Strength in numbers applies to blocking and defense in football. It also applies to games.
Events that pack multiple contests into one major extravaganza add extra appeal for fans. And the matchups in those extravaganzas are usually of the marquee variety.
Here is our list of football showcase events that can't be missed:
Sollenberger Classic: Glendale, Ariz.
Jarrett Solomon of Bishop Gorman, left, tries to roll away from Chaparral's Ryan Erickson during last year's Sollenberger Classic.
File photo by Todd Shurtleff
University of Phoenix Stadium
When: Aug.18
Top Game: Palo Verde (Las Vegas) vs.
Desert Vista (Phoenix)
The event honors the Arizona Interscholastic Association's late historian, Barry Sollenberger, and has become a staple of the high school football kickoff season in matching Arizona vs. Nevada teams. This year's games feature
Blue Ridge (Lakeside, Ariz.) vs.
Moapa Valley (Overton, Nev.), and Desert Vista vs. Palo Verde. Blue Ridge is the defending AIA Division IV champ, with 11 titles and four runners-up since 1987. Moapa Valley defeated Show Low at the Sollenberger last season. Desert Vista beat Chandler Hamilton in last season's AIA Division I final at this same stadium.
