There are nicer football stadiums in Texas, where the best high school football in the country is played, but there just aren't any bigger ones than Mesquite's Memorial Stadium. If you're going to make it to just one game at Howard Wood Field in your lifetime, we'd like to recommend being there for the Bob Burns Dakota Bowl, which always features 11-time state champion O'Gorman High. And the view from there is pretty magnificent. Take Johnny Mathisfor example. If you've never been to New Hampshire, you should go. 1/12/2013. NFL: Minnesota Vikings (2011-20), New York Giants (2021-present). Nationally, high school football participation has declined 9.1 percent over the past 10 years. He has 170 tackles, 9.5 sacks and 7 pass deflections. It amplifies the noise for the home team to some pretty chaotic levels, and it also runs right up to a street in the middle of Guthrie. Ratliff was built-in 1982 for $5.6 million and is . Mark Gastineau was a late bloomer, playing first for Eastern Arizona Junior College, then Arizona State, and finally transferring to East Central Oklahoma State, where he turned into a second-round draft pick by the New York Jets. You're not just going to a high school football game at the Reitz Bowl in Evansville, Indiana you're having an experience. The most notable players are Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor and future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski, one of the greatest tight ends of all time. See the best high schools in the Seattle, WA metro area based on ranking, graduation rate, college readiness and other key stats. When it comes to pure athleticism, few high school athletes in South Dakota history can compare to Washington High's Nathan Gerry. High school football is as good in Pennsylvania as anywhere in the country, and Allentown Central Catholic's Ed McCaffrey was one of the best to ever do it. There's nothing fancy about how Panther Stadium was built, but on a Friday night in the fall, it becomes a place where the home-field advantage can stand up to any team in the Midwest. He played four seasons in the majors for the New York Giants. Pro's- Home side is extremely steep, and is 45 rows high. Stadium High School was originally conceived as a luxury hotel - but through a series of fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on who you are) events - the city of Tacoma bought the shell of the building and completed it in 1906. How's this for a winner? So they put the football stadium on the roof. He went on to win two Big Ten championships as the long snapper at the University of Wisconsin and won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. Eagle Stadium (Allen, Texas) Operator Allen ISD Capacity 18,000 Record attendance 21,766 (2012 vs. Southlake Carroll) Acreage 72 Construction What school has the biggest football stadium? While NCAA Division III school Walsh University also plays its home games there, McKinley and the annual Hall of Fame Game are the real draws. The stadium's opening in 2005 was perfect timing. The stadium itself has been around, in name only, since the 1930s, but when the school was razed and rebuilt in the same spot for $180 million in the late 2000s, the most densely populated city in the U.S. had to think outside the box. Opponents have said the noise the Wildcats make when they bang their helmets on the way out can be pretty intimidating. High school: Bismarck High School, Century High School, St. Mary's Central High School, Legacy High School, CFL: Saskatchewan Roughriders (2008-15), Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2016-18). It's tough to make it in the NFL as an undrafted free agent, but Quince Orchard High product Zach Kerr has stuck around in the league for eight seasons since his All-CAA career at the University of Delaware. When you think of Alabama, you probably don't think of beautiful, expansive beaches. One of the many cool things about the Ensphere is that it was built as an energy-conscious project, and the dome actually uses natural light for activities during the day. Both were then taken with the 187th overall pick in the NFL draft Tracey in 1988 and Scott in 1967. For another thing, you know you're probably in a place where they take football pretty seriously. One big reason for that was senior running back Kevin Brady, who rushed for 1,870 yards and had his No. While this stadium has existed in some form since 1929, the updated Darling Memorial Stadium that opened in 1989 has seen as good a display of high school football in the last three decades as any stadium. Whitworth won a pair of state championships at West Monroe High, including a mythical national title in 2000, then won a BCS national championship at LSU in 2003. David has been one of the NFL's dominant linebackers over the last decade. Clark was so good he was part of the inaugural class for the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963. Maiava was drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL draft and played six seasons in the NFL. Dubbed "Legacy Stadium," the venue is the. Home football and soccer games, as well as track and field events, are held at Renton Memorial Stadium, a few blocks to the north of the school. What will really take your breath away are the stunning views of Puget Sound and Commencement Bay. Before Mathis became a Grammy Award-winning singer and platinum-selling artist, he was considered one of the greatest athletes to come out of the Bay Area. High school: Bishop Hendricken High School. Dominique Franks starred at powerhouse Union High before playing college football right down the road at the University of Oklahoma, where he was an All-Big 12 selection in 2008. . "As each phase goes along, you start to realize 'Man, this