When the Elite Junior Classic was launched, its mission set out to showcase the same combination of on and off the field success that coaches around the country look for while recruiting the state of Georgia. Decades of Peach State products joining the college ranks and excelling on the gridiron, in the classroom and in their communities has coaches flooding in like never before to bring our gridiron heroes to their campuses. As the NFL kicked off its 2013 season, there were 95 former Georgia high school football players on opening day rosters.
The Elite Junior Classic understands just how special Georgia high school football is. With each season, the coaches, players and communities of its 412 (and growing) GHSA football programs continue to raise the bar. From Class A to Class AAAAAA, from Gainesville to Valdosta and from Columbus to Augusta, every area thrives with competition.
TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE …
Each player in the Elite Junior Classic must meet a certain academic requirement as well as demonstrate integrity and respect in the classroom, community and at home. All of the players embody these traits and will set the standard for future classes of players as they compete in the Elite Junior Classic and enjoy its one-of-a-kind weekend experience.
In between a pair of practices at McEachern High School’s state-of-the-art facilities, the Elite Juniors will attend a banquet honoring their outstanding reputations on and off the field. The athletes will be able to spend valuable time with each other and will serve the community before the highly-anticipated game caps off the weekend of festivities. Forty-five schools are represented as well as all seven of Georgia’s classifications in this year’s class of Elite Juniors. Each player is faced with a similar road ahead with recruitment and the big decisions awaiting. Bringing these motivated individuals together for an unforgettable weekend and allowing them to share this opportunity together is an invaluable experience that the Elite Junior Classic promises its players.
GAMECHANGER …
The team behind the Classic includes Score Atlanta and former high school head coaches Dave Hunter and Jimmy Dorsey. Score, Hunter and Dorsey have a lot of experience in high school events as they put on the Metro PCS Corky Kell Classic at the Georgia Dome every year and have partnered with video heavyweight PlayOn Sports to grow the Classic. Score, run by I.J. Rosenberg, is a leader in high school marketing and broadcasted more than 110 games on television over the last five years.
Junior all-star games are one of the fastest growing trends in high school football. The majority of seniors have already committed by this time and we have already seen their full bodies of work. Showcasing the best juniors has a far greater appeal for recruiters, fans and players. Those watching the Elite Junior Classic get to experience the next class of stars as players step into the spotlight. At the same time, players get an unmatched opportunity to showcase their skills.
The format includes the North team vs. the South team, an extension of Georgia high school football’s classic North vs. South rivalry. The rivalry between these two regions grows each season as more state titles are traded between them and this competition adds an exciting aspect to the Elite Junior Classic.
The North and South rosters will each consist of 35 players. Some of the country’s biggest all-star games have rosters that extend up to 50 players, but the Elite Junior Classic limits its lineups to 35 in order to provide each player with an opportunity to enjoy their individual time in the spotlight.
CSS will broadcast the game to more than 5.5 million households across the southeast and just culminated a season-long tour across the region that broadcasted the biggest games each week. CSS has become the biggest television platform for high school football and recruiting in the country.
The Elite Junior Classic also features the eighth grade All-Star game and the Elite Junior Combine in order to give young athletes opportunities to show their stuff. McEachern’s Walter H. Cantrell Stadium, the site of the games, is the largest high school stadium in Georgia with 12,500 seats. The stadium features the largest LED high school scoreboard in the world at 26-feet by 36-feet.
Fans who tune in will get a glimpse of the incredible talent that will take the field in the Elite Junior Classic. This first-class group of guys taking the field will set the standard for what is sure to become one of high school football’s most celebrated annual traditions.
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