" and content from the athlete's perspective.
 
For the Sponsors:  CurvSports provides a measurable platform where companies can connect with targeted consumers by aligning with individual athletes whose personal brands are best suited to communicate the company's brand imagery to a captured fan following.

17 States Begin High School Football Practice This Week

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

The 2010 continues to heat-up with Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming all beginning two-a-day today or sometime before Sunday.

I'm working on releasing plenty of great original content that will be released throughout the week.

On Wednesday, I'll be announcing High School Football America's season-long series on a tiny high school in northeast Pennsylvania with an enrollment of 280 students.

I'll also be releasing my first daily podcast later this week.  Our first guest will be Jamie DeMoney of PrepNation.com, which has been ranking high school football teams since 1987.  I'll talk with Jamie about his 2010 Preseason National Prep Poll, plus find-out what goes into creating a national high school football poll.

Natalie Randolph Makes History as She Takes the Field for Her First High School Football Practice as Head Coach

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America




While Alaska was opening the regular season for all of high school football Friday night, Coolidge High's (Washington, DC) Natalie Randolph took the field for her first practice as head coach of the program.

The Washington Post reports that 29-players were on the field for Randolph's historic first day.

2010 High School Football Regular Season Opens Tonight in Alaska

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

With over a dozen states ready to open camps next Monday, Alaska kicks-off its regular season this weekend.

There are three games on the schedule tonight and thirteen tomorrow.  To learn more about what's happening on the Alaska high school football scene, go to the Alaska High School Football Huddle for news, rankings, schedules and scores.

Welcome to the 2010 season!

PrepNation.com Releases It's Pre-Season High School Football Rankings

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

Over the next several weeks there will be quite a few national polls released that will cause lots of conversation about which team or state is the best when it comes to high school football.

Earlier this year, MaxPreps.com got out of the box early with it's pre-preseason Top 25.  Last month ESPNRise unveiled its Fab 50.  Today we'll look at one of the oldest polls in the nation, the National Prep Poll by PrepNation.com.  The National Prep Poll has been around since 1987.

Below you'll find the Top 25, but if you go to PrepNation.com, founder and editor Jamie DeMoney has actually ranked the Top 100, plus he also has regional rankings.

In DeMoney's story about his pre-season poll, he mentions that #1 Euless Trinity is in the top spot of his pre-season rankings for the second time in the last three years.  He also notes that California, Florida and Texas have four teams each in the Top 25.  Fourteen different states are represented in the Top 25.

1. Euless Trinity (TX) 14-2
2. Plant (Tampa, FL) 14-1
3. Abilene (TX) 15-0
4. Lake Travis (Austin, TX) 16-0
5. South Panola (Batesville, MS) 14-1
6. Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) 14-1
7. St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) 13-1
8. Glenville (Cleveland, OH) 13-2
9. Grant (Sacramento, CA) 12-1
10. Hoover (AL) 14-1
11. Hamilton (Chandler, AZ) 14-0
12. Good Counsel (Olney, MD) 11-1
13. St. Xavier (Cincinnati, OH) 9-3
14. De La Salle (Concord, CA) 12-2
15. Servite (Anaheim, CA) 14-1
16. West Monroe (LA) 15-0
17. Phoebus (Hampton, VA) 15-0
18. Camden County (Kingsland, GA) 13-2
19. Stony Point (Round Rock, TX) 13-2
20. Dorman (Roebuck, SC) 14-1
21. Manatee (Bradenton, FL) 13-2
22. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, NJ) 12-0
23. LaSalle College (Wyndmoor, PA) 14-1
24. Mission Viejo (CA) 12-1
25. Wheaton-Warrenville South (Wheaton, IL) 13-1

My two centers, I want to mentioned that I provided a link above to ESPNRise's Fab 50, but haven't posted on The High School Football Huddle because I feel the website uses its rankings to hype its television broadcasts.  Example being that Abilene is #1 and Plant is #2....and surprise, surprise, the two will meet on ESPNU on September 16th.

I can hear the promo now....#1 Versus #2 ONLY on ESPNU!

Don't get me wrong, I know both teams are good.  My regular readers know I'm not a big fan of "made for TV" match-ups.