Denton Ryan/Southlake Carrroll

UNTLifer · July 19, 2005

Noticed in the article that former NT Athletic Trainer and current DISD Superintendent Ray Braswell is using this to showcase the school district. Think anyone would know anything about either Southlake or Denton without successful teams?

Denton RC

Prime time for Ryan, Carroll

Rivals to meet again on national TV in October

07:22 AM CDT on Tuesday, July 19, 2005

By Chuck Cox / Staff Writer

The Ryan Raiders and Southlake Carroll Dragons will be sharing their District 5-5A football game with a national television audience for the second straight season.

Officials from both schools agreed Monday to have the game at Denton ISD Stadium at C.H. Collins Athletic Complex televised by Fox Sports Net. Denton district Athletic Director Ken Purcell said the contracts are being drawn up and he expects them to be finalized within the next week.

The contest also has been moved up one day to Thursday, Oct. 13, in compliance with a University Interscholastic League rule that prohibits regular-season football games from being shown live on Fridays in areas where other games are also being played. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.

“We want the opportunity to showcase the stadium and the school district for that matter,” Purcell said. “We felt like last year that we didn’t get to showcase a lot of the great things about our kids. [Denton Superintendent] Dr. [Ray] Braswell is going to work closely with Fox to really try to put together a package that showcases our district as a whole.”

The Raiders and Dragons, who have won a combined seven state championships, including two each since 2001, played on ESPN2 last season in front of an overflow crowd at Dragon Stadium. Carroll won that game, 52-27, and then a rematch in the Class 5A Region I championship game, 28-7, on its way to a perfect 16-0 season, a Class 5A Division II state title and a mythical national championship.

This year’s game will be part of a five-game “National Game of the Week” package of high school games being put together by Fox Sports Net. Two of the contests will feature Texas teams. The other Texas game the network is looking to televise is the District 12-5A showdown between defending Class 5A Division I state champion Tyler Lee and Longview. That game would be moved up to Thursday, Oct. 6, at Tyler’s Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium.

“We still have a couple of things that have to be worked out,” said Ramon Alvarez, public relations director for Fox Sports Net Southwest of the Ryan-Carroll game. “It’s one of the games on our radar. We’re looking at it for a national telecast — two of the top teams in Texas is just what we want.”

Lee is already scheduled to play one national game on ESPN University. The Red Raiders will be taking on Ohio state champion Cincinnati Colerain High School at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 9. However, that match-up between state champs is still pending UIL approval because it is scheduled for a Friday night.

Purcell said Fox Sports Net Southwest Senior Vice President and General Manager Jon Heidtke called him about three weeks ago about the possibility of televising the Ryan-Carroll game.

“We’ve just been playing phone tag back and forth, working out details,” Purcell said. “We put a luncheon together at the stadium today [Monday]. He and his executive producer Michael Anastassiou came out and wanted to see the stadium and try to figure out how the broadcast would come off.”

Purcell said another plus to having the game moved to Thursday night is that Guyer, which will not have a varsity team this season, will be able to play its junior varsity game against Rockwall Heath at the stadium on a Friday night, the day after the Ryan-Carroll game. It’s the only time the Wildcats will have a Friday night game at C.H. Collins.

Purcell also added that after the Carroll school district had to foot the bill for extra security at last year’s game, the money to hire extra security this time around will be paid for by Fox Sports Net as part of the agreement.

The two losses to Carroll were Ryan’s only setbacks in its 2004 12-2 campaign, the school’s first in Class 5A since 1997. Carroll returns 11 starters from last season, while Ryan has just six. Carroll is ranked No. 1 and Ryan No. 18 in the State Farm/[ital] Dave Campbell’s Texas Football [ital] Class 5A preseason state poll.

Last year, Fox Sports Net broadcast the annual meeting between Odessa Permian and Midland Lee nationally the same night Ryan and Carroll played on ESPN2.

CHUCK COX can be reached at 940-566-6872. His e-mail address is ccox@dentonrc.com.

NATIONWIDE

What: Ryan Raiders and Southlake Carroll Dragons football game

When: Thursday, Oct. 13, 7:30 p.m. kickoff

Airing nationally on: Fox Sports Net

DallasGreen · July 19, 2005

Should be an interesting sight when the crowd from Carroll dwarfs the Denton crowd in Denton's own stadium. Just remember Ryan sent back tickets to Carroll last year which were quickly bought up by Southlake. Denton didn't get its title as sorriest sports in america for no reason.

UNTLifer · July 19, 2005

Should be an interesting sight when the crowd from Carroll dwarfs the Denton crowd in Denton's own stadium. Just remember Ryan sent back tickets to Carroll last year which were quickly bought up by Southlake. Denton didn't get its title as sorriest sports in america for no reason.

Always full of cheer, aren't you.

Keith Fever · July 20, 2005

Those apathetic Dentonites approved a bond for a $21 million stadium.

Once again I feel the need to point out that Denton is not the big problem here, it is our alumni and students. But the majority of attendance complaints on here are due to citizens of Denton not supporting a program that was not even supported very much by the school until the last 5-6 years.

The Ryan game was an away game that didn't start until 8 or 9pm on a school night. Southlake has 1 high school. I don't see the big deal.

BTW, that title was from 5 years ago. Doesn't appear to be relevant anymore.

MeanMag · July 20, 2005

Should be an interesting sight when the crowd from Carroll dwarfs the Denton crowd in Denton's own stadium. Just remember Ryan sent back tickets to Carroll last year which were quickly bought up by Southlake. Denton didn't get its title as sorriest sports in america for no reason.

I would be surprised if that is the case again. It was prolly a lot easier for a carroll person to get a ticket since it was a home game, with season tickets and all. That Tyler Lee, Longview is gonna be a good one too, always a very hyped game.