- State Champions from Florida, Georgia, Hawaii and Washington to Participate
Team and matchups have been selected for the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series, airing on ESPNU, December 20 and 21. Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas will host the event, which allows state high school champions from various states to compete in post-season bowl games. In the first of two games, Eastside Catholic High School from Sammamish, Wash. will play Marietta High School from Marietta, Ga. on Friday, Dec. 20, at 11:00 p.m. ET. In the second game, Saint Louis School from Honolulu, Hawaii will play St. Thomas Aquinas, Archdiocese of Miami from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 9:30 p.m.
ESPN play-by-play commentator Jay Alter and analyst Craig Haubert will call both games.
“The GEICO State Champions Bowl Series allows ESPN to continue to showcase high school sports on a national stage”, said Dan Margulis, ESPN senior director of college and high school sports programming. “This event, created by Paragon Marketing Group, is a great way to highlight the next generation of college student-athletes during our month–long commitment to bowl season.”
“In our 5th year we think the match-ups are the best one’s we have had to date. The fact that we can bring in teams as far apart as Florida and Hawaii and Georgia and Washington to compete on the athletic field and share educational experiences makes this a once in a lifetime opportunity for the teams.”, said Rashid Ghazi, Partner, Paragon Marketing Group.
Currently the AIA (Arizona), FHSAA (Florida), GHSA (Georgia), HSSAA (Hawaii), NIAA (Nevada), UHSAA (Utah) and WIAA (Washington) have approved their member schools to participate in the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series.
GEICO State Champions Bowl Series Matchups (both games from Bishop Gorman HS in Las Vegas):
Friday, Dec. 20, at 11 p.m.
Eastside Catholic (Washington) vs. No. 13 Marietta (Georgia)
Eastside Catholic has won an impressive four WIAA state championships in the last six years. This is their third appearance in the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series, with the most recent being a 17-0 victory over Centennial, Ariz. on their home field in 2018.
Marietta captured its first state title in 52 years, the last coming in 1967 for the Blue Devils. Capturing the GHSA 7A championship is always a feat, and Marietta proved themselves this season with one of the most difficult schedules in the nation.
Saturday, Dec. 21, at 9:30 p.m.
No. 6 Saint Louis (Hawaii) vs. No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas, Archdiocese of Miami (Florida)
Saint Louis has won seven HHSAA state titles including four consecutive from 2016-2019. This is their first year to participate in the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series. In recent years, the Crusaders have become the preeminent team in Hawaii and their quarterback alumni roster includes the likes of Marcus Mariota, Tua Tagovailoa, Jeremiah Masoli and Timmy Chang.
This year will mark St. Thomas Aquinas, Archdiocese of Miami’s second appearance in the Bowl Series. The school has won 11 FHSAA State Championships in Football with notable alumni including Brian Piccolo, Michael Irvin, Lamarcus Joyner, Nick Bosa and Joey Bosa.
GEICO State Champions Bowl Series Teams:
(Team rankings are per USA Today HS Sports Super 25 Expert Rankings (December 10)
Player Rankings are per the ESPN 300 (class of 2020) and ESPN Junior 300 (class of 2021)
No. 3 St. Thomas Aquinas, Archdiocese of Miami (Florida) 14-0, FHSAA 7A Champion
Head Coach: Roger Harriott
Key Wins: De La Salle (California), Deerfield Beach (Florida), Edgewater (Florida)
ESPN 300 Ranked Players (Class of 2020)
- 40 Marcus Rosemy (WR) – Georgia Commit
- 65 Marcus Dumervil (OT) – Offers include Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State and Michigan
- 189 Derek Wingo (OLB) – Florida Commit
ESPN Junior 300 Ranked Player (Class of 2021)
- 256 Tyreak Saap (DE) – Florida Commit
No. 6 Saint Louis (Hawaii) 12-0, HHSAA Division I Open Champion
Head Coach: Cal Lee
Key Wins: Bishop Gorman (Nevada), Punahou (Hawaii), Kahuku (Hawaii)
ESPN 300 Ranked Players (Class of 2020)
- 103 Jordan Botelho (OLB) – Notre Dame Commit
- 263 Nick Herbig (OLB) – Wisconsin Commit
ESPN Junior 300 Ranked Player (Class of 2021)
- 148 J.T. Wynden Ho’ohuli (ILB)
- 165 Mason Tufaga (OLB)
No. 13 Marietta (Georgia) 13-2, GHSA 7A Champion
Head Coach: Richard Morgan
Key Wins: St. Joseph’s Prep (Pennsylvania), Edgewater (Florida), Lowndes (Georgia)
ESPN 300 Ranked Players (Class of 2020)
- 12 Arik Gilbert (TE) – LSU Commit
- 152 B.J. Ojulari (DE) – LSU Commit
- 249 Harrison Bailey (QB) – Tennessee Commit
Eastside Catholic (Washington) 12-1, WIAA 3A Champion
Head Coach: Dominic Daste
Key Wins: Pinnacle (Arizona), Bellevue (Washington), O’Dea (Washington)
ESPN 300 Ranked Players (Class of 2020)
- 198 Gee Scott Jr. (WR) – Ohio State Commit
- 292 Sam Adams (RB) – Washington Commit
- 297 Ayden Hector (CB) – Stanford Commit
ESPN Junior 300 Ranked Player (Class of 2021)
- 23 J.T. Tuimoloau (DT)
*Team Rankings Based on USA Super 25 as of December 16, 2019
Tickets and additional information are available at www.geicobowlseries.com.
Who’s Next:
For in-depth coverage of the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series highlights, exclusive behind the scenes content and game recaps, follow @WhosNextHS on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About GEICO
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Visit www.geico.com for a quote or to learn more.
About Paragon Marketing Group
Paragon Marketing Group is a corporate consulting agency specializing in sports, entertainment and cause related sponsorships. Paragon owns and operates the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series and has collaborated with ESPN over the past 16 years to deliver over 650 live high school football, basketball, and lacrosse telecasts featuring many of the top teams and players in the nation. Paragon collaborates with ESPN on the following live properties:
GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff & Showcase
GEICO ESPN High School Basketball Showcase
GEICO State Champions Bowl Series
GEICO High School Basketball Nationals
GEICO High School Lacrosse Showcase
GEICO High School Lacrosse Nationals
GEICO Baseball City Series
For further information on the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series and for media credential requests please contact: rkelner@paragonmarketing.biz
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ESPN media contact:
Kimberly Elchlepp at kimberly.m.elchlepp@espn.com or 860-424-2923; @kimelchlepp
