Texas Gridiron Classic Preview

Click here for more information on the 2008 Texas Gridiron Classic

With fan interest in high school football at an all time high, it was only a matter of time before promoters turned their eyes toward the state of Texas for an event as big as the Lone Star State itself. Teams from Georgia, Lousiana, California, Pennsylvania and Ohio will be matched up with some of Texas' best high school football teams in the 2008 Texas Gridiron Classic.

Recently, Ruston Louisiana withdrew from the field of 14 and will be replaced by Woodland Hills (Pittsburgh). Mansfield Timberview will get things kicked off at 11 A.M. on Saturday against Buford, Georgia. The marquee matchups include defending state champion Euless Trinity against perennial powerhouse John Curtis and 2006 State Champion Cedar Hill taking on Cincinnati La Salle.

Euless Trinity vs. John Curtis Christian 11 AM Monday
Trinity coach Steve Lineweaver has only been at the school for a little under a decade. His counterpart at John Curtis, J.T. Curtis Jr., has been at his school since 1969. Curtis, the coach, said that it is no coincidence that he shares his name with that of the school, after all, his father is the one who started the school in 1962. In the school's history, the football team has won an amazing 22 state championships, including last year to conclude a 13-2 season.

But why come to the Texas Gridiron Classic and play a powerhouse team in a defending state champion like Trinity? "We like to have an out-of-area team on our schedule," Curtis said. "We want the experience in a playoff-type atmosphere before the playoffs."

Lineweaver's squad, despite losing a 2,200-yard rusher, is still stocked with some serious playmakers. Eryon Barnett is a safety that has committed to the University of Texas, while Denarius McGhee and Tray Robinson coming back on offense. "We hope to expand our offense and throw downfield a little more," Lineweaver said. "We want to be a little more explosive." McGhee threw for 1,706 yards and 14 touchdowns while Robinson added 885 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground as the Trojans won the 2007 Class 5A, Division I State Championship.

"After hearing how good (John Curtis) is, we really don't want to play them," Lineweaver said while laughing. "But in all seriousness, we like to take the approach of preparing for district." Even though Trinity may have the advantage of having played at Texas Stadium before, Lineweaver feels that John Curtis may be the favorite because of their experience of playing out-of-state teams.

Cedar Hill vs. Cincinnati La Salle 2 PM Saturday 

La Salle, which is a private all-male school, heads to Texas after posting a 5-5 record in 2007. The record, according to coach Tom Grippa, is a bit deceiving as La Salle played one of the toughest schedules in Ohio last season. La Salle, which was founded in 1960, scored an average of 29.2 points per game while allowing just 19.8 per contest. "We are a strong and physical team," Grippa said. "We are an I-formation team that throws, but we are switching to a Run-and-Gun/Wing-T option for the fall."

Ricky Steel, a cornerback in 2007 who is switching sides of the ball, will lead La Salle's offense. Steel runs a 4.5-second 40-yard dash played cornerback last season. Defensively, La Salle runs a 3-3-5 stack, something that Cedar Hill coach Joey McGuire knows will be a handful for the Longhorns offense. "They are like us, a real physical team," McGuire said. "They are also traditionally very powerful."

McGuire's team is only returning seven starters next season, three on offense and defense plus kicker Eduardo Camara. The Longhorns will have the entire left side of the offensive line back, including Texas commit Thomas Ashcraft. He'll be leading the way for the speedy Ben Malena. Defensively, linebackers Aaron Benson and Tyler Smith will join lineman Tyler Washington in coming back this season. "We are looking forward to playing someone from out-of-state," McGuire said. "I'm hopeful that it will be a hard-hitting, low-scoring game, but if we aren't prepared then it could be high scoring".

Buford (GA) vs. Mansfield Timberview 11 AM Saturday
This game is going to be a battle of the Wolves as these two schools will kick off the Texas Gridiron Classic, and their 2008 campaigns, with an 11 a.m. tilt on August 30. Buford is coming off of a 15-0 season in which it won the Georgia Class 2A State Championship and has a historically successful program.

Buford made the state championship game each year from 2000-2004, has not lost a region game (these are known as district games in Texas) in the last seven years, has five state championships and three runner-up finishes. Other Georgia state records that belong to Buford include: Most wins in a six-year period (83 from 2000-2005) and most consecutive wins (47). Buford will be facing a Timberview squad that made it to the Class 5A, Region I Quarterfinals in 2007, and returns several key players from the squad that was the best in school history.

Senior-to-be Eric Stephens is coming off a tremendous season in which he ran for 1,906 yards and 23 touchdowns, while catching six more passes for 92 yards and a score. Stephens has received offers from Houston and Minnesota and is also looking at Michigan, Georgia and four schools from the Big XII .

