FootballPower

By Adam C. Warner

Wednesday October 17:

We had a great interview this morning with Darby Chaney of GeorgiaPreps.net. He provided a lot of great insight on the recruiting process and everything involved in running a Website for that. Definitely check out the site -- he has posted a bunch of recruiting videos on some of the top players in Georgia. Also, check out the interview on our feature page.

After meeting with Darby, we headed back into Suburban Atlanta for an afternoon school visit with Peachtree Ridge High. The school opened its doors in 2003 and since then, has already experienced a great amount of success in athletics. For instance, just last year, the football team shared the state title with Roswell after finishing in a tie in the championship game. This in its fourth year of existence. Quite impressive when you think of the elite level of Georgia football.

Once we arrived on campus, we met with AD Bill Holleman, first year head coach Bill Ballard and assistant coach Matt Winslette. We conducted some interviews in their impressive weight room facility and then took a tour of the campus -- which is just beautiful -- state of the art, too.

Thursday, October 18:

Thank the Lord! It's actually raining. For the first time in a long time, it's raining in northern Georgia. You should see the rivers and lakes down here -- they are bone dry. But we received a nice morning soaking. Could use another 18 inches, though.

We had a morning visit with Buford High School -- just NE of Atlanta. The Wolves have been one of the most dominant football teams in 2A Georgia Football all-time. And it shows. Great facilities (their grass football field is more like the 18th green at Augusta). Great people within the school. Great support from the community. It's evident from the moment you walk in the door. We met with  head coach Jess Simpson and AD Dextor Wood, who coached the team to a bunch of championships in the 90s and 00s, and had some great conversations about the program and learned a lot about its history.

Around lunch time, we headed Southwest through Atlanta (detour in Buckhead) and made our way down towards the airport. Our stomachs were grumbling and were in most need for some food, so we stopped at a Chik-Fil-A. Little did we know that it was the original Chik-Fil-A. It was located in an old throwback diner from the 50s near an industrial area by the airport. We sat down at a booth and enjoyed some fresh salad and of course, chicken. I also ordered a vanilla shake. Absolutely delicious.

After driving an hour following lunch, we had made it to our next destination, LaGrange, for a night game. We pulled over at a local mall for a while to relax before heading down to Callaway Stadium at LaGrange College and prepping for the Class 2A battle between undefeated Callaway and Heard County. It turned out to be a great game -- a real defensive battle. Heard County sealed the upset with an interception with a minute left in the game as Callaway was in the red zone. The crowd stormed the field and joined the team in celebration -- including in our interviews. Definitely check them out on the mainstage.

We were fortunate that an Applebee's was still open by 10:30, so we dined there and watched the end of the Rutgers game -- which was also an upset.  Certainly one of the best days of the trip so far. Great visits, great people, great football!

By Adam C. Warner

Monday, October 15:

We made a switch in personnel today as Dan Driscoll left back for headquarters and Suni Blackwell came back to the bus. After Dan and I grabbed some breakfast at an Atlanta Waffle House (no, not the one where Kid Rock got into a brawl at), we filled up our cruiser with some fresh water and then parked near the airport to make our switch.

Suni arrived in the early afternoon and once he settled in, we departed straight for downtown Atlanta to get premium parking for the Monday Night Football game between the Giants and Falcons at the Georgia Dome. We got downtown by mid afternoon and cruised around for some parking, and finally found an RV lot a few blocks from the stadium. Since we were there early, we parked and immediately went downtown to grab some lunch. We headed inside to the CNN Center downtown -- which not only has the CNN studios and offices, but includes a giant indoor shopping center with food stores. We grabbed some grub and relaxed a bit before

going back to the bus, retrieving our gear and heading out to do some interviews.

We met some interesting fans today -- even though the Falcons came into the contest struggling at 1-4. The NYGiants Road

Crew came down for the game -- as they have been for 25 years now. They were a rowdy, friendly and passionate group. We also met Steve the Preacher Man -- a man who preaches about the Falcons and had plenty of colorful commentary for us, including a jingle on his tambourine.

