Arraigned Virginia Football Coach to Stay on Sideline...for now

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

As everyone knows, my job (not an official one, but someday soon) is to comb the media for high school football stories, and then post them on The High School Football Huddle, so it's a little easier for my readers to get high school football news.

For the most part, I like to talk about all of the positive things that are associated with high school football. I generally don't post the stories about arrests and the police blotter stuff.

However, today I came across a story that made me scratch my head, and thought I had to post it.

It comes from The Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg in Virginia...

According to the published report Caroline High School will not suspend head coach Ben Boyd for this season even though he's been arraigned on two felony charges of forging and uttering a public document. This is the same Ben Boyd, who in 1991 had a federal misdemeanor conviction for misbranding and illegally dispensing anabolic steroids.

Now, I certainly believe that in America, you're innocent until proven guilty...but...the Caroline School Board didn't even discuss possibly suspending the head coach at its Monday meeting!! If you're wondering, the Virginia High School League has no policy on coaches charged with crimes, so it's up to the individual districts.

Click here to read the entire story, while I continue to scratch my head on what this school district is thinking?

Oh wait...I figured it out...it's because the knuckleheads on the school board think it's too close to the start of practice, and Boyd's suspension could jeopardize the team's season.

That's it...wins trump integrity! Everyone on that school board should be suspended until they figure out the right thing to do!

Non-Contact Drills Begin in Kentucky

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

Full contact drills don't begin until August 1st, but coaches in Kentucky are able to get down to the business of coaching today in the Bluegrass State. However, not all teams will be on the practice field today for non-contact workouts.

State officials want to make sure that before heading out into the summer heat, all coaches have completed training to comply with the state's new rules on heat-related training that were implemented last year after the heat-related death of Max Gilpin of Pleasure Ridge Park.

Two week's ago, the National Athletic Trainers' Association recommended that high school football teams should eliminate two-a-day practices in the first week of August. Kentucky High School Athletic Association rules prohibit teams from holding two-a-day workouts on consecutive days.

Click here to read about the National Athletic Trainers' Association recommendations.

The regular season begins August 21st in Kentucky.

Friday Night Lights on Tuesday with Billy Bob Thornton

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

Just got back from a meeting in St. Louis where I met Billy Bob Thornton, the star of Friday Night Lights, who is currently working on producing a movie on Cardinals manager Tony La Russa's book 3 Nights in August. FNL's author Buzz Bissinger is also the author of La Russa's book.

Billy Bob was very cool...just like you'd expect him to be!!

I enjoyed a five minute conversation with him on baseball. For those of you that don't know, the Academy Award winning actor had aspirations of being a major league baseball player for the Redbirds, but the closest he got, was his current close friendship with La Russa.

Before the end of the chat, I asked Billy Bob for his thoughts on Gary Gaines returning to the sidelines at Odessa Permian this fall.

"It should be interesting," replied Thorton, who played the tough nose Gaines in 2004 movie.

Click here to read an earlier Huddle story on Gaines returning to the Permian sidelines.

Illinois and Ohio 2009 High School Football Schedules

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle
With the first day of high school football practice only 16 days away, I'm going to take some time to help Huddle fans check out the schedules from around the nation.

We start today with Illinois and Ohio. The first day of practice in the Buckeye State is August 3, Illinois starts on August 12.

Click here for every schedule in Illinois from the IHSA.

Click here for Ohio's schedules from the OHSAA.

Chicago Bears Jason Davis Puts on Camp for Underprivelaged Kids

by Jeff Fisher
The High School Football Huddle

With all of the business travel lately, I didn't have a chance to tell you about the football camp that my company co-sponsored and helped produce with the Chicago Bears Jason Davis.

Blitz Group teamed-up with Davis, who played his college ball at the University of Illinois, and 17th Ward Chicago Alderman Latasha Thomas for a free camp for kids 5-14 in Englewood on the south side of Chicago on June 20th. Over 150 kids showed-up for the camp at Ogden Park.

It was very heartwarming to watch the kids interact with Jason and his teammates Kevin Jones, Chris Williams, Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe. All of Davis' teammates pitched-in to help the kids that live in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the Windy City.

The camp also served as the launch of Davis' foundation called Barred But Not Broken. The foundation's mission is to restore broken homes due to incarceration. Jason's heart is especially fond of children of incarcerated parents and his desire is to make a difference in their lives. The foundation encourages scholastic achievement by setting and reaching high goals. In addition Barred But Not Broken believes spiritual growth can help break the cycle of broken families that are affected by incarceration.

Blitz Group donated its media relations and event production services to the camp, and also served as the creative consultant that named Davis' foundation. Other sponsors included B.J.'s Market, Chicago Bears, Eric Daniels Sound, Jason Davis Barred But Not Broken Foundation, NFL Youth Fund, Subway, The Will Group, The William & Mary Foundation and Windy City Dolphins Youth Football League.

"Jason and his wife Jessica are very special people that believe in reaching down to help children in these impoverished areas of Chicago," said Trish Hoffman, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Blitz Group. "Jeff and I founded Blitz Group by donating our media services to non-profit organizations. We believe that companies should always look for ways to help children, and that's why we were happy to join forces with the Davis family."

“My office worked to develop Jason's camp because I recognize that each young person in my community needs access to activities that challenge them, entertain them, and give them the experience, motivation and encouragement to pursue their interests and dreams," said 17th Ward Alderman Latasha Thomas, 17th Ward Alderman and Chair of City Council Education Committee.

"I was very pleased with my first camp in Chicago, which came on the heels of my first camp in St. Louis," said Jason Davis. "My wife and I want to be a part of this Chicago community, because these children need roles models. As far as our foundation, just about everyone's family has been affected by incarceration, including mine, and I want to make sure that kids have tools to work with to make sure those family bonds are not broken during those very difficult times."

To hear more from Jason and Alderman Thomas, please check-out the great video from Mouthpiece Sports below.

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.