Sports Illustrated Writer Tim Layden talks about new book Blood, Sweat and Chalk

In High School Football America's first podcast of 2010, Jeff Fisher talks with Sports Illustrated writer Tim Layden about his new book Blood, Sweat and Chalk that looks at the origin and evolution of offensive and defensive schemes.

Read my review of the book in my blog.

America's Best Urban High School Football Rivalry

November 5, 2009

by Jeff Fisher

Yes, High School Football America is all about small town high school football, but were also dedicated to telling THE BEST stories.

Los Angeles certainly isnt the smallest town in the country, but theres a rivalry game tomorrow night that is one of the fiercest in one of the fiercest communities in America.

Tomorrow night's game between Dorsey and Crenshaw in South Central LA will not only decide the Coliseum League championship, but as Dorsey Dons head coach Paul Knox tells us in Part 1 of this podcast, it also decides a lifetimes worth of bragging rights in a community where the schools are only two miles apart.

Dorsey and its football field sits in one of the deadliest neighborhoods in America. The Baldwin Village community, which is also known as The Jungle, has one of the worst poverty levels and highest number of foster children, per capita in the country.

A police task force has been formed in the community to engage in a daily war with rival gangs, and the City of Los Angeles has placed the entire area under a sweeping gang injunction.

I point out all of the bad, because out of the bad comes good. Thanks to Coach Knox and people like Martin Ludlow, who serves as the teams strength and conditioning coach, plus a director of the non-profit Dorsey Football Boosters, Dorsey players are given a better chance at a better life if they work hard on-and-off the field.

Whats even more amazing is, Dorsey does it on a budget of $45,000!

Trish and I were SO move by the Dorsey story, that earlier this year, with the help of our good friend Kenny Mitchell at Gatorade, we were able to secure a donation of enough Gatorade product for the entire season.

Keyshawn Johnson is probably the most famous Dorsey alum, but more important is the 150 student-athletes that have been recruited by the top NCAA college football programs around the country. Its those scholarships that offer players a way out.

Please enjoy this podcast with Coach Knox, who speaks open and honestly about what its like to be a coach, and at times, a father and a mother to these athletes, who sometimes go the bed having eaten only once during the day!

If you're moved by the great work being done by Coach Knox and the Dorsey Football Boosters, and want to help...email Martin Ludlow at DorseyChampionsl@aol.com.

Shattuck Head Coach Troy Bullard Talks About his Team's Attempt to Break 8-Man Record for Consecutive Wins

The Shattuck Indians may not be getting the national attention that De La Salle (Concord, CA) received when it pushed its win above 150 straight, but the run by the six-time Oklahoma Class C champions is no less impressive

If Shattuck beats Goodwell tomorrow night, the Indians will have won 91  straight, which will give the tiny northwest Oklahoma team the national 8-Man record for consecutive wins record, which it currently shares with Morrison High, also from Oklahoma.

The man behind the streak is head coach and Shattuck native Troy Bullard, who played for the Indians when they still played the traditional 11-man game.