Three Irving high schools can claim a National Merit semifinalist.

Christopher Rohrs of Nimitz High, Taylor Terry of the Jack E. Singley Academy and Daniel Vinson of MacArthur High earned the distinction in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program.

They join about 16,000 semifinalists nationwide who will compete for 8,200 National Merit Scholarships. Ninety percent of semifinalists usually are named finalists. Half of those finalists earn the title of National Merit Scholar.

Five area high school football teams will get their chance in the spotlight in the new Cowboys Stadium before the Cowboys even play a regular-season game there.

Euless Trinity, Colleyville Heritage, Irving MacArthur, Mansfield Timberview and Mansfield Summit will play in the new stadium in Arlington on Sept. 7 – Labor Day – as part of four games in the annual Kirk Herbstreit Varsity Football Series. Last year, the Herbstreit Series games were played at Texas Stadium in Irving.

Trinity will play Bingham High School from South Jordan, Utah, in the first game, tentatively scheduled to begin at noon on ESPN. Klein Oak is scheduled to face Notre Dame Prep from Sherman Oaks, Calif., at 2:30 p.m. followed by Heritage vs. MacArthur at 5 p.m. and Timberview against Summit at 7:30 p.m.

Trinity, which won the 2007 state title, had its 27-game winning streak snapped in a loss to Allen last season in the Class 5A Division I Region I final to finish 13-1. Bingham lost in Utah's 5A state title game last year to finish 11-3 and is led by all-state running back Harvey Langi. The sophomore ranked third in Utah last season with 1,371 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on 206 carries.

Notre Dame Prep features one of California's top quarterbacks in junior Ryan Kasdorf. Kasdorf (6-2, 205) was named the state's Gatorade Player of the Year after passing for 3,291 yards and 36 touchdowns – completing 69 percent of his attempts – in leading his team to an 11-1 record. Klein Oak finished 10-2 last year.

Heritage was 9-2 last season and lost in the first round of the 5A playoffs to Southlake Carroll. MacArthur missed the 5A playoffs at 3-7. Timberview finished 6-6 in 2008 and lost in the second round of the 4A playoffs to Denton Ryan. Summit missed the 5A playoffs at 3-7.

Sept. 7, 2009 (times are tentative):

Euless Trinity vs. Bingham (South Jordan, Utah), noon

Colleyville Heritage vs. Irving MacArthur, 1:30 p.m.

Klein Oak vs. Notre Dame Prep (Sherman Oaks, Calif.), 2:30 p.m.

Mansfield Timberview vs. Mansfield Summit, 7:30 p.m.