panther power
06-03-2005, 10:25 PM
May 19, 2005 -- It's "Friday Night Lights . . . Ohio Style!" when the defending big school high school football champions from Texas and Ohio square off in the inaugural Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge, September 9, 2005 in Columbus Crew Stadium.
Defending Texas Class 5A, Div. I state champion Robert E. Lee from Tyler and Ohio Div. I titlist Colerain (Cincinnati) will meet in a battle of perennial powers, with national bragging rights on the line. Kickoff will be approximately 8 PM (Central).
Organizers of the inaugural Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge officially announced the event on Wednesday afternoon at the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce.
"It is a great honor for us to represent Texas in such a prestigious event," said Tyler Lee head football coach Mike Owens (pictured in red shirt). "Our community and our school are very excited about our participation. We just hope we can give Colerain a good game. Our team will be very young and inexperienced. However, we hope to be much better as we approach the game date. We are looking forward to our trip to Columbus."
(For a comprehensive list of interstate high school football matchups across the United States during the 2005 season and more on Tyler Lee, please click to http://texasfootball.com/05front_0518.html.)
Both Robert E. Lee and Colerain enter the clash representing the storied prep football history of their respective states, as both Ohio and Texas have long produced many of the nation's best grid programs and players.
(For the very latest free recruiting news and our latest on the commitments in the Class of 2006, please click to http://texasfootball.com/05blue_0207.html.)
The Ohio-Texas showdown will be the second of two games. The opener features another great matchup with a "North-South" flavor, as Central Ohio neighborhood rivals Westerville North and Westerville South kickoff at 5 PM (Central).
The Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge is being promoted by FSM Group, a Central Ohio sports marketing firm, and will be nationally televised by ESPN.
"The Tyler I.S.D. is appreciative of FSM Group for the opportunity to represent Texas High School Football," said Tyler ISD Athletic Director Danny Long. "We are honored and are looking forward to our trip to Columbus."
Herbstreit, a former Ohio State (1989-92) quarterback and now nationally-renowned college football analyst for the ever-popular 'ESPN GameDay' show, is thrilled to premier his event on the eve of what is perhaps the nation's most anticipated college football game of the 2005 season, Texas vs. Ohio State.
"It's Texas vs. Ohio, North vs. South, the tradition of Texas high school football against the tradition of Ohio high school football. It doesn't get any better than that," Herbstreit said. "And to be able to showcase two Central Ohio neighborhood rivals in the first game makes the evening all the more special.
"The eyes of the football world will descend upon Columbus, Ohio, that weekend, and I'm extremely thrilled to be part of it."
Due to scheduling issues, it still has not been determined which of the stations in the ESPN family will be televising the Ohio-Texas contest. That decision will likely be made in late July, but ESPN Classic or ESPN2 are strong possibilities. ESPN2 has televised two high school football games each of the past two years: Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian at Concord (Calif.) De La Salle in 2003, and the North Texas battle between Denton Ryan at Southlake Carroll last October.
Defending Texas Class 5A, Div. I state champion Robert E. Lee from Tyler and Ohio Div. I titlist Colerain (Cincinnati) will meet in a battle of perennial powers, with national bragging rights on the line. Kickoff will be approximately 8 PM (Central).
Organizers of the inaugural Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge officially announced the event on Wednesday afternoon at the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce.
"It is a great honor for us to represent Texas in such a prestigious event," said Tyler Lee head football coach Mike Owens (pictured in red shirt). "Our community and our school are very excited about our participation. We just hope we can give Colerain a good game. Our team will be very young and inexperienced. However, we hope to be much better as we approach the game date. We are looking forward to our trip to Columbus."
(For a comprehensive list of interstate high school football matchups across the United States during the 2005 season and more on Tyler Lee, please click to http://texasfootball.com/05front_0518.html.)
Both Robert E. Lee and Colerain enter the clash representing the storied prep football history of their respective states, as both Ohio and Texas have long produced many of the nation's best grid programs and players.
(For the very latest free recruiting news and our latest on the commitments in the Class of 2006, please click to http://texasfootball.com/05blue_0207.html.)
The Ohio-Texas showdown will be the second of two games. The opener features another great matchup with a "North-South" flavor, as Central Ohio neighborhood rivals Westerville North and Westerville South kickoff at 5 PM (Central).
The Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge is being promoted by FSM Group, a Central Ohio sports marketing firm, and will be nationally televised by ESPN.
"The Tyler I.S.D. is appreciative of FSM Group for the opportunity to represent Texas High School Football," said Tyler ISD Athletic Director Danny Long. "We are honored and are looking forward to our trip to Columbus."
Herbstreit, a former Ohio State (1989-92) quarterback and now nationally-renowned college football analyst for the ever-popular 'ESPN GameDay' show, is thrilled to premier his event on the eve of what is perhaps the nation's most anticipated college football game of the 2005 season, Texas vs. Ohio State.
"It's Texas vs. Ohio, North vs. South, the tradition of Texas high school football against the tradition of Ohio high school football. It doesn't get any better than that," Herbstreit said. "And to be able to showcase two Central Ohio neighborhood rivals in the first game makes the evening all the more special.
"The eyes of the football world will descend upon Columbus, Ohio, that weekend, and I'm extremely thrilled to be part of it."
Due to scheduling issues, it still has not been determined which of the stations in the ESPN family will be televising the Ohio-Texas contest. That decision will likely be made in late July, but ESPN Classic or ESPN2 are strong possibilities. ESPN2 has televised two high school football games each of the past two years: Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian at Concord (Calif.) De La Salle in 2003, and the North Texas battle between Denton Ryan at Southlake Carroll last October.