ESPN To Broadcast Serra Football Opener

SAN MATEO, CA — Two of the Bay Area’s most high-profile high school athletics programs are readying to go Primetime.

State Open Division finalist Serra High of San Mateo is scheduled to play perennial national power De La Salle of Concord in a nonleague opener for both teams that will be broadcast on ESPNU, the cable network announced in a news release Monday.

Kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m. Sept. 2.

The Serra-De La Salle will open this year’s 2022 GEICO ESPN High School Football Showcase Schedule.

"Our Varsity Padres will step foot on the national stage, as one of the teams featured in the 2022 GEICO ESPN High School Football Showcase," the school's athletic's department tweeted.

The Padres are hoping for a return to the Open Division finals behind senior offensive Ryan Silver (a San Diego State commit) and junior quarterback Maealiuaki Smith, who has offers from Arizona, FSU, Kentucky, Nebraska, according to ESPN.

The Spartan are led by tight end Cooper Flanigan (Notre Dame commit), offensive lineman Cooper Powers (TCU commit), offensive lineman Derek Thompson (Harvard commit) and WR Charles Greer (Fresno State commit), among others.

This year’s ESPN High School Football Showcase will feature 59 ranked players from the ESPN 300 (Class of 2023) and ESPN Junior 300 (Class of 2024) including ranked athletes who have committed to top college programs.

Combined with the previously announced 2022 GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff, ESPN will feature 18 high school football games across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and the ESPN App.