The Herbstriet ?

[The Voice]

I thought we were in the Herbstreit in '08; Did I miss somthing, or are we still in?

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[PainlessPaulus]

From the St X dentist...


Herbstreit '08 matchups set




The Cincinnati portion of the annual Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Football Challenge is set for 2008, according to an event spokesman.

The marquee game will pit St. Xavier against Prattville, Ala., with St. X the reigning Ohio Division I champion and Prattville the two-time defending Alabama 6A champion. Prattville finished No. 2 and St. X was No. 5 in the final USA Today ratings for 2007.

"It's a great challenge for our kids," St. X coach Steve Specht said. "We'll see where we are. I'm excited about playing them."

Nathan Noel, project manager for Chicago-based Intersport, said the 2008 Cincinnati games are:

Sat. Aug. 30 at Paul Brown Stadium
11 a.m. - Middletown vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.).
2 p.m. - Huber Heights Wayne vs. Warren Central (Ind.)
5 p.m. - Colerain vs. McKeesport, Pa.
8 p.m. - St. Xavier vs. Prattville, Ala.

Sun. Aug. 31 at Paul Brown Stadium
Noon - Elder vs. East St. Louis, Ill.
3 p.m. - Moeller vs. Montgomery Bell, Tenn.
6 p.m. - Lakota West vs. St. Rita, Ill.

"We're excited about the matchups," Noel said today. "We think it's going to be another great event."

Noel said the event organizers are working through potential television details. Last year's marquee game, St. Xavier vs. DeMatha (Md.), was telecast live on ESPN.

The event was the brainchild of ESPN anlayst/former Ohio State QB Herbstreit a few years ago, with the idea to match Ohio's top prep football teams against the best from the U.S.

The Canton venue has not finalized all its matchups, Noel said. The Herbstreit has become a two-site event annually, with a Cincinnati venue and a Canton venue.

Jim Herbstreit, father of Kirk Herbstreit and prime matchmaker for the event, said this year's Cincinnati event will be at Paul Brown Stadium because there had been a potential conflict that weekend at UC's Nippert Stadium, where the event had been held the past two years.

In last year's final USA Today ratings, Prattville was No. 2, St. X No.5 and Colerain No. 14.

There are multiple national and state championships in this field, including Ohio titles by Moeller (seven), St. Xavier (two), Elder (two) and Colerain (one); Florida champions St. Thomas (four); Indiana champs Warren Central (four); Alabama champs Prattville (three, including the last two 6A titles); Illinois champs St. Rita (two), and national champs in some poll or other (going back years, in some cases) for Moeller, St. Xavier, St. Rita and East St. Louis.

Is our math correct there, as far as state and/or national titles? Let us know -- and as always, thanks for reading.


As a side note, St. Xavier will open it's season with Colerain at UC' s Nippert Stadium as part of the Skyline Crosstown Challenge. It was noted that St. X played the toughest schedule of all high school teams last Fall. I think that the USA Today's rating of top teams have more to do with how many D-I prospects a teams has rather than how good a team they are. Just my opinion.

[The Voice]

Thanks Doc. Appreciate it.

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