High school football classic building momentum
- When%3A Aug. 22
- Where%3A MTSU's Floyd Stadium
- Who%3A Blackman High vs. Clay-Chalkville%2C 4 p.m.%3B Oakland vs. Hoover%2C 7 p.m.
MURFREESBORO – A high school football classic scheduled to be played at MTSU on the opening weekend of the season has set times and has made significant progress in securing sponsors for what organizers hope is an annual event.
The Middle Tennessee Football Classic presented by Venture Express is scheduled for Aug. 22 at Floyd Stadium in an event featuring Blackman and Oakland against two of the premier Alabama football programs.
Blackman will play defending Class 6A state champion Clay-Chalkville at 4 p.m. Oakland plays defending Class 7A state champion Hoover afterward at 7 p.m.
Tickets cost $15. The two games will not be televised.
"From what I understand, Clay-Chalkville may have as much talent, or more, than Hoover does this year," said Oakland parent John Jones, who is helping spearhead the event. "Both coaches and both athletic directors from the Alabama schools have been very cooperative. And MTSU has been excellent to work with.
"They've been great from the athletic office to their facility people. They've been extremely accommodating. I think the university sees the benefits of being able to showcase their university."
The event has picked up a premier sponsorship from Franklin American Mortgage Co. First National Bank of McMinnville and the Governor's Highway Safety Office are also sponsors. Jones said opportunities for sponsorship remain.
"It's awesome to see so much momentum for such a short time we've had to organize this event," Jones said. "I'm very pleased with how it's coming together with the community sponsorship and local businesses buying in to how big an event this can be for not only Murfreesboro, but also Middle Tennessee."
Blackman is coming off an 11-2 season, which includes a 35-20 loss to Hoover on Oct. 31. Oakland finished 12-2 in 2014. Both programs will be christening new head coaches in the classic. David Watson replaced Philip Shadowens, who is now the coach at William Blount. Kevin Creasy replaced Thomas McDaniel, who is now the coach at Christian Brothers.
Hoover finished 12-2 this past season under coach Josh Niblett. Clay-Chalkville was 15-0 in 2014 under coach Jerry Hood.
Watson, who had been an assistant at Blackman the past five season, said there should be a significant amount of regional interest in the two games, especially with Hoover's notoriety.
"The educated fan knows about Hoover because of the TV show they were on (MTV) and with them playing on ESPN," Watson said. "Hoover has a name, and Clay-Chalkville jumped onto the scene last year.
"With it not being on television, those two teams should attract some people. It's a neat deal."
Contact Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 or tkreager@dnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kreager.
Middle Tennessee Football Classic presented by Venture Express
When: Aug. 22
Where: MTSU's Floyd Stadium
Who: Blackman High vs. Clay-Chalkville, 4 p.m.; Oakland vs. Hoover, 7 p.m.
How much: $15