We walked in the parking lots and met with fans and had a great time. After a while, we heading back downtown to watch the

game on television and eat some dinner. Following the game, we headed to the Eastern suburbs to get ready for a busy Tuesday.

By Adam C. Warner

Saturday October 13:

The FP.tv crew made it to South Bend, Indiana on Saturday as longtime catholic school rivals Notre Dame and Boston College did battle at Notre Dame Stadium. Dan Driscoll and myself got up early to take in all of sights and sounds on campus -- which turned out to be quite the unique experience. We walked all around campus and visited the Golden Dome, the Basilica, the Grotto, Hesburgh Library (with giant mural of Jesus) and Bond Hall to catch the Fighting Irish Band play from their repertoire. We even witnessed some students jumping into the reflecting poll by the library as part of an initiation.  All in all -- some great clips for the site!

I eventually met up with some friends of mine who made the drive from Indianapolis. They are BC alumni and came in full force with other SuperFans to take part in the festive weekend. 

Dan and I had all-access passes inside the stadium and we each took a half in the press box and sideline. I was on the field in the first half taking pictures for the site. It was truly an incredible feeling being down there in front of a packed stadium for a rivalry game. Just the energy, the passion, the one-of-a-kind perspective you get from ground zero.

Following the game, Dan and I secured interviews with BC quarterback Matt Ryan and LB Mark Herzlich for the Website. It turns out that Dan coached Matt for Marsh Creek youth football in Chester County, Pennsylvania a few years back -- so FP.tv was able to get an exclusive interview with the Heisman candidate for the site.

Dan and I immediately headed south for Indianapolis so we could get a jump-start on our long journey to Atlanta. After a long, but exciting day, we were ready for some sleep.

By Jimmy Oliver

Saturday, September 29

We arrived at the beautiful campus of Southern Methodist University today. While the crowd downtown is late arriving for the big game against UTEP, the crowd on the boulevard, however, was already tailgating in full force. The boulevard is clearly the place to be. The street is lined by academic buildings just to the side of the stadium and there is a huge grass medium where the tailgaters set up.  It works just like season tickets. Groups or individuals sign up for the season to secure their lots. There are set-ups ranging from the basic tent and grill to more elaborate one’s with widescreen plasma TV's and couches. The fraternities at SMU also host large tailgates just above the boulevard with gigantic tents and even larger crowds.

The stadium holds about 35,000 -- which makes the setting even quainter. Everything at SMU and the boulevard is about southern hospitality. We can’t go more than five feet without being offered some tasty barbeque. Soon enough, we ran into the tailgate for the SMU alumni band, which operates to support the current band members. They were a great group of people with a ton of school spirit.

We hung around all day at SMU -- partly because we couldn’t get our huge bus out of there. But it worked out for the best, as we went to a great restaurant in town called the Trinity Hall Irish Pub. It offered great food and they had an Irish band playing which made it even more memorable.

Monday, October 1

We arrived at Plano East High School and we were immediately impressed with this beautiful campus. We had the opportunity to spend time with principal Karin McDonald and had a great conversation over which cheese steak was better: Pat’s or Gino’s (from Philadelphia).

We then spent some time with head football coach Johnny Ringo. Coach Ringo has done a great job with this program and you can see that, as his enthusiasm is contagious. Not long after, we met the man who runs the show -- Rollie Tesh.  He called himself “coach Ringo’s assistant”. But, just like every school, he is the guy who can make things happen. He gave us a tour of their great indoor facility, which is the norm in Texas.  We also visited the school's enormous weight room.

I asked Rollie why he loves’s Plano East so much.  His answer was simple:  “Best team. Best coaches. Best School. Best State. Best Country."  Enough said.

