UNDER-THE-RADAR HIGH SCHOOL QUARTERBACKS GET ONE SHOT TO COMPETE IN THE BIGGEST GAME OF THEIR LIVES
Eight Episode High School Docu-Series To Premiere on Saturday, November 13 at 11:00PM ET/PT on MTV2
MTV2 announced today the docu-series, “The Ride: The Road To The U.S. Army All American Bowl,†will premiere on the channel on Saturday, November 13 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT with a special one-hour season premiere. Partnering with Backfield Productions LLC, MTV2 will air eight 30-minute episodes of the critically acclaimed football docu-series. “The Ride†follows the lives of eight talented, yet under-the-radar high school quarterbacks as they compete and strive to achieve what seems to be an unattainable dream – a coveted roster spot in the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January.
“We are pleased to partner with Backfield Productions, LLC to bring ‘The Ride’ to MTV2,†said Eric Conte, SVP, Programming and Production, MTV2. “‘The Ride: The Road To The U.S. Army All American Bowl’ is a courageous journey, blending elements of competition, intense passion and heartache that undoubtedly will resonate with MTV2 viewers. Watching these eight young high school football players compete for their ultimate dreams taps right into the vein of our young male audience and is sure to touch and inspire both die-hard and casual football fans alike.â€
“We are thrilled to find a home on MTV2, a network with not only a powerful brand and reach but also home to a demographic that embraced and engaged most with the show,†said Kate McGuinness, executive producer of “The Ride.†“We always knew the show concept and the quality would make for an incredible series. I can assure the fans and viewers that they are in for a dramatic and exciting ride with this series as these eight talented kids lay it all out for a chance at football stardom.â€
“The Ride†captures an in-depth look at the intense football scouting process as eight quarterbacks who possess raw talent and competitive drive for the sport vie for a spot in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, the nation’s premiere high school football game. The underdog quarterbacks featured in the series hail from little know high schools but will embark on a grueling, high-stakes, season-long tryout in which every move they make is scrutinized by the top coaches in the nation. With the level of difficulty in each challenge at an all-time high for these athletes, they will have to push beyond their existing limits and withstand the fierce competition from the best players in the nation in order to play in front of an audience of millions in the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl and hopefully gain enough exposure to land a Division I scholarship.
THE QUARTERBACKS:
• Ashton Broyld: 6’3â€/225lbs (HS – Rush Henrietta) Henrietta, NY. Threw for nearly 1,800 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushed for almost 600 yards as a junior in 2009.
• Travis Champion: 6’1â€/214lbs (HS – Rancho Verde) Moreno Valley, CA. Guided his high school to an 11-1 record as a junior in 2009.
• Josh Harris: 6’1â€/198lbs (HS – Country Day) Detroit, MI. Threw for 1,650 yards in 18 touchdowns as a junior in 2009.
• Taylor Heinicke: 6’1â€/185lbs (HS – Collins Hill) Suwanee, GA. Received a rating of 3 at the FBU camp Atlanta, GA.
• Connor Hempel: 6’3â€/208lbs (HS – Ryle) Union, KY. Threw for 1,894 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior in 2009.
• Driphus Jackson: 6’0â€/175lbs (HS – Cedar Hill) Cedar Hill, TX. Threw for 1,506 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior in 2009.
• Alex Mallory: 6’4â€/205lbs (HS – Ballard) LaCenter, KY. Threw for 2,210 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior in 2009.
• Anthony Reid: 6’/180lbs (HS – West Catholic) Philadelphia, PA. Threw for 1,098 yards and nine touchdowns in 2009.
THE COACHES:
• Glenn Smith, Head coach for “The Ride,†is a former member of the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff and player personnel director.
• Mike Kruczek, Former Steelers quarterback and NCAA head coach, privately trains NFL QBs, including Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
• Rich Bartel, A four-year NFL QB, is currently a QB for the UFL’s Sacramento Mountain Lions.
For complete player and coaches biographies and exclusive sneak-peek clips viewers can head over to TheRide.mtv2.com.
“The Ride: The Road To The U.S. Army All American Bowl†on MTV2 is sponsored by American Family Insurance, Verizon and the U.S. Army. Other official sponsors include the National Milk Mustache “got milk?â€Â® Campaign.
“The Ride†is Executive Produced by Chris McCarthy, Eric Conte and Paul Ricci for MTV2. For Backfield Productions Kate McGuinness and Enrique Mendoza serve as Executive Producers.
About MTV2
MTV2 is a man’s best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.
About Backfield Productions LLCBackfield Productions LLC was formed in 2009 with the partnership of All American Games and Aurora Imaging. Backfield Productions properties include “The Ride,†a reality show featuring eight underdog high school quarterbacks fighting for national recognition, now in its second season and airing nationally on MTV2. For more information about Backfield Productions, please visit us at http://www.BackfieldProductions.com
All American Games (formerly SportsLink) is a sport management and marketing company based in Wharton, New Jersey, that produces and manages many of the nation’s premier high school and youth sporting events. All American Games’ properties include the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, U.S. Army National Combine, U.S. Army All-American Marching Band, Eastbay Youth All-American Bowl, Football University, FBU TOP GUN, American Baseball University and the All-American Baseball Game. For more information about All American Games please visit us at http://www.usarmyallamericanbowl.com
or at http://www.allamericangames.com
Aurora Imaging Company is a full-service multimedia studio with extensive television production and sports media experience. Aurora Imaging has assembled talented production and post-production teams from among the best names in sports television: NFL Films, NBA Entertainment, NASCAR Images, MLB Productions, ESPN and several others.