Bethpage, July 9, 2012––MSG Varsity, Cablevisionâ€s 24/7 network devoted to all things high school, will premiere the first Tri-State Quarterback Showdown on July 17 at 7:30 p.m. on Optimum TV Channel 14. The television special features the top 24 high school quarterbacks from the New York Metro area competing for the “Showdown Champion” title through various challenges and obstacles testing their speed, strength, accuracy. New York Giants veterans Phil Simms and Amani Toomer serve as judges for the event and provide commentary throughout the show.

“It was an honor to be a judge at the first ever Tri-State Quarterback showdown,” said New York Giants veteran, Phil Simms. “I was really impressed by these student athletes and I enjoyed getting to talk to each of them and help them with their game. The tri-state has a great line-up of talent and I look forward to catching some of the games this fall on MSG Varsity.”

“At MSG Varsity we are always looking for new ways to showcase high school athletes,” Said Michael Lardner, Senior Vice President and Executive Producer, MSG Varsity. “By creating the first-ever Tri-State Quarterback Showdown and bringing in former NFL greats, we are providing another platform for these athletes to excel.”

The 24 quarterbacks who competed in the showdown are as follows:

1. Spencer Aukamp St. Joseph Montvale HS, Montvale, NJ

2. Henry Baldwin Darien HS, Darien, CT

3. Tyrice Beverette Lakewood HS, Lakewood Township, NJ

4. Mario Biaggi Iona Preparatory School, New Rochelle, NY

5. Isaiah Biaz-Mays Union City HS, Union City, NJ

6. Brian Castlelot Bunnel HS, Stratford, CT

7. Joey Capobianco Lawrence HS, Lawrence, NY

8. Kevin Duke Roy C. Ketcham High School, Wappingers Falls, NY

9. Khalil Edney New Rochelle HS, New Rochelle, NY

10. Greg Galligan St. Anthonyâ€s HS, Huntington Station, NY

11. Blake Geller Demarest HS, Demarest, NJ

12. John Germano Bergen Catholic HS, Oradell, NJ

13. Danny Hoffer Archbishop Stepinac HS, White Plains, NY

14. Tyler Keetch John Jay Cross River HS, Cross River, NY

15. Jack Massie Staples HS, Westport, CT

16. Antonio Natale Immaculata HS, Somerville, NJ

17. Ryan Nitti Half Hollows East HS, Dix Hills, NY

18. Kevin Olsen Wayne Hills HS, Wayne, NJ

19. Liam O’Neil Greenwich HS, Greenwich, CT

20. AJ Otranto William Floyd HS, Mastic Beach, NY

21. Devin Ray Bernards HS, Bernardsville, NJ

22. Conor Rowe Ridgefield Memorial HS, Ridgefield, NJ

23. Phillip Walker Elizabeth HS, Elizabeth, NJ

24. Chris Wright Bayonne HS, Bayonne, NJ

For MSG Varsity Mike Quick and Jimmy Cavallo will be providing the commentary for the event with Steve Levy, former Don Bosco and Cal Berkeley quarterback calling the showdown. Also Chad Cutler will provide all the action from the sidelines.

About MSG Varsity

MSG Varsity is a multi-platform suite of services comprised of: a 24/7 Emmy Award winning HD television network, a comprehensive online destination, and a groundbreaking interactive service, all dedicated to high school sports, academics and activities happening throughout the tri-state area. Content for these services includes MSG Varsityâ€s professionally produced programming as well as content created by the high schools themselves. Working in partnership with MSG Varsity, students and faculty are given extraordinary access to curriculum and training in multimedia creation and distribution, empowering them to become active participants in telling their schoolâ€s stories. MSG Varsity is a Cablevision exclusive service not available to satellite or phone company TV subscribers and reaches three million households throughout the New York market. For more information, please visit www.msgvarsity.com.

The post MSG VARSITY PREMIERES THE FIRST EVER TRI-STATE QUARTERBACK SHOWDOWN ON JULY 17 AT 7:30 P.M. first appeared on River View Observer.