is real,'" Union head coach Kirk Fridrich told The Tulsa World. Ithaca High has won all five of its state titles in the last decade. Allen High School has an enrollment of more than 5,600 students in grades nine through 12. That all starts with Fertitta Field and its accompanying, 40,000-square-foot training facility The Fertitta Athletic Center that was built for $9.5 million and completed in 2012. It's fitting that one of the greatest high school football experiences in the country can be had at a stadium that bears his name. Email Us. And Meridian High School's Ray Stadium in Meridian, Mississippi, is a great example of what we're talking about. Ramey's pro football odyssey was something to behold. Get Directions. Matt Leinart's place among the greatest college football quarterbacks of all time is unquestioned. The reason why Big Horn Field earns the top spot in Wyoming is because, just like Patrick, we're a sucker for stadiums that are framed by mountains. Tomball ISD Stadium is one of the newest high school football stadiums in Texas that debuted in 2021. Frederic W. Allen was part of the Burlington High Class of '44 and played football, basketball, and ran high hurdles on the track team. Williams was selected in the fourth round (124th pick) of the 2013 NFL draft by the Houston Texans and released a year later. ^ "Stadiums with Capacity Greater Than 16,500". We don't care that Joey Su'a is still playing for Bentonville High. He went on to play collegiately for NCAA Division III University of Minnesota Morris. The most recent gridiron star was former University of Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis, who is in his second season with the Miami Dolphins and helped lead the Crimson Tide to a college football national championship in 2020. If you're there when the home team wins, make sure you stay around to see the players run up the hill to the school and ring the victory bell to let the townspeople know they've won another game. 1 photo. Lavonte David played for powerhouse Miami Northwestern High before starring at Fort Scott Community College and the University of Nebraska, where he was named Big Ten Linebacker of the Year in 2011. I will finally get a chance to work there this fall. This stadium was renamed for legendary running back and Pueblo, Colorado, native Dutch Clark "The Flying Dutchman" in 1980. Because he led a pretty amazing life. Those are the type of feelings you get when you walk into Gallatin High's Green Wave Stadium for a football game. Washington. Pro Football Hall of Famer Bill Dudley first shot to fame at Graham High, when he kicked the game-winning field goal in a 10-7 upset of heavily favored Princeton High. Northern High's home field has been used for much more than high school football, including the NCAA Division II CIAA championship game for a decade, but it's the prep stars that have defined Durham County Stadium. Originally known as Allentown High School Stadium, the facility underwent a name change to J. Birney Crum Stadium to honor Allentown High's legendary football coach. Mathis' specialty was the high jump, and he set the record at San Francisco State with a leap of 6-foot-5 1/2 inches in 1954 just two inches short of the Olympic gold medal mark in 1952. And in the spirit of thinking outside of the box, we're tabbing the late, great Heath Ledger as the best thing to ever step foot in the Stadium Bowl. Syd also played four seasons in the majors. Gary Knafelc owns some pretty interesting parts of football lore. Smith got the only start of his rookie year in Super Bowl XXII. Patrick wasn't selected in the supplemental draft and ended up having to scrap for roster spots. The winning didn't stop there. When the state championships started, Cardinal Stadium could only hold between 1,500-2,000 fans. There are just a few other views from high school football stadiums on this list that will take your breath away like the one from Washington High School Stadium in San Francisco. Renton High School is a public secondary school (grades 9-12) in downtown Renton, Washington, . ^ Shelton, Chris; Young, Matt (August 3, 2022). Leinart was picked No. And sunset? The stadium serves as the neutral field for high school football playoffs in Texas. NFL: Kansas City Chiefs (2002-06), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2007-10). After growing tired of sharing a field with rival school Male High, Manual High built its own stadium in 1924 with a massive seating capacity of 14,021. In the last decade, they've combined to win seven state titles, with four state championship games where they've faced each other. The stadium has been a staple of the community since it opened. South Panola High owns the third-longest winning streak in high school football history 89 games from 2003 to 2008. College football teams like Washington State, Texas A&M, and Penn State all played games there in the 1940s. The great thing about the best high school football stadiums is that there's never just one thing that makes them stand out. At Monument Valley Stadium, the national anthem is sung in Navajo, you can buy fry bread and beans at the concession stand, and feel free to warm yourself by one of the campfires from fans on the way out after the game. And if you do go, make sure you're there for the Bell Game between Pueblo Centennial and Pueblo Central. The most legendary long-distance runner in American history was Marshfield High's Steve Prefontaine, who set national records while in high school before committing to run for the University of Oregon and head coach Bill Bowerman. This was a happy accident. Wentz won five national championships at North Dakota State one as a redshirt, two as a backup and two as the starter before the Philadelphia Eagles