Donte Parker will have the tough task of replacing Antoine Hicks who is taking his athleticism down I-35 to the University of Texas. Parker ran for nearly 400 yards and six scores in 2007, while throwing for 805 yards and an additional four touchdowns. Darrell Holmes will join Stephens in the backfield this season after running for 190 yards on just 14 carries in four games in 2007.

Woodland Hills (Pittsburgh) vs. Justin Northwest 5 PM Saturday

The Wolverines are a late addition to the field of teams, replacing Ruston, Louisiana. They finished the 2007 season with a 3-7 record.

Northwest has quarterback Brysen Curb returning in 2008 after completing 57 percent of his nearly 300 pass attempts for 1,943 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. But Curb is losing all of his receivers and top-six running backs from this past season's senior-laden squad due to graduation, and will be forced to be a senior leader.

The Texans struggled to a 3-7 record last year, but were also in a district with traditional Texas powerhouse program Southlake Carroll.

Trotwood-Madison (OH) vs. Arlington Bowie 8 PM Saturday

The Rams enter the Texas Gridiron Classic on the heels of a 2007 campaign that they finished with an 8-4 record after having lost in the round of eight in the playoffs. Trotwood-Madison is also familiar with the National Football Foundation, the organization that is putting on the Texas Gridiron Classic, after having played in the Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge last season. Madison averaged 29.8 points per game, while giving up just 14.8 points per contest and also posted three shutouts during the 2007 season.

Coach Kenny Perry's squad at Arlington Bowie has dual-threat quarterback Christian Matthews coming back this fall after a great junior season, but that's about it. Matthews threw for 2,786 yards and 25 touchdowns and ran for 604 yards with eight touchdowns while leading the Volunteers to the Class 5A Division I State Quarterfinals.

Bowie is losing its top running back (Jonathan Johnson) and the returning receiving corps combined for just three catches and 36 yards in 2007.

Mandeville (LA) vs. Klein Oak 2:30 PM Monday

The Skippers are coming off a 10-3 season in which they averaged 31.2 points per game and made it to the state quarterfinals before falling to Ehret. But coach Guy LeCompte sees early season struggles ahead for his team with just three offensive and five defensive starters returning in the fall.

"I don't know much about Klein Oak other than the fact that they were a similar team to us and have some talented athletes," LeCompte said. Mandeville runs a spread offense and a 3-3-5 defense, one that limited the opposition to just under 15 points per game in 2007.

Klein Oak will also bring a youthful team into the season opener after losing top players from last fall's 10-2 squad that lost in the area round of the playoffs. Coach David Smith's squad will have to replace signal-caller Wes Theiss (1,202 yards and nine touchdowns passing) as well as Terrence Robinson (2,106 yards and 26 touchdowns) and DeSean Hales (86 carries, 910 yards, eight touchdowns).

Leading the Panthers ground attack this season appears to be Ossam Cook who had 577 yards and four touchdowns on 79 carries in 2007. Out of seven players who caught passes for Klein Oak in 2007, only Jordan Navjar will be back this season, and he only had 12 receptions for 160 yards and one touchdown.

Clovis East (CA) vs. Colleyville Heritage 7 PM Monday

The T-Wolves head into the clash of ferocious cat mascots with a strong history on their side, but with a program entering just its 10^th season, and eighth at the varsity level. So far, Clovis East has five League Championships and two Valley Championships in addition to being named the most successful new school in Valley history by the Fresno Bee in 2005.

Matching up against Clovis East will be the Panthers from Colleyville Heritage.

Senior-to-be Steven Hill will be back under center in the fall after throwing for 1,516 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games in 2007. Coming back to catch passes from Hill this season will be Eddie Foster who had eight catches for 256 yards and four touchdowns last fall. Bryan Head will return to a backfield in which he had 65 carries for 307 yards and also caught 19 passes for 151 yards.

2008 Texas Gridiron Classic schedule

All games are at Texas Stadium in Irving

Saturday, August 30

11 a.m.: Mansfield Timberview vs. Buford, Ga.

2 p.m.: Cedar Hill vs. Cincinnati LaSalle

5 p.m.: Justin Northwest vs. Woodland Hills (Pittsburgh)

8 p.m.: Arlington Bowie vs. Trotwood-Madison (Ohio)

Monday, September 1

11 a.m.: Euless Trinity vs. John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.)

2:30 p.m.: Klein Oak vs. Mandeville, La.

7 p.m.: Colleyville Heritage vs. Clovis East (Calif.)

Date of Article: Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:56 am