FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 14th, 2017
CSN KICKS OFF ITS EXTENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE 2017-18 ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS SEASON
Special ‘Football Preview’ season premiere edition of “High School Lites presented by Wintrust” (hosted by Kelly Crull) to debut Friday, August 18 at 11:00 PM CT
CSN live stream available on CSNChicago.com/WatchLive or via the NBC Sports app
Prairie Ridge Wolves, the defending IHSA Class 6A state champion, to be the featured team this year on the network’s exclusive, behind-the-scenes team spotlight segment “DRIVE”
Network to also present a brand new “Faith in Football: History of the Chicago Catholic League presented by Wintrust” documentary series chronicling a century of action on the gridiron
Fans are urged to follow the @CSNDrive Twitter handle for the latest Prairie Ridge scores, analysis and photos, along with 24/7 state-wide IHSA updates via @CSNPreps
“Edgy” Tim O’Halloran and Scott Phillips return for their fifth seasons as CSN’s local preps sports experts
New Preps Talk podcast, featuring in-depth interviews with coaches, players and famous Chicagoland alumni to also debut this month
Chicago, IL (August 14, 2017) – CSN Chicago (CSN), the home of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Championships, is ready to bring its viewers another action-packed season of expert local preps sports coverage, featuring many of the very best student-athletes in the nation. Note the following highlights/details for the upcoming IHSA preps season on CSN:
HIGH SCHOOL LITES presented by Wintrust (“Football Preview” season premiere – Friday, August 18 at 11:00 PM CT)
Hosted by Kelly Crull, High School Lites presented by Wintrust continues to be THE weekly destination for all the thrilling highlights from the area’s biggest preps match-ups, along with post-game interviews featuring the area’s top coaches and players. In addition to in-depth video highlights, High School Lites will profile exemplary student-athletes who are excelling on and off the playing surface in High School Lites’ “Wintrust Athlete of The Week” segment, while distinguished teams will be profiled in the show’s “Team of the Week” segment, presented by St. Xavier University.
Continuing this season, High School Lites will offer fans the chance to get interactive with the show by participating in the “Viewers’ Choice Game of the Week.” The wildly popular week-long poll will pit three Chicagoland matchups against one another. Fans are encouraged to vote via @CSN Preps for the game they want CSN Chicago to cover on Friday night. The winning matchup will be profiled in a special segment in the show. In addition, fans will also be given the opportunity to request the game that “Edgy” Tim O’Halloran (football) and Scott Phillips (basketball) cover each Friday night by utilizing the hashtag #SendEdgy and #FollowPhilips, respectively. For year-round IHSA coverage, be sure to follow our Twitter handle @CSNPreps.
NOTES: Every airing of High School Lites will also be live streamed on CSNChicago.com/WatchLive or via the NBC Sports app…the show shifts to Saturday nights in November to accommodate IHSA Football playoff match-ups…beginning Friday, December 1, High School Lites shifts its key focus to preps basketball.
“DRIVE”
In every weekly airing of High School Lites this season, preps fans can look forward to a brand new season of its acclaimed, behind-the-scenes, unprecedented all-access feature series entitled, “DRIVE.” This fall’s featured team will be the Prairie Ridge Wolves, who are coming off an exciting 6A state championship last season. The Wolves, who play in the competitive Fox Valley conference, feature two standout players who have given their commitments to Iowa – quarterback Samson Evans and offensive lineman Jeff Jenkins – who co-anchor a scoring unit that racked up an average of 50 points per game in 2016. Prairie Ridge will be seeking their third state championship in the last seven years. NOTE: Every episode of “DRIVE” will be made available for viewing on CSNChicago.com immediately following its on-air debut.
“FAITH IN FOOTBALL: HISTORY OF THE CHICAGO CATHOLIC LEAGUE” presented by Wintrust
CSN’s comprehensive documentary will take a look back at the moments that defined the most dominant football conference in the state over the past 100 years. The evolution of the conference and key figures who have helped shape it will be highlighted in a unique way for fans of all ages to enjoy throughout the season. Special vignettes will be featured throughout the fall in High School Lites, on CSNChicago.com and on CSN’s social media platforms with the full feature being presented to fans in October.
