Super Seven QB Retreat

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

Happy 4th of July everyone!!

Sitting poolside at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, and thought it was time to kick things into high gear for the 2009 season, which gets started July 27th with practice in Alaska and Tennessee.

Several of the country's top quarterbacks spent the last three-days learning at the Super Seven QB Retreat in Hawaii. Hall-of-Famers Warren Moon and Joe Montana, who I had the pleasure of speaking with last week on my flight to LA, are on-hand to help with some coaching. Joe's son Nick, who will be a senior at Oaks Christian in Westlake Village, California is at the camp.

Here's the rest of the Super Seven QB's working out in Maui: Blake Bell, Bishop Carroll Catholic (KS); Barry Brunetti, Memphis University (TN); Austin Hinder, Steamboat Springs (CO); Andrew Manley, Leilehua (HI) and Phillip Sims, Oscar Smith (VA)

Click here to read for about the camp and the QBs.

Also enjoy the hamburgers and hot dogs!!

Here Come the Match-Ups!

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

My blood really starts pumping for the upcoming season when schedules start getting released!

Today we'll kick things off by looking at match-ups from national and regional interstate football gatherings that are popping-up like weeds since Kirk Herbstreit introduced his Ohio vs. USA extravaganza several years ago.

The event is now known as the Kirk Herbstreit Varsity Football Series, and is back for its fifth year with four games being played over two days late in August. A week later, the series moves to Dallas for four games in Dallas on September 7th.

Headlining the August 29 doubleheader at Ohio Stadium in Columbus is defending national champ St. Thomas Aquinas from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The Raiders, who have former Ohio State star and NFL Pro-Bowler Cris Carter as an assistant coach, will play Upper Arlington in the first game. Westerville South will play Hilliard Davidson in the second contest on the 29th.

“The Kirk Herbstreit Varsity Football Series presented by BURGER KING is by far the nation’s top high school
football event,” said Cris Carter. “We have a great high school football tradition here at St. Thomas Aquinas and
we’re excited to be a part of the series again in 2009. This year’s version of the event is extra special for me as I get a
chance to coach in the stadium where I have so many memories from my playing days. It’s also the stadium where my
son will create memories of his own. It should be an unforgettable weekend.”

Carter's son Duron and former St. Thomas Aquinas Raider is a freshman wide receiver for the Buckeyes this year.

On Sunday, California powerhouse Orange Lutheran from Southern California will face Pickerington Central in the second game of the day. In the opener, Olentangy Liberty will take-on Dublin Coffman.

"I am thrilled that Ohio Stadium and the city of Columbus have been selected to host the 2009 Kirk Herbstreit Varsity
Football Series presented by BURGER KING in Ohio,” said Kirk Herbstreit. “When I took the field at Ohio Stadium for the
first time, it was the culmination of a lifelong dream. I am so happy that these young athletes will be able to share in the
same experience. I have always been a strong believer in the lessons and values learned through high school athletics.
We look forward to making the 2009 Kirk Herbstreit Varsity Football Series an experience that these athletes will never
forget."

All of the Ohio games will be televised on either ESPN or ESPNU. The Dallas match-ups will be announced in a couple of weeks.

In Wheeling, West Virginia, the Friends of Coal Prep Classic is back for its second year on September 5th. This year's tripleheader will feature four teams from Pennsylvania and two from Ohio, including the state's defending Division V champ Youngstown Ursuline.

Here are the match-ups with the team's 2008 records:

Friends of Coal Prep Classic
Woodland Hills, PA (4-5) vs. Steubenville, OH (14-1)
McKeesport, PA (8-3) vs. St. Joseph's Prep, PA (8-4)
Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA (8-3) vs. Youngstown Ursuline, OH (15-0)

And, finally here are the match-ups for the Ohio Valley High School Jamboree that will be played August 20th and 21st at Wheeling Island Stadium in West Virginia. The four game event features teams from Ohio and West Virginia.

Ohio Valley High School Jamboree
Wheeling Central Catholic, WV (10-3) vs. St. Clairsville, OH (7-4)
Martins Ferry, OH (11-2) vs. Wheeling Park, WV (10-2)
John Marshall, WV (1-9) vs. Magnolia, WV (9-4)
Brooke WV (3-7) vs. Oak Glen, WV (5-5)

Gaines Returns to Friday Night Lights at Permian

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

It's been 20-years since Gary Gaines roamed a high school sideline, but the man, who is the centerpiece of the the Friday Night Lights book by H.G. "Buzz" Bissinger is back in Odessa. Click here to read a story in USA Today on Gaines return to be the head coach at Odessa Permian.

For more high school football news from Texas, click here to go to the Texas High School Football Huddle.

U.S. Army All-American Bowl Announces It's Nominees

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

Officials of the 10th Annual U.S. Army All-American Bowl have announced the 400 nominees for next year's all-star game that will be played January 9, 2010 in the Alamodome in San Antonio Texas. The pool of 400 will be eventually reduced to an East and West squad made-up of 45 players each.

