Game Telecasts Slated for ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNUThe 2011 GEICO ESPN High School Football Showcase will feature 16 televised games on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU. The schedule will kick off with an 8 p.m. ET matchup on Fri., Sept. 2 on ESPNU featuring an out of state game between 2010 Louisiana State Champion, Evangel Christian at 2010 Oklahoma State Champion, Union. The 15 games selected for the 2011 Showcase will feature 30 teams from 13 states. The October 7 contest will be determined at a later date. These telecasts are in addition to the previously announced ESPNHS Kickoff Weekend.
The sixth annual Showcase will feature four of the top 10 teams ranked in the FAB 50 ESPNHS Preseason Rankings: No. 2 De La Salle (Calif.), No. 3 Allen (Tex.), No. 4 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.), and No. 10 Chaparral (Ariz.). The season is highlighted by a match-up between No. 2 De La Salle (Calif.) and No. 4 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) on Fri., Sept. 23 in Florida. Servite (Calif.) will travel to Bishop Gorman (Nev.) on Fri., Sept. 30 in a battle between FAB 50 ESPNHS Preseason ranked teams. Additional games to note include interstate rivals Hopewell at Central Valley in Pennsylvania and Bethany at Oklahoma State Champion, Heritage Hall.
Showcase teams featured in the FAB 50 ESPNHS Preseason Rankings include: No. 2 De La Salle (Calif.), No. 3 Allen (Tex.), No. 4 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.), No. 10 Chaparral (Ariz.), No. 11 Bishop Gorman (Nev.), No. 18 Aledo (Tex.), No. 25 Servite (Calif.), No. 27 Pittsburgh Central Catholic (Pa.), No. 29 Mullen (Colo.), No. 36 Union (Okla.), No. 48 Archbishop Wood (Pa.). The 2011 Showcase schedule also includes 10 teams that finished as 2010 State Champions: Chaparral (Ariz.), De La Salle (Calif.), Mullen (Colo.), St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.), Buford (Ga.), Evangel Christian (La.), Bishop Gorman (Nev.), Aledo (Tex.), Union (Okla.), and Heritage Hall (Okla.).
2011 GEICO ESPN High School Football Showcase Television Schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Venue | Network |
| Fri, Sept. 2 | 8:00 p.m. | Evangel Christian (La.) at Union (Okla.) | Union Tuttle Stadium, (Okla.) | ESPNU |
| Sun, Sept. 4 | 2:00 p.m. | Archbishop Wood (Pa.) at Pittsburgh Central Catholic (Pa.) | Antimarino Stadium, (Pa.) | ESPN2 |
| Mon, Sept. 5 | 4:00 p.m. | Dwyer (Fla.) at Glades Central (Fla.) | Dr. Effie Grear Stadium (Fla.) | ESPN |
| Fri, Sept. 9 | 8:30 p.m. | Yulee (Fla.) at Buford (Ga.) | Tom Riden Stadium (Ga.) | ESPNU |
| Thurs, Sept. 15 | 7:30 p.m. | Cherokee Trail (Colo.) at Mullen (Colo.) | De La Salle Stadium (Colo.) | ESPNU |
| Fri, Sept. 16 | 8:00 p.m. | Hueytown (Ala.) at McAdory (Ala.) | McAdory Stadium (Ala.) | ESPNU |
| Fri, Sept. 23 | 8:00 p.m. | De La Salle (Calif.) at St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) | Brian Piccolo Memorial Stadium (Fla.) | ESPN2 |
| Fri, Sept. 23 | 10:00 p.m. | Lake Oswego (Ore.) at Jesuit (Ore.) | Cronin Stadium (Ore.) | ESPNU |
| Fri, Sept. 30 | 8:00 p.m. | Chaparral (Ariz.) at Notre Dame (Ariz.) | Scottsdale Community College (Ariz.) | ESPN2 |
| Fri, Sept. 30 | 10:00 p.m. | Servite (Calif.) at Bishop Gorman (Nev.) | Fertitta Field (Nev.) | ESPNU |
| Thurs, Oct. 6 | 8:00 p.m. | Allen (Tex.) at Plano East (Tex.) | Tom Kimbrough Stadium (Tex.) | ESPN2 |
