OTS Media and Rock Hill Schools are reviving the city’s traditional preseason high school football showcase in a different form.

The WRHI Football City USA Kickoff will be held Aug. 11 at District Three Stadium and will feature Rock Hill, Northwestern and South Pointe against out-of-town opponents.

“For the past five or so years individuals have approached WRHI and encouraged us to bring back and event that at one time was a staple on the high school football calendar,” said OTS Media vice president Chris Miller.

The Herald sponsored and organized a preseason jamboree for over 30 years but it fell by the wayside more than 10 years ago. OTS Media, the parent company of WRHI, hopes to fill the void with its new event.

“I think it’s gonna be a tremendous event to bring some notoriety to our kids,” said Rock Hill coach Bubba Pittman.

Rock Hill, Northwestern and South Pointe will each play a full-length game, beginning at 5 p.m. with South Pointe and Byrnes. Rock Hill and Hough, from Cornelius, N.C., will play second, followed by Northwestern and Union County. A running score will be kept pitting the Rock Hill schools’ total points tally against the three outsider schools, and a trophy will go to the winner of each game.

Tickets will cost $7 and go on sale May 15 at each of the three high schools and OTS Media studios on Confederate Ave.

One hundred percent of the ticket proceeds will be divided among the city’s three high schools evenly. Booster clubs from the three schools will handle concessions and get to keep those proceeds as well.

The city’s three high school football head coaches - Rock Hill’s Pittman, Northwestern’s David Pierce and South Pointe’s Strait Herron - took a turn at the podium in the city hall rotunda and revealed their opponents for the inaugural event in August. All three played in the city’s long running but now deceased Herald jamboree and were happy that it’s been rejuvenated by OTS Media.

“We certainly know how important it is to our kids, our schools and our community,” said Pierce.