Texas has the most nominated players with 49 on the initial list.

Last month, eight former U.S. All-American Bowl players were drafted in the first round of the NFL draft with 21-players overall being drafted. Over 32,000 fans attended last year's game.

The High School Football Huddle is compiling the players nominated from each state. To check-on your state, please go to the links section in the righthand column and click.

Florida High Schools Begin Spring Football Practice

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

Spring football practice is blooming in Florida with Monday marking the first day that teams across the state could strap-on pads to begin preparing the the start of the 2009 season. The Orlando Sentinel wasted no time in putting out an article that took a look at ten things to keep your eyes for next season, while pointing out that the season doesn't open for 122 days.

One item in the Top 10 that caught my idea...powerful Daytona Beach Mainland could have dropped to 4A this year, but instead, asked to play at the 6A level.

Click here to read the story.

Texas Lawmakers Re-Examine Steroid Testing Program for High School Athletes

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

Is the economy affecting the way Texas is looking at the state's mandatory steriod testing program? According to a report in the Houston Chronicle, there is debate over whether to maintain the $3 million a year program at its current level. In the first two years of testing, only 11-students tested positive...out of the 29,000 tested.

It's my opinion that the testing program seems to be working and is a great deterrent to anyone that might be considering using steroids. I sure hope that budget deficits aren't the overriding factor in this case.

High School Football Huddle readers...what's your opinion? Please way in with a comment.

Click here to read the story in the Houston Chronicle.

New Jersey Versus The Northeast

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

How good are New Jersey's top high school football players? We'll find out next month when the Garden Staters take on an all-star team made-up of players from Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York and Virginia in the New Jersey-Northeast All-Star Classic at Rutgers University.

For the previous 11-years, the game has pitted New Jersey against New York in a game known as the Governor's Bowl. Click here to read more about the format change for the June 7th game.

Former NFL quarterbacks Phil Simms (New Jersey) and Joe Theismann (Northeast) will be the head coaches.

New Jersey Roster
Offense

QB-Brent Caprio, Mainland
QB-Mike Colvin, Morristown
RB-Ray Graham, Elizabeth
RB-Aaron Hayward, Penns Grove
RB-Dillon Romain, Don Bosco Prep
FB-Blaze Caponegro, Wall
FB-Patrick Schuhl, Gloucester Catholic
TE-Malcolm Bush, Hackensack
TE-Mike Naples, Somerville
WR-Quron Pratt, Palmyra
WR-Roderick Tunstall, Glassboro
WR-Jerry Waters, Camden Catholic
WR-Tyree Watkins, Camden
WR-Nick Williams, Hun
OL-Nick Cattolico, Delran
OL-Zach Chibane, Paramus
OL-Elijah Grant, Piscataway
OL-Max Hay, Burlington City
OL-Eric Mahler, Old Bridge
OL-Evan Regas, Toms River North
OL-Cody Wallace, Moorestown
OL-Khalil Wilkes, St. Peters Prep

Defense

CB-Jeremy Crayton, Piscataway
CB-Kendall James, Roselle
CB-Eric Loper, Timber Creek
CB-Logan Ryan, Eastern
S-Josh Evans, Irvington
S-Jason Hendricks, Hudson Catholic
S-David Kenney, Peddie
LB-Greg Burton, South Plainfield
LB-Carlo Calabrese, Verona
LB-Glenn Carson, Southern Regional
LB-Ka'lial Glaud, Winslow Twp
LB-Marcus Green, Scotch Plains
LB-Brian Leffler, Hun
LB-Zach Protin, Lakeland
DT-DaShawn Cassell, Shawnee
DT-Tyson Chandler, North Plainfield
DT-Tyler Danielson, Sayreville
DT-Julio Geronimo, East Orange
DE-Mike Cole, North Brunswick
DE-Aaron Hush, Piscataway
DE-Mike Larrow, Union.

Special Teams
LS-Mike Alberque Jr. Ridgefield Park
K-Drew Evangelista, Cedar Grove
P-C.J. Feagles, Ridgewood.

Coaching Staff
Head Coach-Phil Simms, NY Giants
Assistant Coaches-Chuck Johnson, Ridgewood
Ken Trimmer, Caldwell
Charlie Pirrillo, Holy Cross
Dan Higgins, Piscataway
Tim Gushue, Shawnee
Joe Matterich, Jefferson
Rich Hansen, St. Peter's Prep
Warren Wolf, Brick.

As soon as I can find the entire Northeast roster, I will pass it along.

Would LeBron James Have Been The Best Receiver of All-Time?

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

There's nothing better than starting a Sunday morning with the New York Times sports section! Today's paper was particularly chock-full of interesting feature stories, including one that looks back at LeBron James' high school football career at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio.

While King James didn't play football his senior season to protect the NBA riches that were ahead of him, he did have a very solid seasons. Click here to read Jonathan Abrams good story that includes a great pic of James as a high school wide receiver.