ESPN Announces 2015 High School Football Kickoff Games
For fans who can't wait until the first weekend of September for the start of the season, ESPN will have you covered with 10 nationally televised High School Football Kickoff games the week before the college game returns.
On Thursday, ESPN announced the slate of games for its 2015 GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff from August 28-30.
The season-opening event will feature teams from 10 different states, nine defending state champions and dozens of the top recruits for the class of 2016.
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Here is the schedule for the 10 games, which opens with a matchup between two title-winning teams from Florida and a unique rivalry game in Mississippi:
| Aug. 28 | B.T. Washington (Fla.) vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Aug. 28 | Oxford (Miss.) vs. Starkville (Miss.) | 9 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Aug. 29 | Miami Central (Fla.) vs. DeMatha (Md.) | Noon | ESPN |
| Aug. 29 | Spartanburg (S.C.) vs. Wakulla (Fla.) | 1 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Aug. 29 | Benedictine (Ohio) vs. Central Catholic (Ohio) | 4 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Aug. 29 | Arlington Martin (Texas) vs. DeSoto (Texas) | 5 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Aug. 29 | Peachtree Ridge (Ga.) vs. Archer (Ga.) | 7 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Aug. 29 | De La Salle (Calif.) vs. Trinity (Texas) | 9 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Aug. 29 | Chandler (Ariz.) vs. Bishop Gorman (Nev.) | 10 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Aug. 30 | Mirimar (Fla.) vs. IMG Academy (Fla.) | 2 p.m. | ESPNU |
Three of the games in the kickoff will take place between a pair of defending state champions.
Miami's Booker T. Washington has won 41 straight games and three consecutive state championships. The Tornadoes will face fellow Florida champions St. Thomas Aquinas, the Fort Lauderdale school that boasts uncommitted 5-star defensive end Nick Bosa.
On the second day of the kickoff, Ohio state champions Benedictine and Central Catholic square off in Toledo.
Later that evening, Arizona powerhouse Chandler and 4-star wide receiver N'Keal Harry visit Las Vegas' Bishop Gorman, which finished the 2014 season with the nation's No. 1 ranking and its sixth straight Nevada state title.
Other matchups to watch include "The Little Egg Bowl," the annual meeting between Starkville High School and Oxford High School in the state of Mississippi. The two rival cities are the homes of Mississippi State and Ole Miss, respectively.
Two of the Saturday contests each feature five blue-chip prospects—Miami Central vs. DeMatha and the Georgia rematch between Peachtree Ridge and Archer. Top names from those games include 4-star defensive end Shane Simmons and 4-star wide receiver Kyle Davis.
Sunday's lone game features Florida's star-studded IMG Academy, which has four players in the top 100 of 247Sports' Composite Rankings, including No. 1 overall defensive end Shavar Manuel and No. 1 inside linebacker Rahshaun Smith.
Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
Justin Ferguson is an on-call college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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