ESPN releases its prep football schedule

ESPN and its amazingly successful family of networks have released their schedule for the upcoming high school football season.

The demand for prep football coverage to a national audience continues to increase, and ESPN with its partner Paragon Marketing Group have certainly delivered the goods in recent years.

This season, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to show 19 high school football contests. Teams from 18 different states will get their moment beneath the glow of ESPN's mighty sun.

Twenty-one teams in the PrepNation 101 preseason rankings are on the slate, and that includes 12 teams in the National Prep Poll Top 25 and seven more in the regional Top 25's.

Expect ESPN's treatment of these games to be once again heavy on recruiting analysis with ESPN Scouts Inc. Recruiting Director Tom Luginbill serving as the primary color guy along side play-by-play man Dave Ryan.

ESPNU also revealed its ESPNU 150 for the Class of 2009 on Wednesday. Topping the list is quarterback Matt Barkley of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei. The Monarchs are ranked No. 8 in the West Coast region and were No. 53 in the preseason PrepNation 101 rankings.

2008 ESPNU, ESPN and ESPN2 High School Football Schedule

(Schedule subject to change)

Date Game Time (ET) Network

Sat., Aug. 23	Cathedral (Ind.) vs. Carmel (Ind.)	12 p.m.	ESPN
Fri., Aug. 29	Mays (Ga.) vs. Carver (Ga.)	8 p.m.	ESPNU
Sun., Aug. 31	Rockhurst (Mo.) vs. Blue Springs South (Mo.)	12 p.m.	ESPN
Mon., Sept. 1	*St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) vs. Elder (Ohio)	12 p.m.	ESPN
Wed., Sept. 3	Mater Dei (Calif.) vs. Carson (Calif.)	9 p.m.	ESPN2
Fri., Sept. 5	Armwood (Fla.) vs. Plant (Fla.)	8 p.m.	ESPNU
Thu., Sept. 11	Rider (Texas) vs. Sulphur Springs (Texas).	9 p.m.	ESPN2
Fri., Sept. 12	Bastrop (La.) vs. Dollarway (Ark.)	8 p.m.	ESPNU
Fri., Sept. 19	Apopka (Fla.) vs. South Panola (Miss.)	8 p.m.	ESPNU
Fri., Sept 26	Brentwood Academy (Tenn.) vs. Prattville (Ala.)	8 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., Sept 27	Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) vs. De La Salle (Calif.)	10:30 p.m.	ESPNU
Thu., Oct. 2	DeMatha (Md.) vs. Our Lady of Good Counsel (Md.)	6:30 p.m.	ESPN2
Fri., Oct. 3	Pahokee (Fla.) vs. Byrnes (S.C.)	8 p.m.	ESPNU
Sat., Oct. 4	Cypress Bay (Fla.) vs. Katy (Texas)	TBD	ESPNU
Fri., Oct. 10	Lowndes (Ga.) vs. Valdosta (Ga.)	8 p.m.	ESPNU
Thu., Oct 16	Cypress Falls (Texas) vs. Cypress Ridge (Texas)	8 p.m.	ESPNU
Fri., Oct 17	St. Joseph’s Prep (Penn.) vs. Cardinal O’Hara (Penn.)	6 p.m.	ESPNU
Fri., Oct 31	Godby (Fla.) vs. Madison County (Fla.)	8 p.m.	ESPNU
Fri., Nov 7	Mountain Pointe (Ariz.) vs. Desert Vista (Ariz.)	10:30 p.m.	ESPNU

*Denotes matchup from the 2008 Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge