We're still a hotbed

I've previously posted about the prep basketball in this area. Now, for those of you that aren't aware, Ohio boasts some of the finest high school football teams in the country. Yearly, ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit hosts the Ohio vs. USA challenge. This year eleven Ohio football teams were matched up against some of the best teams from around the country. Our local Cincinnati Elder snapped the nation's longest winning streak (109) by taking down #3 Independence, Charlotte, N.C. in overtime. They hadn't lost since September 1st, 2000. St. Xavier's game was televised nationally on ESPN at noon on a Sunday. Not ESPN2 or ESPNU, but ESPN. They dominated #7 DeMatha (MD).

Currently Ohio has three teams in the USA Today top 10. Two of those, St. X and Colerain, are within five miles of each other here in the Nati and will likely meet in the regional finals. The third is #9 Cardinal-Mooney of Youngstown. They are a Div. IV team (out of 5 divisions in the state). Which means they probably have less than 300 boys in the entire high school. Most of these nationally ranked teams have more than double that.

USA Today Top 10

1. Northwestern, Miami (8-0)
2. Prattville, Ala. (10-0)
3. De La Salle, Concord, Calif. (7-0)
4. Katy, Texas (8-0)
5. St. Xavier, Cincinnati (10-0)
6. Carroll, Southlake, Texas (7-1)
7. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (7-0)
8. Pahokee, Fla. (8-0)
9. Cardinal Mooney, Youngstown, Ohio (10-0)
10. Colerain, Cincinnati (10-0) (I love this game note) Quentin Sims ran only five times but had 128 yards