Tuesday, October 2

Just when we thought things couldn't get any bigger -- they got bigger when we arrived at Texas High School in Texarkana.  Texas High is in the process of adding to their already enormous indoor facility with new offices and classrooms for the football team and athletic department. When this is completed, it will rival any Division I school.  We took a great tour from administration intern Brandon and associate HC, Matt McClure. They are so proud of what is going on with their school -- as they should be.

Later on in the day, we left the great state of Texas and arrived in Arkansas. We were on our way to Little Rock Central High -- home of the Little Rock 9. If you don’t know what that is, do yourself a huge favor and look it up.  I didn’t, but quickly found out while we were there.

Suni and I were early for our meeting with coach Bernie Cox, so we drove around looking for a place to park the bus and we stumbled upon the new visitor center for the Little Rock 9.  What an impressive place.  It’s full of the history and the story behind the LR9 and we were lucky enough to get a great interview about it.  Check out the video piece when you have time.

Wednesday, October 3

Well, I am back home and I had a great experience on the tour. It’s amazing how many wonderful people are in this country.  At every stop along the way, we were met with nothing but open arms.

By Suni Blackwell

Since I started my journey on the road with the FP.tv crew back in August, I have witnessed some outstanding high school football.  I have also had the chance to witness some nationally-ranked teams play -- like on Friday night with Southlake Carroll High School.

Now, I am one that gives credit when credit is due, but I have never been too big on rankings because on any given Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, you don't know which team will win until the game is played.  And as we saw this weekend, rankings went straight out the window in college football with at least five Top 25 upsets.

According to ESPN's Elite Top 25 Rankings, Southlake Carroll High School, out of Southlake, Texas, are ranked seventh nationally. And I believe that Southlake Carroll is a good team offensively -- but they rely too much on that. 

The team is led by running back Tre Newton and quarterback Riley Dodge.  While Newton is a power/speed runner, Dodge is a quick signal-caller with a strong arm.  But the most pressing concern was Southlake's pass defense.  There is no way Keller Central should have scored sixteen points on them -- with ten of the points coming when their starters were in the game.  It was evident this weekend that when the Dragons finally comes across a team with a strong passing offense mixed with a potent running attack, they will be in trouble.

In that same Top 25, Prattville High, out of Prattville, Alabama, are ranked 15th nationally.  This is quite shocking to me after seeing this team play.  Prattville is a complete team. And their offense is one of the best I have ever seen.  They can beat you with the running game and passing game, led by running back Justin Albert and quarterback Casey Weston.  So while Albert is a slick/speedy runner, Weston is smooth QB with a strong arm.

Meanwhile, let's not forget about Prattville's defense -- a unit that has recorded two shutouts this season.  Hands down, this defense is the best unit I have seen all tour.  They play the run and the pass well.  It's eleven on the ball at all times with the Lions.

So why is Southlake Carroll ranked eights spots ahead of Prattvile? This is one matchup that I would love to see take place. Perhaps FootballPower can make the game happen.  But until the match-up takes place, I will never know and Prattville will continue to be "Underrated"........

By Suni Blackwell

As soon as the FP.tv road crew started its tour of the "dirty south" this week, we have been welcomed with open arms.  Man, I actually feel like a rock star! You should see the looks we get when we pull in parking lots with the FP.tv RV. 

People love it. They have never seen anything like it!

The weather down here is wonderful and the land is beautiful. It is literally a breath of fresh air!  And the people are so nice. Everyone speaks kindly, nobody is in a rush, and folks actually hold doors open for you.

While I like the fact that so many people are friendly, my favorite part of the south so far has been the portions of food that you get with your meals. Anybody that knows me definitely understands that I love to eat and that I do not waste food. 

But for the first time, my meal got the best of me and I had to take home a doggie bag this week.  Looks like I will be finishing my meal another day.  I have an excuse though: I am working on my six-pack!

I would like to give a shout out to Fudruckers in Roanoke, Virginia off of I-81.  If you are ever in that area, stop through there for one of the best burgers in the country! You will not be disappointed.

Until next time...

