Overtime Nationals football title game is a good starting point

BALTIMORE, Md.- Everyone’s assumptions and thoughts heading into Wednesday night’s Overtime Nationals high school football championship game between No. 3 St. Frances Academy and No. 21 Corner Canyon was prediction wise, this one wasn’t going to be close.

If you were one of those people, well, give yourself a little pat on the back because you were right.

The Panthers ran away, despite the final score maybe speaking otherwise, in a 37-20 romp of the Chargers at Under Armour Stadium for the city’s first-ever nationally recognized title and that certainly means a lot more than just the win and a trophy.

St. Frances Academy also receives a $250,000 donation in return, which certainly no high school-based institution in the country would turn down.

Despite what the game may have played out to and everyone’s easily agreeable prediction being, this was a great starting point for what is already being dubbed an annual event.

Overtime Media announced after the game that there will be a Overtime Nationals Part II to all this, which seeing how this all plays out in selecting teams the next go around, for 2026.

Rivals caught up with ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky right after the game to get his thoughts on the game and what it means for the sport.

“It was really fun,” Orlovsky said of the game and being on the call for the first-ever event. “To see the young men that are going to be a major part of college and celebrate them as high school players. Celebrate their programs and their coaches as leaders. High school football is the best.”

That last line resonates for whomever tuned in and watched the game last night as high school football die-hards followed along with interest in how the game would turn out.

Thoughts of what could’ve been with a per se IMG Academy as St. Frances Academy’s opponent certainly crossed the minds of folks on hand, but anyone getting a close up look at the Panthers can walk away knowing they are watching an all-time great high school football defense.

Even on the short end of the Overtime Nationals championship game, Corner Canyon head coach Eric Kjar spoke highly of the event and his Chargers’ team getting the opportunity to play in front of a national audience on Wednesday night.

“It was a great opportunity for us,” Kjar said after the game to Rivals. “Obviously very grateful to come out here and Overtime having us come out here was awesome by them. (St. Frances Academy) is a great team. They deserve everything they get.”

One thing Kjar touched on was getting his team re-focused after having not played since Nov. 20’s Utah Class 6A state championship game. St. Frances Academy on the flip side hadn’t faced an opponent since Nov. 1.

“That was a lot, trying to get them re-focused and get out here and battle,” Kjar added. “We knew that was going to be an important piece to all this.”

For the victors in this inaugural Overtime Nationals championship game, it wasn’t just about the chance to play for a title but also a couple of firsts for Maryland high school football, according to St. Frances Academy head coach Messay Hailemariam.

Hailemariam said that the game was the first-ever nationally ESPN televised high school football game in Maryland and that there’s never been a national champion to have ever come out of the Old Line State. Well, that was until Wednesday night.

“It feels unbelievable,” Hailemariam said to Rivals. “The reality of this is football is just an amazing process. To see them accomplish this goal. To see that type of effort and culmination of work, to get rewarded with this victory is unbelievable. This is the first time a high school football game has been televised on ESPN in Maryland. That was a great accomplishment. Historically, we were the first team (out of Maryland) to be ranked No. 1 (nationally), ever.”

The game has happened and though it could’ve been different with another opponent, Overtime Media, Omaha Productions were able to give the high school football world something that they believe can be an every year kind of product: A national championship game.

What comes next year will be tall telling, but for now, Wednesday night was a glimpse into the future of possibly seeing high school football having national champions crowned via one game and not through rankings.

“The inaugural Overtime Nationals delivered exactly what we set out to build—a true national stage where the country’s best high school football programs can compete for something meaningful,” Overtime General Manager of Football Hunter Mandel said via a release. “Tonight set a new standard for what championship-level high school football can look like.”

How to Follow National High School Football

For national high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals National High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals National High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement across the country.