Bluegrassrivals

Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy coach Eric Taylor remembers the significance of the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown when he was an assistant in the early 2000s at Indian Hill.

To Taylor, it was like starting the season in the playoffs. Fast forward several years and Taylor has a similar outlook.

Now entering his fifth season as head coach at CHCA, Taylor is looking forward to the season as the Eagles will play in the 15th annual Showdown for the first time this August.

• Photos: Best of Crosstown Showdown
• Event to feature largest field ever
• Enquirer's Recruiting Trail blog

Not only is it the first time in the Showdown, but the Eagles play Madeira in a continued rivalry between the schools on Thursday, Aug. 23 (5:30 p.m. kickoff) at Sycamore.

The game will be the third time the schools will play in a calendar year, Taylor said. Madeira won 35-6 in Week 2 last season while CHCA upset Madeira 16-10 in the Division IV playoffs.

“It’s just a way to start your season with a big event on a big stage,” said Taylor, who has a 34-12 record at CHCA and is 41-15 overall as a head coach. “…It’s one of those games that no matter what type of season each team has it’s going to be a dogfight.”

The Showdown celebrated its 15th anniversary by announcing the schedule on May 15 at the University of Cincinnati. Framed promotional posters from years past adorned the Faculty Club on the eighth floor of the Lindner Center.

“It’s hard to believe that we are already celebrating 15 years of the Showdown,” said Tom Gamble of In-Game Sports, which owns and operates the event. “The only objective of the event is to showcase what we believe is the best high school football played anywhere in the country on a center stage.”

The event expanded to 42 schools playing 21 games over a 10-day period to kick off the high school football seasons in Ohio and Kentucky.

The Showdown gets started with two games Aug. 17 at Dixie Heights. Covington Catholic plays Campbell County at 6 p.m., followed by Dixie Heights vs. Newport Central Catholic at 8:30 p.m.

The Ohio season starts Wednesday, Aug. 22 at Colerain with a doubleheader. Reading plays Roger Bacon at 5:30 p.m. Mount Healthy plays North College Hill at 8 p.m.

Six games highlight Friday, Aug. 24 including Finneytown vs. Northwest at the Sheakley Athletic Complex at 7 p.m. “It’s great for us,” Northwest coach Chad Murphy said. “We are trying to pump up the program; the kids are doing their part.”

The same night at Nippert Stadium, Anderson plays Sycamore at 6 p.m., followed by an intriguing matchup of St. Xavier vs. Middletown at 8:30 p.m.

Centerville plays at Elder at 7:30 p.m. in the second consecutive season the two teams have met. Elder won 33-14 last season.

A doubleheader at Simon Kenton features Beechwood vs. Simon Kenton at 6 p.m., followed by Cooper vs. defending 2A state champion Holy Cross at 8:30 p.m.

Holy Cross coach Bruce Kozerski said his squad can’t wait to take the field that night.

“This event is outstanding,” Kozerski said. “We appreciate the opportunity.”

The Saturday, Aug. 25 schedule is loaded too, including Colerain vs. Division I state runner-up Pickerington Central at 5:30 p.m. at Nippert Stadium.

Hamilton plays Springfield at noon at Welcome Stadium, followed by Northmont vs. Princeton at 2:45 p.m. and Huber Heights Wayne vs. Winton Woods at 5:30 p.m.

On Sunday, Aug. 26, Moeller plays Gilman School (Md.) in the second game of a doubleheader at Kings and is expected to be televised nationally on ESPN’s family of networks with details to be released soon.http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120...e-released

2012 SHOWDOWN SCHEDULE
Friday, Aug. 17

At Dixie Heights

Campbell County vs. Covington Catholic, 6 p.m.

Dixie Heights vs. Newport Central Catholic, 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 22

At Colerain

Reading vs. Roger Bacon, 5:30 p.m.

Mount Healthy vs. North College Hill, 8 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 23

At Sycamore

CHCA vs. Madeira, 5:30 p.m.

Fenwick vs. Wyoming, 8 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 24

At Nippert Stadium

Anderson vs. Sycamore, 6 p.m.

Middletown vs. St. Xavier, 8:30 p.m.

At Sheakley Athletic Complex

Finneytown vs. Northwest, 7 p.m.

At Elder

Centerville at Elder, 7:30 p.m.

At Simon Kenton

Beechwood vs. Simon Kenton, 6 p.m.

Cooper vs. Holy Cross, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 25

At Nippert Stadium

Oak Hills vs. Walnut Hills, 3 p.m.

Colerain vs. Pickerington Central, 5:30 p.m.

Lakota West vs. La Salle, 8 p.m.

At Welcome Stadium (Dayton)

Hamilton vs. Springfield, noon

Northmont vs. Princeton, 2:45 p.m.

Huber Heights Wayne vs. Winton Woods, 5:30 p.m.

Dayton Dunbar vs. Valley View, 8:15 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 26

ESPHNHS Kickoff Classic

At Kings

Trotwood-Madison vs. University School (Fla.), 3 p.m.

Gilman School (Md.) vs. Moeller, 7 p.m.

By far the best high school football regular season event in the nation, especially the games played at Nippert Stadium. Tom Gamble does an awesome job setting it up

I will disagree, When you have teams playing each other that would normally play each other anyways I dont get the big to do, its nothing more than a money grab. $10.00 to see Dixie NCC or SK Beechwood, really?

You get two games for $10

plantmanky Wrote:I will disagree, When you have teams playing each other that would normally play each other anyways I dont get the big to do, its nothing more than a money grab. $10.00 to see Dixie NCC or SK Beechwood, really?

$10 to see both games and I was referring more to the games played at Nippert Stadium. Any time you can get good local teams to play each other, it's a plus

How many of these match ups were created by this "event?" It looks like the games were scheduled prior.

The whole thing has turned into a joke. Why not just call every game the 1st week of the season the Crosstown Showdown? That's basically what this has become.

If you're not going to have 3 or 4 games at Nippert with teams that don't usually play eachother, it's not interesting. Why should games that will be played regardless, be called showdown games? Why not just call week 6 Crosstown Showdown week? It's the same thing.

Do you really think anyone outside of Dixie and Newcath care, beyond knowing who wins, that they're playing that night? Is this type of matchup anymore intriguing than say Holmes vs Boone County or Dayton vs Ludlow? I bet less than 10% of the fans watch both games at that venue on Showdown night. Heck, if all the fans stayed for both games, Dixie wouldn't be big enough to handle the crowd. I'm not picking on that particular site. It's just that all the games are nothing different than that of just another Friday night in Tri-State football.

^ Now if it would be Highlands versus New Cath.........................................