By Suni Blackwell

FP.tv correspondent

After a memorable Saturday in State College, the FP.tv road crew made its next stop in Cleveland to check out the (once) pride of the town -- the Browns. On Sunday, Cleveland fans were out in full force -- showing off their RV's and special wrapped Dawg Pound-mobiles. Thousands upon thousands of fans came out to tailgate and root their home team to victory on opening day against arch-rival Pittsburgh Steelers.

But much to their chagrin, Pittsburgh rained on the parade.

The Steelers stormed out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. On this day, the Dawg Pound turned into the Puppy Pound as nearly half of the fans left the game by intermission. All the fans could talk about was just how horrible the Browns played

One disgruntled fan told me, "Thank God for the Cleveland Cavaliers. At least they give the city something to cheer about."

I quickly responded, "That's not much to be proud of, given the fact that the Cavs were just swept in the NBA finals."

After spending just a few hours in the city, it was easy for me to see that the city of Cleveland is fed up with losing seasons from the Browns. The great city on Lake Erie wants to take it back to the Jim Brown days.

So my suggestion for the Browns is simple: sign LeBron James to a 1-year deal as a wide reciever. Just use him in the red zone for fade patterns and in the midfield for 3rd-and-long situations. After all, he was an all-state wide receiver during his junior year in high school.

He can be the "FISH THAT SAVED CLEVELAND".

Then, fans won't have to leave at halftime anymore and the Browns just might start winning.

Road Trippin' at Hilliard Davidson, Upper St. Clair and Jeannette

By Dan Driscoll

My second week on the FP.tv road tour was quite an interesting one as we shot our first two high school features on the 2006 state champions in both Pennsylvania and Ohio (Upper St. Clair, and Hilliard Davidson, respectively).

A general theme ran through both of these schools: Not only were they happy to have FP.tv there to share their stories, but both schools have great people leading the way -- from the Athletic Director's to the players and to my favorite person, the colorful Jim Render of Upper St. Clair.

Next, we move to a topic that has been quite frequent in the high school football world -- just how good Terrelle Pryor of Jeannette High is. So, here is my take.

The school has him listed at 6 feet 6 inches, but after seeing him in action, he is really only 6-5. Additionally, he has been timed at combines having finished the forty-yard dash in 4.35 seconds. I think he is even faster, though!

Meanwhile, Pryor doesn't have the best throwing motion. It's similar to the style of Vince Young of Tennessee.

With that being said, he is stil the best high school athlete I have seen come out of high school in a decade.

Scouts have him listed as an "athlete", not a quarterback. What a slap in the face! This young man will be the next Vince Young. And when he gets to that level, he will have grown that other inch to be a legitimate 6-6.

Now for the Jeannette team -- take Pryor off the squad and they will still beat other 2A schools by 40 or 50 points (4A in Pennsylvania is the largest classification). Jeannette should win the 2A crown in the state in 2007, and if the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association allows them, they should be able to move up to 3A and play better competition.

Three things I am highly anticipating:

1.) The college Pryor chooses (whether it be Ohio State, Penn State, West Virginia, Texas, or somewhere else).

2.) The Big 33 game in the Spring so I can watch him demolish the Ohio All-Stars.

3.) If any 2A teams can come close in 2008.

Until then, let's enjoy the ride.

That's it for this week. Stay tuned for more from the road!

Hey everyone, Dan Driscoll here, writing to you from the great state of Ohio! So without further adieu, it’s time for my first blog installment.

We began our tour in Mentor, Ohio on August 31 without the tour bus, however. Don’t worry, it will catch up with us in Columbus on 9/4.

Now let me just say – Mentor High School – WOW!! Our eastern regional promoter, Andre Coles, and myself, drove six hours from Philadelphia and arrived at our first game of the season between Mentor and Strongville. When we arrived, Mentor was already leading 21-0 early in the first quarter.

But the biggest story turned out to be the facility at Mentor because on this night, the school was dedicating a new JumboTron – and yes, I said JumboTron. Now the home crowd can make all kinds of catcalls when the video operator shows the blown call made by the official.

