St. Frances to compete in ESPNU bowl series

Top-ranked and undefeated St. Frances will cap its season by competing in GEICO’s State Champions Bowl Series on Dec. 22 at 7:30 p.m. against host Lee County High School in Leesburg, Ga. The game will be televised nationally by ESPNU as part of a four- team series. Paragon Marketing Group worked with GEICO to create the event that rewards state champions for their excellence and acknowledges them on a national level. The Panthers won the MIAA A Conference championship after the rest of the league’s teams refused to play them. St. Frances finished first in both The Baltimore Sun’s final poll and the Maryland State Media Poll. St. Frances features six players ranked in the ESPN 300 and Junior 300, including the No. 1 inside linebacker Shane Lee, who is committed to Alabama. The Panthers have experience from the 2017 GEICO Bowl Series, when they beat top-10 nationally ranked Bingham (Utah), 41-3. St. Frances will likely face a tougher test in Georgia this year, as Lee County is coming off back-to-back Class 6A state titles. Eastside Catholic (Washington) and Centennial (Arizona) will compete in the second game at 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 22 in Peoria, Ariz.