MONTREAL, Dec. 23, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FieldTurf announced the winners of its 2008 FieldTurf and Howie Long Football Awards for the 2008 season today. Winners were announced in 8 different regions of the U.S. with the national high school team of the year announcement slated for the 2009 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Convention in Nashville. These awards are based on tabulated votes from Howie Long and FieldTurf Tarkett executives, which includes a group of former NFL stars. This year's winners will be honored at the AFCA Convention in Nashville on January 11, 2009:
Southwest HS Team of the Year - Cascia Hall (OK) Northwest High School Team of the Year - Bellevue HS (WA) Midwest High School Team of the Year - Wayzata HS (MN) Northeast High School Team of the Year - Longmeadow HS (MA) Southeast High School Team of the Year (2) - St. Thomas Aquinas HS (FL), Myrtle Beach HS (SC) Great Lakes Region High School Team of the Year - St. Ignatius HS (OH) Metro High School Team of the Year (2) - Don Bosco Prep HS (NJ), Livingston HS (NJ) Mid-Atlantic High School Team of the Year - Steelton-Highspire HS (PA)
In addition to the national high school team of the year award, the NCAA and Professional football awards will be announced at the AFCA Convention in Nashville on January 11, 2009.
CASCIA HALL HS - Cascia Hall captured the 3A state football title with a 28-21 win over Claremore Sequoyah. The Commandos completed their 2nd straight undefeated season to bring home back to back state championships.
BELLEVUE HS - The Wolverines have now won six state titles since 2001 and Head Coach Butch Goncharoff has done a remarkable job. His squad went 14-0 completing the perfect season.
WAYZATA HS - Ranked #1 in the state, the Trojans went undefeated this season outscoring their opponents by a margin of 433 points. The Trojans are a staple of success in the Classic Lake League.
LONGMEADOW HS - Longmeadow High School went 12-1 this season posting a perfect record in league play (AA, Massachusetts). The Lancers were a force to be reckoned with this season and the future looks promising. Longmeadow High School's Football team has gone to eleven straight Western Mass-Central Mass Super Bowls under Head Coach Alex Rotsko.
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS HS - The Raiders dominated the 5A District 16 league and more than deserved their birth in the state finals and victory against Lakeland. They have become a regular powerhouse in Florida often winning games by wide margins.
MYRTLE BEACH HS - It was truly a season to remember for the Seahawks. Through the greatest of triumphs and most devastating of losses (Assistant coach Gregg Skipper was killed in a vehicle crash), the Seahawks stuck together. In the Lower State championship the Seahawks won 51-50 in what many consider to be the greatest game ever played in county history.
ST. IGNATIUS HS - The Wildcats defeated Elder High School 28-20 to capture the school's 10th Football State Title. The Cats finished the season with a 14-1 mark and garnered national rankings in several polls.
DON BOSCO PREP HS - After one of the most ambitious seasons in New Jersey High School scheduling, the Ironmen finished strong as they captured their 3rd straight state title. They have cemented themselves as a dynasty in both the state and national ranks.
LIVINGSTON HS - The Lancers captured their first ever state championship beating Hackensack HS in the NJSIAA North I Group IV championship game at Giants Stadium with a final score of 28-8.
STEELTON-HIGHSPIRE HS - Steelton-Highspire had another dominant season in the Mid-Penn Patriot league. The Steamrollers are no strangers to success having won the Class A state championship in 2007.
FieldTurf is far and away the industry leader with 21 of the NFL's 32 teams currently using FieldTurf at their stadiums and/or practice facilities. The latest NFLPA survey ranked the FieldTurf at Qwest Field 2nd overall -- ahead of 18 of the 19 grass surfaces in the NFL. For the third consecutive survey, the FieldTurf in Seattle ranked in the top five. Every single FieldTurf field gained positions over their rankings from the previous survey -- a true testament to the durability of the FieldTurf system and the reason why FieldTurf consistently outperforms all other synthetic turf brands. From FieldTurf's first high profile installation at Nebraska's Memorial Stadium in 1997, FieldTurf has become the #1 choice in Division 1 football -- with 38 stadiums and 32 practice fields. FieldTurf is also installed at 300 other universities and community colleges from coast-to-coast.
FieldTurf Tarkett is the largest entity in the sports surfacing industry and provides unparalleled leasing capabilities, engineering and manufacturing resources. In addition to its world-renowned FieldTurf and Prestige brands of artificial turf, FieldTurf Tarkett provides an equally impressive range of sports flooring products that includes synthetic and hardwood basketball, volleyball and gymnasium flooring, squash and racquetball courts, floor protection and covering systems, and weight room flooring. Also in the range of FieldTurf Tarkett products are indoor and outdoor running tracks including the Beynon track surfaces, the Le Monde track system, playground surfacing, commercial and residential landscaping, and a complete range of tennis and golf surfaces. For more information, visit www.fieldturftarkett.com.