Fifth Annual Action Sports Medicine
Champions Classic to be historic, hard-nosed

The Fifth Annual Action Sports Medicine Champions Classic is historic – on more than one level. The four-game, three-day event matches two of the best NCAA Division II college teams in the nation - Abilene Christian University and Northwest Missouri State University. That’s the first time the Classic has included a college game.

But that game on Thursday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m., will also be nationally televised game on the CBS Sports Network – the first time in the history of Shotwell Stadium that it has played host to a nationally televised event. It's also the first time in the history of football's opening weekend in Abilene that the local event has had a college game be part of the festivities.

The game not only is expected to fill the stands of the legendary stadium and give Abilene a nice "nod" on national television, but it will go a long way in determining which team in the nation will have the inside track to the NCAA Division II national football championship title game in Florence, Alabama, on Dec. 12th.

The Abilene Cooper Cougars and Fort Worth O.D. Wyatt Chaparrals tee it up the very next night at 7:30 p.m. on the opening Friday of Zero Week. That game is a rematch of last year’s Classic, won by the Cougars, 33-0.

Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine believes the Cougars will have more of the same success this season they enjoyed in 2008. Cooper, ranked 19th in the state, is picked to finish second in the tough District 4-4A.

The Chaparrals are picked to finish seventh in the crowded 10-man District 7-4A. The good news is there are 9 starters back.

On Saturday morning, Aug. 29th at 11 a.m., the Abilene High Eagles will host Fort Worth Dunbar in another rematch, but no one expects a repeat of the lopsided, 58-14 victory by the Eagles in 2008.

That's because Dunbar, which finished last season 9-2, undefeated in District 7-4A and impressive as a bi-district finalist, has 12 starters returning, including everyone's blue-chip senior wide receiver Darius White.

Abilene High is picked in pre-season polls to have no trouble keeping on top in District 3-5A, nudging out Richland for the crown. The Eagles finished 10-0 in regular season play in 2008.
 
The finale for the 2009 edition of the Action Sports Medicine Champions Classic will feature one more rematch - the Jim Ned Indians against the Merkel Badgers.

Jim Ned led at halftime last year at Shotwell Stadium, 7-6, but the Badgers exploded for 22 points in the second half to win, 28-7. Both teams went on to finish the 2008 season with identical 7-5 records.

Last year's meeting between these two teams produced a Classic team record of 394 total rushing yards (net). That also includes the record for highest average rush per attempt - 7.9 yards. Such classic hard-nosed football is also expected this year, providing the appropriate ending to another Action Sports Medicine Champions Classic weekend.

The Champions Classic is in its fifth year and is promoted by the Sports Alliance Committee of the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is an affiliate of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, and sponsored by Action Sports Medicine and Rehab, along with Texas Chevy Dealers and WTU Retail Energy and other local sponsors.  The Sports Alliance was formed to increase the economic impact in the Abilene community through sporting events.  One goal is to raise money for scholarships awarded each year to graduating seniors from each of the local high schools.  To date, the Champions Classic has awarded $27,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors from Abilene High, Cooper High, Wylie High and Abilene Christian High schools.

2009 Featured Games

Game 1: Abilene Christian University vs. Northwest Missouri...............7:00 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27

Game 2: Abilene Cooper vs. Fort Worth O.D. Wyatt.................................7:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 28

Game 3: Abilene High vs. Fort Worth Dunbar..........................................11:00 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 29

Game 4: Jim Ned vs. Merkel.......................................................................7:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 29