National Powers in 'Herbstreit'

TOM GROESCHEN

ESPN and Kirk Herbstreit will be in Cincinnati next weekend. All told, seven of the USA Today Super 25 football teams also will be in Herbstreit's football extravaganza.

It's the third annual Burger King Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge, an event that longtime recruiting analyst Tom Lemming has called "by far, the best high school event ever staged."

The marquee game pits St. Xavier, rated No. 4 nationally by USA Today, against No. 5 DeMatha on ESPN Sunday (noon) at Nippert Stadium.


"The St. X-DeMatha game really jumps out at me," Herbstreit said in a recent interview. "The Elder-Independence game, that one really jumps out at me too."

Charlotte (N.C.) Independence is the highest-rated team here, No. 3 in the USA Today poll. Independence carries a 108-game winning streak into its game with two-time Ohio champion Elder at 7:45 p.m. Saturday at UC.

The Herbstreit games are Sept. 1-2, with seven games in Cincinnati and four in Canton.

Herbstreit helped start the event in 2005, headlined by Colerain vs. Tyler (Texas) Lee at Columbus Crew Stadium. The Challenge grew to nine games in 2006, but after losing nearly $200,000, Herbstreit acknowledged that the event almost went under.

Chicago-based Intersport marketing helped pay down the debt and also enlisted Burger King as title sponsor.

"The event is on much better footing this year," Herbstreit said. "Hopefully we can do this for years."

Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quarterback and now an ESPN "College GameDay" analyst, hopes to be in Cincinnati for the second day of his event.

"I've got 'GameDay' at Virginia Tech on the first (Saturday), then a charter to the Tennessee-Cal game that night, then hopefully take a red-eye back to be in Cincinnati for those games on Sunday," Herbstreit said.

The schedule:

Saturday at UC : 11:30 a.m. - La Salle vs. Indianapolis Cathedral; 2:15 p.m. - Colerain (No. 23 USA Today) vs. Hoover, Ala.; 5 p.m. - Moeller vs.

Mission Viejo, Calif.; 7:45 p.m. - Elder vs. Charlotte Independence (No. 3 USAT)

Saturday at Canton Fawcett Stadium: 11:30 a.m. - Grove City vs. Buford, Ga.; 2:15 p.m. - Cleveland Glenville vs. Long Beach (Calif.) Poly (No. 11 USAT); 5 p.m. - Youngstown Mooney (No. 25 USAT) vs. Gateway, Pa. (No. 10 USAT); 7:45 p.m. - Canton McKinley vs. Tulsa (Okla.) Union

Sunday at UC: Noon - St. Xavier (No. 4 USAT) vs.

DeMatha, Md. (No. 5 USAT); 3 p.m. - Clayton Northmont vs. Pittsburgh Central Catholic; 6 p.m. - Trotwood-Madison vs. Highlands

After the St. X-DeMatha game on ESPN, the Northmont-Pittsburgh Central Catholic game will be on ESPNU.