| Fri, Oct. 7 | 8:00 p.m. | TBD | TBD | ESPNU |
| Fri, Oct. 14 | 6:00 p.m. | Hopewell (Pa.) at Central Valley (Pa.) | Sarge Alberts Stadium (Pa.) | ESPNU |
| Fri, Oct. 21 | 8:00 p.m. | Bradley Central (Tenn.) at Cleveland (Tenn.) | Benny Monroe Stadium (Tenn.) | ESPNU |
| Thurs, Oct. 27 | 8:00 p.m. | Aledo (Tex.) at Birdville (Tex.) | Birdville ISD Complex (Tex.) | ESPNU |
| Fri, Oct. 28 | 8:00 p.m. | Bethany (Okla.) at Heritage Hall (Okla.) | Heritage Hall High School (Okla.) | ESPNU |
The 2011 Showcase schedule features some of the top positional players including the No. 1, No. 3, No. 13, and No. 15 QBs; No. 2, No. 3, and No. 6 RBs; No.8 WR; No. 1 TE; No. 3 OG; No. 4 OLB; and the No. 2 ATH. Players of note on this year’s Showcase schedule in the ESPNU 150 overall rankings include Aledo RB Johnathan Gray (No. 8 overall), Hueytown QB Jameis Winston (No. 11 overall), Hopewell RB Rushel Shell (No. 24 overall), Chaparral ATH Davonte Neal (No. 28 overall), Chaparral QB Connor Brewer (No. 35 overall), Buford OLB Dillon Lee (No. 55 overall), Buford OG Vadal Alexander (No. 74 overall), Heritage Hall RB Barry Sanders (No. 78 overall), and Archbishop Wood TE Colin Thompson (No. 84 overall).
Past athletes from the Showcase include Nease QB Tim Tebow, Foley WR Julio Jones, Summerville WR AJ Green, Oaks Christian QB Jimmy Clausen, Mater Dei QB Matt Barkley, and Jeannette QB Terrelle Pryor.
The 2011 GEICO ESPN High School Football Showcase is produced in conjunction with Paragon Marketing Group. Schedule subject to change.
About ESPNHS
ESPNHS is a multiplatform business which serves high school student-athletes and high school sports fans. It provides high school student-athletes with recognition, resources, information and inspiration to improve their skills and achieve their goals, while offering fans compelling content across platforms. ESPNHS assets include ESPNHS GUY and GIRL magazines, ESPNHIGHSCHOOL.com; mobile and social media products (facebook.com/ESPNHS and facebook.com/ESPNHSgirl; Twitter: @ESPNHS); and more than 160 high school events including Elite 11, Elite 24, National High School Invitational, Area Code Baseball and Nike Football Combines and Nike Football Training Camps. ESPNHS is uniquely positioned to provide high school student-athletes and their fans with compelling high school sports content across multiple ESPN platforms.
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On September 23rd you will be showcasing Lake Oswego at Jesuit on ESPNU. It’s great that you are showing two of Oregon’s top teams, however I am disappointed that you chose to ignore the defending Class 6A Champion Aloha Warriors (who beat Jesuit convincingly in front of a crowd of 5,000 spectators during the regular season and then beat Lake Oswego 17-16 in last years semi-finals) who are ranked pre-season at #1 ahead of both Jesuit and Lake Oswego. The Warriors return a nationally recognized D-1 recruit in Thomas Tyner (a junior) who is also the defending state champion in the 100m and 400m relay (along with fellow teammates Ryan Russo and Sheldon Prince).
I can’t help but feel that this snub to Aloha reflects the schools blue collar image. Let’s put the private school and the school from the wealthiest community in the state on the national stage and leave out the school from the lower middle class neighborhood.
Way to go ESPN…
If you want the upset of the year, broadcast Don Bosco getting beat by ST. EDS Oct 8th