2011 NHSCA Football Coach of the Year George Smith to be a Guest on Tomorrow Night's NHSCA Sports Hour

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

There's a big football game in Florida Friday night between two of the best high school football programs in America.

De La Salle (Concord, CA) High School will square-off with St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) on ESPN.

Joining me on tomorrow night's NHSCA Sports Hour to talk about the showdown is STA athletic director George Smith, who is the 2011 National High School Coaches Association's National High School Football Coach of the Year.

Had Smith not retired from coaching earlier this year, the showdown would have featured two of America's legendy coaches.  De La Salle is led by Bob Ladouceur, who led the Spartans on that incredible 151-game win streak that began in the early-90's and ended in 2004.  Ladouceur owns an incredible record of 375-24-3. 

Smith stepped away from the sidelines after 34 years of building the Raiders into a Florida and national power.  Smith's career record before handing the program's reigns over to Rocco Casullo was 361-66 with six state titles and two "mythical" national championships.  Ladouceur has led the Spartans to seven "mythical" national titles.

On May 1st, I spoke with Casullo, the team's former defensive coordinator, about taking over for a legend.  Click here to listen to that interview.

St. Thomas Aquinas enters the game ranked #4 by MaxPreps.com, while De La Salle is at #10.

Tune-in tomorrow night starting at 6PM EDT to listen to my interview with Coach Smith.  Click here to listen LIVE.

St. Thomas Aquinas Named Top High School Athletic Program by MaxPreps

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

MaxPreps.com has named St. Thomas Aquinas in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida as its 2010-11 Athletic Program of the Year.

Last season, the Raiders were named national champs in football and girls’ soccer and boys’ track and field by various national publications.

St. Thomas Aquinas also had plenty of Top 15 finishes in the state.  The Raiders were 8th in Florida in boys’ cross country; 6th in the state in girls’ cross country; 3rd in Florida in boys’ golf; 11th in girls’ golf; 5th in girls’ swimming; 7th in boys’ swimming; 14th in wrestling; and 4th in girls’ track and field.

Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon finished second .  Four California schools made the Top 10 list.

MaxPreps.com' Athletic Programs of Year for 2010-2011

1. St. Thomas Aquinas in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
2. Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon
3. Punahou High School in Honolulu, Hawaii
4. Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, Colorado
5. Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida
6. De La Salle High School in Concord, California
7. Jesuit High School in New Orleans, Louisiana
8. Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, California
9, Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California
10. Long Beach Poly, Long Beach, California