VALDOSTA — Could we see a matchup of the two teams with the most wins in high school football history?

Possibly.

But there’s still work to be done if it’s going to happen.

Representatives from Valdosta and Massillon (Ohio) Washington have spoken, and shown interest in making the game happen. But there are still several hurdles which must be cleared.

The schools have talked about playing in the 2007 Herbstreit Ohio vs. USA Challenge, on Labor Day weekend next year. Massillon wants Valdosta to come north to play them at Fawcett Stadium in Canton (home of McKinley High, No. 5 on the career wins list).

There have been reports that Valdosta and Massillon have reached a verbal agreement for Labor Day. But Valdosta is supposed to host Jordan High out of Salt Lake City, and Massillon also has a game scheduled for that Friday.

Both schools have said talks are merely in the early stages.

“It’s really in the preliminary stages,” Massillon head coach Tom Stacy told The (Massillon) Independent. “There’s nothing etched in stone. Right now, it’s just word of mouth. That’s about all it is. I know we have a game already scheduled for Week Two right now. We’re locked into nine games already. We have Week Four open next year. That’s it.”

“There’s a lot of things which are still on the drawing board,” Valdosta head coach Rick Tomberlin said. “No decisions have been made. It’s still in the works.”

Ken Halloy, director of operations for the Herbstreit Challenge, has said that the teams have agreed to play the game. He is cautiously optimistic that any obstacles standing in the way of a Valdosta-Massillon game can be worked out.

“How close are we?” Halloy said to The Independent. “They have agreed to play the game, but at this point, it’s about finalizing the contract. It’s more on our part in getting the agreement for use of the facility… I know the deal is never done until the contract is signed. We expect to get it done, but I don’t have the paperwork yet. We’re talking about formalities right now. But until you have the contract signed, there’s going to be some doubts.”

The game would bring national interest. Valdosta’s 828 wins all-time are the most by any high school in the country. Massillon is second with 767 wins.

“You’re talking about two of the most storied programs in high school football,” Stacy said. “That’s why the Herbstreit people are interested in this game.”

The idea of Valdosta and Massillon playing each other is not a new idea. People have talked about the Wildcats and the Tigers meeting for many years, though the game has never come to fruition.

The Herbstreit Challenge is an annual multi-game event that brings in top programs from across the country to face some of Ohio’s best teams.

Massillon is listed as one of the seven Ohio schools who have committed to play in the 2007 Herbstreit Challenge, along with McKinley, St. Edward, Glenville, Cincinnati Elder, Cincinnati Colerain and Dayton Northmont. The out-of-state schools which have committed to play are: Mission Viejo (Calif.), Hoover (Ala.), Tulsa (Okla.) Union, DeMatha (Md.), Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Long Beach (Cal.) Poly, and Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian. All of the out-of-state schools are perennial inhabitants of the national top 25.

“Obviously, it’s a great event,” Tomberlin said. “Kirk Herbstreit and the guys there do a great job. I really like the idea. I just don’t feel comfortable commenting right now. There’s other things which have to happen first for this to happen.”

A major concern would be travel. For Valdosta or any team to play in another part of the country, they would probably have to fly. That would be expensive, and would probably force the players to miss at least two days of school. Also, Valdosta would have to get the approval of the Georgia High School Association, which has rules about teams traveling out of state. And in order to play Massillon, Valdosta would probably have to give up a home game — a big sacrifice, since Valdosta home games net thousands of dollars for the program and the school.

Valdosta and Massillon had talked about playing a couple of years ago, but nothing came of the discussion. Whether something happens this time remains to be seen.