H.S. Sports Central

Manatee coach Joe Kinnan considers his team among the best in the country, and he's willing to travel 1,000 miles to prove it.

"If you want to get up there (in the rankings) and you want to stay up there, you'd better win. And you'd better be playing someone from out of state," said Kinnan, who has brought nationally ranked Manatee from Bradenton, Fla., to play Woodland Hills at 8 p.m. Saturday.

The matchup is the marquee matchup of the Rally at the Wolvarena, a four-game event at the stadium in Turtle Creek. WPIAL teams Central Catholic, McKeesport and Thomas Jefferson also will face teams from out of state.

Also coming from Florida is Cocoa High School, which has won back to back state championships (Class AAA in 2008 and Class AA in 2009). Still, coach John Wilkinson wanted more.

"I wanted to go to a different region, play a team from that region and see how we stacked up," Wilkinson said.

Multi-state events like this one are growing more popular as high school football gains a national perspective. The most well-known event is the Herbstreit Varsity Football Series, this year being held in Columbus, Ohio, and Arlington, Texas. There's also a five-day, 12-game event in Cincinnati called the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout, which brings together schools from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

Rally at the Wolvarena organizer Ken Halloy, president of Halloy Boy Sports Marketing, has held similar events in Wheeling, W.Va. Woodland Hills, Central Catholic and Thomas Jefferson took part in those showcases.

"There certainly has been a steady rise in interstate games," said Steven Spiwak, national football editor for CBS Sports-owned Maxpreps.com. "There used to be only a couple big events around the country. Now, you'll even see teams seeking out other teams."

Among them locally is Penn Hills, which opens Friday night against St. Edward in Lakewood, Ohio. Also, Gateway plays Saturday against Bishop McDevitt in Harrisburg. Though not an out-of-state matchup, McDevitt has heavily recruited running back Jameel Poteat, who committed to Pitt.

Before joining the Rally at the Wolvarena, Manatee had arranged a game with Don Bosco Prep of Ramsey, N.J. Don Bosco finished last season ranked No. 1 by USA Today, earning it a national championship of sorts. The team began 2009 with victories against teams from California and Alabama before 10 consecutive wins against New Jersey schools.

North Hills was USA Today's national champion in 1987.

Under coach Jack McCurry, the Indians went 13-0 and dominated WPIAL opposition — a year before the state playoffs began. Their only out-of-district win was a season-opening victory against Erie Cathedral Prep.

Despite the growth of interstate games, though, a team still could finish No. 1 without playing any out-of-state games. But Spiwak said he believes cross-country games are not a necessity.

"I don't think a team has to go out of state," Spiwak said. "Frankly, it's not easy to do."

But these games certainly mean more to those who organize national rankings. A Woodland Hills victory could send the team high into the rankings.

"Without a doubt," Spiwak said.

Manatee's trip to Pittsburgh will be the farthest Kinnan has taken his players for a game during his 26 seasons. Last Friday, Manatee played an ESPN-televised game against cross-state opponent Tampa Plant, which was ranked No. 2 by ESPN. Manatee prevailed, 48-10.

"We felt we had the type of football team that needed to be displayed," said Kinnan, whose squad lost to Plant in last season's Class 5A state championship game.

Manatee's star is running back Mike Blakely, a highly touted recruit who rushed for 156 yards, scored four touchdowns and passed for another against Plant. But his coach said this trip is about more than football.

"I look at it as a great educational experience for our kids," Kinnan said. "It's an opportunity for them to do things they might never get to do.

"We have kids going on an airplane for the first time. It will be an experience for them."

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