Once again in 2017, high school football fans will get a weekend full of big games in their living rooms, thanks to ESPN.
Wednesday, ESPN announced a seven-game television schedule for the GEICO High School Football Kickoff from August 25th through the 27th. The two games on Friday night — St. John Bosco (California) at St. Thomas Aquinas (Florida) and DeMatha (Maryland) at Bishop Gorman (Nevada) — feature four teams that finished No. 1, No. 2, No. 5 and No. 6 in the 2016 High School Football America Top 50.
Related: Top teams over the last four years, according to High School Football America’s algorithm
Defending national champ Bishop Gorman will begin life without High School Football America National Player of the Year Tate Martell when it plays DeMatha at 9 o’clock eastern time on ESPN. DeMatha, which finished No. 5 in our national rankings that are created with our proprietary algorithm, won its fourth straight Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title.
St. John Bosco, the 2016 California Open Division champ that finished No. 2 in our final rankings, takes-on St. Thomas Aquinas, which finished No. 6 last year, on ESPNU at 7 o’clock eastern time.
On Saturday, IMG Academy (Florida), which finished No. 3 in the Top 50, will travel to Arizona to play 6A state champ Chandler. Last year, the Wolves finished No. 29 in our Top 50.
Below is the rest of the ESPN schedule.
Friday, Aug. 25
St. John Bosco (Calif.) vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.), 7 p.m., ESPNU
DeMatha (Md.) vs. Bishop Gorman (Nev.), 9 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Aug. 26
Tulsa Union (Okla.) vs. Broken Arrow (Okla.), Noon, ESPN
Saraland (Ala.) vs. Heard County (Ga.), 3:30 p.m., ESPNU
Bartram Trail (Fla.) vs. Cartersville (Ga.), 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
IMG Academy (Fla.) vs. Chandler (Ariz.), 10:30 p.m., ESPNU
Sunday, Aug. 27
Wayne (Ohio) vs. Pine-Richland (Pa.), 1:30 p.m., ESPN