selected him No. The Bismarck Community Bowl is putting in as much or more work as any stadium on this list. The nickname for the stadium is "Death Valley," and if you are lucky enough to see a game here, make sure you're there when Valdosta High makes it way to the field. Greenway Avenue Stadium was named Fort Hill Stadium until 1987, and by 1998, they'd upgraded to FieldTurf in order to host scrimmages for the Washington Football Team. Smith was a star fullback for Gloucester High before becoming a star at Harvard, where he was assigned a roommate who would end up defining the rest of his life John F. Kennedy. Sure, what Tom Brady is doing playing into his 40s is remarkable. High schools: Hampton High School, Bethel High School, Kecoughtan High School, Phoebus High School. In the home of Wal-Mart, it's probably to be expected that the local high schools would have state-of-the-art facilities, but Tiger Stadium really goes above and beyond. What's really cool is Knafelc stuck around in Green Bay after his 11-year NFL career as the PA announcer at Lambeau Stadium from 1964 until 2004. The foundation of the stadium on the home side was originally meant to be a retaining wall for Reitz High School until a quick-thinking member of the school staff observed it could actually be the beginning of a football stadium. The stadium now named for World War II hero Eso Naranche received a good enough makeover that it's able to host state championship games, and the home team won a state title there in 2012 on a 46-yard field goal as time expired. After Butte High School went 0-9 during his senior season, Anderson walked on at the University of Montana and eventually became a three-time All-Big Sky Conference safety. The home of the Woodland Hills High School Wolverines has one of the more unique names of any stadium on this list. Ballpark #3: Weird Shapes at Sumner High School (Washington) At first blush this stadium's dimensions don't look too unique, but allow your eye to actually follow the outfield wall. The best of those was the 1997 national title team, and the best player on that team was Mike Doss. , Washington. Allen went off to fight in World War II after graduation but returned home to have a superstar legal career. The foundation of the stadium on the home side was originally meant to be a retaining wall for Reitz High School until a quick-thinking member of the school staff observed it could actually be the beginning of a football stadium. Stadium sits on a 72-acre plot of land. This stadium was renamed for legendary running back and Pueblo, Colorado, native Dutch Clark "The Flying Dutchman" in 1980. If you want some pictures of Tacoma to remember, you have to get some of this incredible high school. Fred Williams was a player that NFL teams probably didn't know how to handle back in the day much less high school opponents who faced off against the 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive lineman. After being named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus AP All-American in 2011, Still played four seasons in the NFL. One of the few big-time Division I football recruits to come out of New Mexico, Landry Jones led Artesia High to back-to-back Class 4A state championships before signing with Oklahoma. It's also been the site of five state championship games three in the 1970s and two in the 1990s. Bowie was a two-time all-state pick for West Branch High and set the school record with a 93-yard fumble return for a touchdown as a junior. The $4 million remodeling of Edgar Brown Stadium with its capacity of 6,800 isn't completed, but it nonetheless is one of the best high-school facilities in the state. The field was completed in 1976, and it has a seating capacity of about 20,000 seats. The two schools that share the field, Allegany High and Fort Hill High, have two of the best football traditions in the state. Wake Forest High School Football Stadium. And while it's not Gridiron Classic in December like many people hope for - for one weekend it is an opportunity for 16 in-state programs, big and small, to play in the same NFL venue as the Seattle Seahawks. High school: Norfolk Catholic High School, Norfolk High School, Lutheran High Northeast. Don Hansen doled out punishment as a linebacker for Reitz High, leading them to the 1961 state championship, before playing alongside Dick Butkus at the University of Illinois, where the duo led the Illini to a Rose Bowl win over Washington following the 1963 season. Jelsma Stadium is better known as The Rock thanks to the 30-foot high sandstone wall behind one of the end zones and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Madison County didn't spare any expense when it built a state-of-the-art, $8.8 million stadium for Madison High School as part of a $27 million bond issue that was approved in 2017. Head downtown to see all of the pomp and circumstance before heading over to catch the main event at this New Mexico marvel. He was just 24 years old. He also was the McDonald's All-American game slam dunk champion and MVP. It's a bigger stadium than my No. 2. It's a piece of architecture that now blends seamlessly with downtown Butte and seems like a perfect fit for the town. Having that kind of team will bring out fans in droves, and the South Panola community has bent over backward to support their local football stars. And while football has always been popular in Derby, the program is in the middle of its greatest dynasty right now under head coach Brandon Clark. David has been one of the NFL's dominant linebackers over the last decade with the Tampa Bays Buccaneers. Few high school football gameday experiences can compare to what awaits fans at Union-Tuttle Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where