Comcast SportsNet, the television home of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Championships, is ready to bring its viewers another action-packed season of expert local preps sports coverage, featuring many of the very best student-athletes in the nation.

Now in its second year of its long-term partnership with the IHSA, Comcast SportsNet will once again carry a total of 59 IHSA Championship events this scholastic year (over 160 hours total), including LIVE coverage of all eight Football Championships & four additional playoff games, plus LIVE coverage of 32 Boys/Girls Basketball Championship games, which includes every semifinal, consolation and championship match-up, plus - 15 additional IHSA Championship events, including boys/girls soccer, girls volleyball, individual wrestling & competitive dance/cheer competitions among others. Note the following highlights/details for the upcoming IHSA preps season on Comcast SportsNet & CSNChicago.com:


HIGH SCHOOL LITES (Season premiere – Friday, August 28 at 11:00 PM CT)
Hosted by SportsNet Central anchor/reporter Kelly Crull, High School Lites will be THE weekly destination for all the thrilling highlights from the area’s biggest preps match-ups, along with post-game interviews featuring the area’s top coaches and players. In addition to in-depth video highlights and interviews, High School Lites will present its “Athlete of the Week” and “Team of the Week” features, a preview of key Saturday match-ups, along with a special flashback segment detailing great moments from games of the past.

Beginning this season, High School Lites will offer fans the chance to get interactive with the show by sending in highlights from local preps games they’re attending. Fans are encouraged to shoot video “horizontally” with their smart phones and then tweet out the video utilizing the Twitter hashtag #CSNWhatAGame. In addition, fans will also be given the opportunity to request the game that they wish to be featured on High School Lites by utilizing the Twitter hashtag #CSNPreps. The game that receives the most fan requests each week will be chosen as one of the games to be featured on the show.

NOTES: Every airing of High School Lites will also be streamed live on CSNChicago.com…the show shifts to Saturday nights in November to accommodate IHSA Football playoff match-ups…beginning Friday, December 4, High School Lites shifts its key focus to preps basketball.


DRIVE
In every weekly airing of High School Lites this season, preps fans can look forward to a brand new season of its acclaimed, behind-the-scenes, unprecedented all-access feature series entitled, “DRIVE.” This fall’s featured team will be the Homewood-Flossmoor Vikings, who were last year’s Class 8A runner-up and enter this season ranked #1 in the Chicago area by CSN’s Preps Power Rankings. H-F head coach Craig Buzea’s team features twin superstar running backs in brothers Deante and Devonte Harley-Hampton, along with standout wide receiver Kendrick Pryor, guard Desmond Bland, and quarterback Bryce Gray. NOTE: Every episode of “DRIVE” will be made available for viewing on CSNChicago.com immediately following its on-air debut.


“EDGY” TIM O’HALLORAN & SCOTT PHILLIPS
Veteran Illinois high school football sports writer/recruiting authority “Edgy” Tim O’Halloran (@EDGYTIM) returns for his third season as a contributing reporter for High School Lites. O’Halloran’s CSN Preps Power Rankings (@CSNPreps), players & coaches profiles and recruiting updates can be found at CSNChicago.com. In addition, O’Halloran’s content is also featured on CSNChicago.com’s partner site, Rivals.com. Scott Phillips (@phillipshoops) also returns for his third season as a contributing reporter for High School Lites and will take center stage this upcoming basketball season. Phillips is also a key contributor to NBCSports.com’s “CollegeBasketballTalk.”


IHSA FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PAIRING SHOW
For the fourth-straight year, Comcast SportsNet and the IHSA will present the IHSA Football Playoff Pairing Show LIVE on Saturday, October 24 at 8:00 PM. Brackets will be unveiled as 256 Illinois teams, from 1A to 8A, will find out their first round opponent. This two-hour show will also be streamed live on CSNChicago.com and IHSA.tv.


IHSA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
For the fifth-straight year, Comcast SportsNet will carry the IHSA Football State Championships during Thanksgiving weekend LIVE from Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL. The Class 1A-4A games will take place on Friday, November 27, while the Class 5A-8A contests will be held on Saturday, November 28. Exact times/channel locations will be announced in early November.


CSNCHICAGO.COM
Fans are urged to visit CSNChicago.com’s dedicated Preps section (csnchicago.com/preps) for the latest Preps Power Rankings, Athlete/Team of the Week video features, the latest IHSA news, game highlights and recaps, special mid-week segments previewing the upcoming week’s action from the network’s “AT&T U-verse Lounge,” featuring detailed analytical breakdowns from “Edgy Tim” O’Halloran and Scott Phillips, and much more.


SOCIAL MEDIA
Beginning this season, social media fans can follow the network’s new @CSNDrive Twitter handle for the latest Homewood-Flossmoor scores, highlights, players & coaches interviews, and analysis. CSNChicago.com digital reporters Scott Changnon (@ScottyChag) and Mark Strotman (@markstrot) will provide up-to-the-minute Vikings news all season long. In addition, @CSNPreps will provide fans with the latest statewide updates throughout the scholastic year, which will include Power Rankings, scores, analysis, and viewer/reader Twitter photos from game day.