September 2, 2009

C. W. Starr
TheOldCoach.com

For Gilmer head coach, Jeff Traylor, this opportunity will be at one of his favorite venues, Tyler's Rose Stadium. "Anybody that grew up in East Texas knows there have been so many big games played over there. It's just a great experience to play there," explained Traylor, who is 7-2 at Rose Stadium including the 5-0 record in the Classic.

Unbeatens John Tyler and Lufkin will collide on Friday night. Lufkin , which won a Class 5A crown in 2001, came back from a 21-0 deficit to defeat Tyler Lee in the 2008 Classic, 26-21. Lufkin , which is ranked No. 12 in the state's Class 5A rankings, held off visiting Tyler Lee, 27-13 last Friday night.

John Tyler, which is ranked No. 19 in the state's Class 5A rankings, opened its 2009 season with an impressive 41-17 victory against Texas High in Texarkana . The Lions are 2-3 in past Classics, but 1-0 against Class 5A schools.

The finale of the Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic will pit Longview against Tyler Lee on Saturday night. Longview, which played for a 4A, Div. I state championship in 2008, opened its '09 season with a stunning 28-25 victory over Allen, which entered the game as defending 5A, Division I state champions and rated in the top 10 in several national polls.

Tyler Lee is 3-2 in past Classics, while Longview , which is ranked No. 1 in the TheOldCoach.com's Class 4A rankings, is making its first appearance in the event since its inception in 2004.

The Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic was created by TITUS Sports Marketing, which provides sales and marketing assistance to the Tyler Independent School District. A total of 20 different high schools have competed in the Class since '04. Ten of those schools have played in at least one state championship game since 2000.

Reserved tickets to the Trinity Mother Frances Football Classic for Tyler and John Tyler high schools are available at the Tyler ISD Athletic Office. Gilmer, Rains, Lufkin and Longview also have reserved tickets available at their respective schools.

All tickets sold are good for reserved seats for the game of your choice, and general admission seating for the other two remaining games. If tickets remain at the stadium each night, all available tickets are $10 each.


For more information, please contact the Tyler ISD Athletic Office at 903-262-3080.