![May 19 2016 -- Fort Lauderdale, FL, U.S.A -- St. Thomas Aquinas quarterback Jake Allen (14) throws a pass. St. Thomas Aquinas, the likely No. 1 team in the preseason Super 25, is hosting its annual gold and blue inter squad scrimmage at the schools stadium. -- Photo by Steve Mitchell USA TODAY Sports Images, Gannett ORG XMIT: US 134928 St. Thomas Aquin 5/19/2016 [Via MerlinFTP Drop]](https://usathss.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/xxx_st-_thomas_aquinas_dec_1969_82009313.jpg?w=100&h=71#038;h=714)
St. Thomas Aquinas quarterback Jake Allen (14) throws a pass during his team’s intersquad scrimmage. The No. 1-ranked Raiders play No. 3 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) in perhaps the biggest game in the 12-game GEICO ESPN High School Football Showcase. (Photo: Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports Images).
Starting Sept. 2 and running through Nov. 4, the 2016 GEICO ESPN High School Football Showcase will feature an additional dozen matchups between top high school football teams, including seven teams in the USA TODAY Super 25 high school football rankings and two teams among the eight on the Preseason Super 25 bubble.
Much of the focus for the schedule will be on top recruits as the schedule includes 66 ranked players from ESPN 300 (Class of 2017) and ESPN Junior 300 (Class of 2018).
RELATED: Preseason Super 25 football rankings
The biggest game could be on Sept. 30, when the preseason No. 1-ranked team, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale), visits current No. 3 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), which finished the past two seasons atop the Super 25.
Nine preseason American Family Insurance Preseason ALL-USA players will also be profiled in the games, including: linebacker-running back Dylan Moses of IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.); quarterback Dylan McCaffrey of Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.); linebacker Tony Gray of Grayson (Loganville, Ga.); wide receiver Trevon Grimes of St. Thomas Aquinas; cornerback Shaun Wade of Trinity Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.); defensive end Robert Beal of IMG Academy; running back Najee Harris of Antioch, Calif.; defensive back Isaiah Pryor of IMG Academy; and safety Jeffrey Okudah of South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie, Texas).
RELATED: American Family Insurance Preseason ALL-USA Teams
There will also be a big reason for Ohio State fans to watch the schedule as it includes six players who have committed to the Buckeyes: Wade; Pryor; defensive end Chase Young of DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.); defensive tackle Haskell Garrett; quarterback Tate Martell of Bishop Gorman and IMG Academy cornerback Marcus Williamson.
GEICO ESPN High School Football Showcase Schedule:
| OPPONENTS | DATE | LOCATION | TIME (EST) and Network | NOTES |
| St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) vs. Paramus Catholic (Paramus, N.J.) | Sept. 2 | Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Mich. | 6 p.m., ESPNU | Game comes a day before Michigan’s home opener with Hawaii |
| Greater Atlanta Christian (Norcross, Ga.) vs. Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) | Sept. 9 | Valor Christian | 10 p.m., ESPNU | Two elite QBs face off in GAC’s Davis Mills vs. Valor Christian’s Dylan McCaffrey |
| St. Joseph Prep (Philadelphia) vs. Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.). | Sept. 16 | Archbishop Wood | 7:30, ESPNU | Two of the strongest programs in the state |
| Brother Martin (New Orleans) vs. No. 16 John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.) | Sept. 23 | Zephyr Field, Metairie, La. | 8 p.m., ESPNU | Brother Martin won last year’s game 40-37 in overtime |
| Antioch, Calif. vs. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) | Sept. 23 | De La Salle | 11 p.m., ESPNU | The top running back in the state (Najee Harris) against the defending state champion. |
| No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) vs. No. 3 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas). | Sept. 30 | Bishop Gorman | 10 p.m., ESPNU | Maybe the high school matchup of the season |
| Saraland, Ala., vs. Spanish Fort, Ala. | Oct. 13 | Spanish Fort | 8 p.m., ESPN2 | 6A champion Spanish Fort has faced Saraland in two recent state semifinals. |
| No. 4 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) vs. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.) | Oct. 21 | Trinity Christian | 7 p.m., ESPN2 | Between them, the teams have 26 ESPN 300 players. |
| Woodland Christian (Woodland, Calif.) vs. California School for the Deaf (Fremont, Calif.). | Oct. 27 | California School for the Deaf | 8 p.m., ESPN2 | CSD running back Jax Pederson is looking for third consecutive 1,000-yard season. |
| No. 3 Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) vs. Hoover, Ala. | Oct. 28 | Hoover | 8 p.m., ESPNU | Great neighbor state game. |
| No. 15 DeSoto, Texas vs. South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie, Texas). | Gopher-Warrior Bowl, Grand Prairie | 8 p.m., ESPN2 | Both teams are on the rise in 2016 | |
| No. 9 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) vs. Good Counsel (Olney, Md.). | Nov. 4 | Good Counsel | 8 p.m., ESPNU | Traditional rivals have kept the WCAC title to themselves since 2009 |
Kickoff times and locations are subject to change.
