High School Sports

By CHRIS PARRY
Staff Writer

The third edition of the Tyler Football Classic has a new home. After two years at Bullard Brook Hill's Herrington Stadium, this year's Classic will take place at Mewbourne Field on the All Saints Episcopal School campus.

The annual event, which is sponsored by Azalea Orthopedic and Texas Spine and Joint Hospital, pits local private schools against public schools in a quadruple-header that showcases Grace Community, T.K. Gorman, Brook Hill and this year's host, All Saints.

Single-game tickets will be available at the gate. Prices are $5 for adults and $3 for students.

"I think there is the potential for some really good games, starting with that first one Thursday night," said Mark Ackerman, All Saints athletic director.

Grace opens the football festivities Thursday as the Cougars (7-2 last season) battle Class 3A Eustace at 7 p.m.

The action continues Friday with host All Saints (3-7 last season) entertaining Class 2A Buffalo. The start time for this game will be 7:30 p.m.

Saturday's finale features a doubleheader. Game one pits Class 2A Hawkins against Brook Hill (6-4, regional finalist in '07) at 2 p.m. The Classic culminates with 2005 Class A state runner-up Big Sandy tangling with Gorman (1-9) at 7:30 p.m.

All Saints is slated to host The Tyler Classic for two years before it moves again to either T.K. Gorman or Grace Community.

"We are very pleased to be able to host this thing," said Ackerman, who credited Curtis and Jane Mewbourne for the reason All Saints was able to have a new stadium.

"To have all of those folks (from other area schools) on our campus and be able to see all the exciting things that are going on at All Saints."