And by the way, Mentor held on to win the game, 44-28, but Strongville did make it interesting thanks to the speedy DJ Wood. In fact, he is so fast that we couldn’t even interview him after the game. He got on his bus and was gone before we turned around to look for him.

Next on our tour, we made way to the Kirk Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge in Cincinnati. This was a two-day event comprised of the top football programs from across the country --  all playing at Nippert Stadium on the campus of the University of Cincinnati (we have highlights for you on FP.tv). I could write all day about the players and coaches at the event, but I won’t. I will limit myself to a couple of comments.

Hoover head coach Rush Propst, of MTV fame, has come across to me as a confident, if not arrogant, individual. And so at first, I didn’t really think I was really going to like or respect the man.

I never pre-judge anyone harshly -- and I’m glad I did not in this case.

For nearly the entire game between Hoover and Colerain, I was standing about five to  ten feet away from Propst -- watching him coach and react to his players after good and bad plays. And after doing so, I now have a completely different opinion of the head coach. Propst cares about his players and treats them with the respect they deserve. He is great for Alabama high school football and the Hoover community.

As for the Alabama Athletic Association not letting Hoover play on A SUNDAY – that is just ridiculous. I recently went online and checked out other sports and found that they played tournaments on Sundays. This is the same association that stopped ESPN from televising the Hoover/Colerain game as their doubleheader feature on Sunday. And instead, we watched a mismatched Pittsburgh Central Catholic smash a Northmont (Ohio) team by four touchdowns. Meanwhile, Colerain beat Hoover in overtime in what proved to be a terrific game.

And finally, it has become clear to me that the Greater Catholic League in Southwestern Ohio is arguably the toughest league in the country. From Elder to St. Xaxier to LaSalle and Moeller, week-in and week-out, these schools have to bring their “A” game in order to win. The contest that I want to come back to see most is the Elder/St X game.

Before I wrap things up, I would like to thank the J.Alexander restaurant for staying open and feeding two hard-working media types on Sunday night. While we were there, we decided to rate the teams and come up with our own All-Star squad from the Cincinnati games at the challenge.

Ratings

1) St X                 (OH)

2) Elder                (OH)

3) Colerain            (OH)

4) Independence    (NC)

5) Hoover              (AL)

6) Mission Viejo     (CA)

7) DeMatha           (MD)

8) Central Catholic  (PA)

9) Cathedral            (IN)

10) Highlands         (KY)

11) LaSalle            (OH)

12) Trotwood         (OH)

13) Moeller            (OH)

14) Northmont        (OH)

ALL STARS

OFFENSE

QB        John Groene            (Elder)

RB        Dom Sherre             (Colerain)

RB        Rod Chisum             (Independence)

FB        Tim Uecker              (Moeller)

TE        Kyle Rudolph            (Elder)

WR        Dev Posie               (LaSalle)

WR        Javone Rembrert     (Independence)

OT        Zeb Sanders            (Northmont)

OT        Jeff  Baca               (Mission Viejo)

OG        Luke Stein              (Highlands)

OG        Max Bowman          (St X)

C         Andy Carpenter         (St X)

K        Mark Tabor                (Colerain)

Multi        Dan Milligan          (St X)

Offensive MVP:      Kyle Rudolph

DEFENSE

DL        Kaki Jamiru        (Cathedral)

DL        Ty Dixon            (Colerain)

DL        Jarvis Pearse      (Independence)

DL        Dan Vaughn        (Central Catholic)

LB        Chase Daniel       (Hoover)

LB        Like Kuechley      (St X)

LB        JK Shaffer           (LaSalle)

LB        Anthony Listorti    (DeMatha)

DB        Justin Sly (Hoover)

DB        Dan Gress           (Northmont)

DB        Jon Mason          (DeMatha)

DB        Eric Linneman      (Elder)

Defensive MVP:    Kaki Jamiru

Coach:                  Dale Mueller        (Highlands)