High school football teams from Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois and Florida will take part in the 2020 Dublin High School Football Showcase in Ireland. On Wednesday, Global Football from Granbury, Texas announced that the doubleheader will take be play August 28 at Energia Park, formerly known as Donnybrook Stadium.
We can confirm the match-ups and venue for the Dublin High School Football Showcase to be played in Ireland in August. The event returns to Energia Park in Donnybrook as @friarfootball takes on @NDP_Athletics while @Kent_School faces @CSNSeahawks.
— Global Football (@globalsportsguy) January 22, 2020
Story: https://t.co/tGk66AOBOU pic.twitter.com/vWhIRBpZJv
One game will feature Arizona’s Notre Dame Prep taking-on Fenwick High School from Chicago, Illinois. The other matchup has Florida’s Community School of Naples facing Kent School from Connecticut.
Related: Stadium Project – Notre Dame Prep
This will be Notre Dame’s second trip to overseas. In 2012, the Saints beat Father Judge High School from Philadelphia 20-6. Last season, Notre Dame finished 11-2, advancing to the Arizona Class 5A state semifinals.
Fenwick has a new head coach in Matt Battaglia. The Friars were 6-5 last year with a first round playoff win.
“The Fenwick Family and I are thrilled to have this opportunity to participate in the upcoming game in Ireland against Arizona’s Notre Dame Prep,” said Battaglia. “I could not think of a better opportunity for our team to kick off the Fenwick FAST era than by competing overseas in a first class trip versus a first class opponent. I also want to thank the Fenwick administration and community along with Global Football for helping facilitate and putting this trip together. This is truly a special opportunity for our football family to come closer together and make special memories that will last forever.”
Kent, a private school that plays in the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) will be making its third trip to Ireland. The Lions were 2-6 last season.
“We are very excited for our match up against the Community School of Naples this August,” said Kent head coach Connor Wells. “A top-tier academic institution with an exceptional football tradition, quite similar to Kent School, the Community School is an ideal opponent for our game in Dublin. Our boys look forward to competing with full hearts on the field as we celebrate this incredible global experience with our friends from Florida.”
In 2016 in Ireland, Community School of Naples lost to Westminster School from Atlanta. Last year, the Seahawks were 1-8 playing in Florida’s 2A classification.
“Community School of Naples is looking forward to, once again, representing our country, community, and sport in Dublin,” said Paul Selvidio, head coach of CSN. “The international experience for our student-athletes was fully realized in our first trip to Ireland in 2016. The 2020 CSN Seahawk football team is thrilled to matchup against the Kent School from Connecticut. Both schools emphasize academic excellence and encourage excellence beyond the classroom – that means two well rounded football programs will face off in an international celebration of our great sport. Our two programs will be certain to represent our respective school’s well in front of worldwide audience.”
“We look forward to again bringing student-athletes, their families and supporters to this first-class facility and welcoming local sports fans who have always come out in force to support the event,” said Global Football founder and president Patrick Steenberge. “This showcase is the perfect way to celebrate our 25th year of traveling the world.”
The teams will train at the athletic facilities of University College Dublin and will experience the local culture through a series of educational tours. On August 29, the schools will attend the Aer Lingus College Football Classic between Notre Dame and Navy.
Four-time Super Bowl winner and decorated U.S. Military veteran Rocky Bleier will serve as Honorary Chairman for the event. Bleier won a coveted college football national championship at Notre Dame in 1966 and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He won four Super Bowl titles as a member of one of the NFL’s most legendary teams, during a professional career from 1968 to 1980.
