August 27, 2008

 News Release

Championship Experience Returns

to Annual Classic

The star-powered 2008 Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic returns to Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium, and will kickoff each night at 7:30 PM on August 28, 29 and 30, 2008.

For the first time in event history, all six of the high schools competing in the fifth-annual Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic in Tyler have played in a state championship in the 2000’s.

The three-game Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic opens in huge fashion with Gilmer meeting Jasper on Thursday night. The first-ever state championship for Gilmer was won in 2004, a wild 49-47 victory over Jasper for the 3A, Div. II state championship. Gilmer is undefeated at 4-0 in past Classics in Tyler, while Jasper coach Thomas Brooks will be making his first appearance in Tyler’s historic stadium since coaching John Tyler during the 2005-06 football seasons.

Tyler Lee will host Lufkin on Friday night, marking the first meeting between the East Texas powers since 2004 – the year Tyler Lee won the 5A, Division I state title. Lufkin, which won a 5A crown in 2001, is coming off an 11-1 season and is home to one of the top football players in the nation, DT Jamarkus McFarland.

The finale of the Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic will pit Texarkana Texas against John Tyler on Saturday night. Texas High won the 4A, Div. I state title in 2002, while John Tyler was runner-up to Katy for the 5A, Div. II crown in 2000. It’s the fourth meeting between the two schools in the five-year history of the Classic. The margin of difference in the past three games between the two schools is 6.6 points.

The Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic was created by TITUS Sports Marketing, which provides sales and marketing assistance to the Tyler Independent School District. A total of 18 high schools have competed in the Class since ‘04. Nine of those schools have played in at least one state championship game since 2000, and three of the six teams in the 2007 Classic played for a state championship last December.

Reserved tickets to the Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic for Tyler and John Tyler high schools are available at the Tyler ISD Athletic Office. Gilmer, Jasper, Lufkin and Texas also have reserved tickets available at their respective schools.

All tickets sold are good for reserved seats for the game of your choice, and general admission seating for the other two remaining games. If tickets remain at the stadium each night, all available tickets are $10 each.                                                                

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