“EDGY” TIM O’HALLORAN & SCOTT PHILLIPS
Veteran Illinois high school football sports writer/recruiting authority “Edgy” Tim O’Halloran (@EDGYTIM) returns for his fifth season as a contributing reporter for High School Lites. O’Halloran’s CSN Preps Power Rankings (@CSNPreps), players & coaches profiles and recruiting updates can be found at CSNChicago.com. In addition, O’Halloran’s content is also featured on CSNChicago.com’s partner site, Rivals.com. Scott Phillips (@phillipshoops) also returns for his fifth season as a contributing reporter for High School Lites and will take center stage this upcoming basketball season. Phillips is also a key contributor to NBCSports.com’s “CollegeBasketballTalk.”
PREPS TALK PODCAST
Starting August 16, the CSN Chicago preps reporting team will bring prep sports fans a new, weekly podcast. Hosted by Joe Collins (@JoeCSN) and Jared Storck (@jaredstorck) with appearances by “Edgy” Tim O’Halloran and Scott Phillips, the podcast will feature the latest storylines, game previews, recruiting analysis and special interviews with Chicagoland high school alumni. Fans are encouraged to listen along at csnchicago.com/podcasts.
IHSA FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PAIRING SHOW presented by Wintrust
For the sixth-straight year, CSN Chicago and the IHSA will present the IHSA Football Playoff Pairing Show LIVE on Saturday, October 21 at 8:00 PM. Brackets will be unveiled as 256 Illinois teams, from 1A to 8A, will find out their first round opponent. This two-hour show will also be streamed live on CSNChicago.com and the NBC Sports app.
CSNCHICAGO.COM
Fans are urged to visit CSNChicago.com’s dedicated Preps section (csnchicago.com/preps) for the latest Preps Power Rankings, Illinois AP rankings, special segment video features, the latest IHSA news, game highlights and recaps, special mid-week segments previewing the upcoming week’s action featuring detailed analytical breakdowns from “Edgy Tim” O’Halloran and Scott Phillips, and much more.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media fans can follow the network’s @CSNDrive Twitter handle for the latest Prairie Ridge scores, highlights, players & coaches interviews, and analysis. Fans can follow the school’s Twitter handle (@PrairieRidge), along with the school’s dedicated football Twitter handle (@PrairieRidgeFB) and utilize the hashtag #DriveWolves. In addition, @CSNPreps will provide fans with the latest statewide updates throughout the scholastic year, which will include Power Rankings, scores, analysis, and viewer/reader Twitter photos from game day.
CSN Chicago, a partnership between the Chicago Blackhawks (NHL), Chicago Bulls (NBA), Chicago Cubs (MLB), Chicago White Sox (MLB) and the NBC Sports Group, features over 275 live pro games in high definition each year. In addition, CSN delivers extensive pre/post-game coverage for its core pro team partners, as well as the Chicago Bears, along with numerous entertaining local sports discussion/social media-focused programs via In the Loop and SportsTalk Live. Through the network’s growing digital platform, CSNChicago.com, Chicago sports fans tap into the most comprehensive and dedicated 24/7 online destination for breaking news, up-to-the-minute game previews/recaps, highlights, multimedia video clips, and standout coverage from CSNChicago.com’s team of “Insiders.” Follow the network on Twitter via @CSNChicago.
NBC Sports Regional Networks is NBC Sports Group’s portfolio of nine regional networks that delivers more than 2,200 live sporting events and original content to more than 43 million homes. Aligned within Eastern and Western Divisions, the NBC Sports Regional Networks are: CSN New England, CSN Philadelphia, TCN, CSN Mid-Atlantic and SNY; and NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports California, CSN Chicago and CSN Northwest. For additional information, visit comcastsportsnet.com. For more information on NBC Sports Group properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios, headshots and logos, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.
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