a $35 million upgrade was completed before the 2021 season began. Life is crazy, isn't it? We wanted to find the biggest high school football stadiums in the country. Ten days after winning the first Major League Soccer title, D.C. United defeats the Rochester Rhinos 3-1 in the US Open Cup final, achieving the first "double" in American soccer history. NFL: Minnesota Vikings (1966-68), Atlanta Falcons (1969-75), Seattle Seahawks (1976), Green Bay Packers (1976-77). Originally built as a hotel, it was turned into a high school 100 years ago. As Webb City started winning state championships at a stunning clip 15 titles since 1989 the stadium grew along with it. Ledger shot to fame in the film "10 Things I Hate About You" thanks in large part to his mostly improvised rendition of Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" on the steps of the Stadium Bowl. There isn't a school with a better mascot than the Burlington High Seahorses, and when you make your way to this bucolic football field, you'll be well-served to remember "Seahorse Pride" is really a thing. No story about Spiegelberg Stadium would be complete without telling about the split of Medford High into North Medford High and South Medford High and the contentious way they parted ways. In 2019, the stadium got a $2 million upgrade that included smashing the bleachers on the north side of the stadium and replacing it with a grassy hillside. Northern High's greatest player of all time is probably cornerback Dewayne Washington, who went on to star at North Carolina State and was the No. The stadium's seating got a big upgrade in 2011 with new bleachers on both sides. After Butte High School went 0-9 during his senior season, Anderson walked on at the University of Montana and eventually became a three-time All-Big Sky Conference safety. Get it? 1. In this case, it's "The Red Army" for Quince Orchard High. The teams have played since 1898, and it's always a sellout. The formerly named Bruce Jenner Stadium in honor of Newtown native and Olympic champion Caitlyn Jenner became the crown jewel of high school football stadiums in Connecticut when it revamped its facilities in 2001 and changed its name. Barrett Allen is the lone Chugiak High player to be named Alaska Offensive Player of the Year, which he did in 1994. Franks played five years in the NFL and is currently the defensive backs coach for the New Jersey Generals in the USFL. Earle "Pete" Cooper is one of the greatest high school football coaches from Maine. Clark was so good he was part of the inaugural class for the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963. 3. 22. DeMarco Murray was a three-sport star at Bishop Gorman High in football, basketball and track. This venue was built in 1937 when 5,500 seats were planted on the side of a hill. This bucolic, tree-framed setting is also home to a pretty solid football team. In an interesting piece of football history, the Minnesota Vikings played their first game an exhibition at Howard Wood Field against the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 5, 1961. NFL: Baltimore Ravens (2021), New England Patriots (2021), Chicago Bears (2021-present). NFL/CFL: Philadelphia Eagles (2008), San Francisco 49ers (2009), Edmonton Eskimos (2011), Saskatchewan Roughriders (2012). Note: Not all states are represented since capacity information isn't readily available for every high school football stadium. It's truly one of the most beautiful states in the U.S., and you can about see all you need to in a day or two. Matt Bowen was actually a star quarterback at Glenbard West and switched positions to strong safety after he arrived at the University of Iowa and became an All-Big Ten pick and All-American as a senior when he led the Hawkeyes with 109 tackles. Gastineau was one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the NFL in the 1980s, leading the league in sacks twice and making five All-Pro teams. Focused on leaving a legacy in the Miami community as Super LIV came to the city in early 2020, Nike decided it would spend $2 million to renovate Traz-Powell Stadium ahead of the big game. 1758. 7 prospect in the Register's rankings will compete in two events at Drake Relays this . The Ensphere, which can seat around 9,000 for basketball games, opened in 1991 at a cost of $11 million. 4. Gene Stephenson starred at Guthrie High in football and baseball before he went to the University of Missouri on a football scholarship. High schools: Mater Dei High School, Santa Ana High School, Century High School, Cesar E. Chavez High School, Saddleback High School, Valley High School. When he retired in 1996, Cooper was the winningest coach in Maine history. At Northern Iowa, Washington was a two-time Gateway Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 1995 and 1996 and a two-time NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) All-American. Lawrence won another state title in 2006 and has finished as runner-up three more times, in 2007, 2011 and 2012. Its namesake, the Omaha Public Schools superintendent from 1946 to 1962, used his power to prevent black teachers and principals from securing jobs in Omaha during his tenure. Travis Prentice ran for 1,510 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior at duPont Manual High before becoming a star at Miami of Ohio, where he was named MAC Most Valuable Player in 1998. Allen ISD's $62 million stadium. Lovecraft probably would have imagined a high school football stadium would look like. It's home to four high school football teams and two local small college football teams and adjacent to the campus of Bismarck State, which actually doesn't have a football team. Union-Tuttle Stadium's upgrade was part of a large $126.8 million bond issue passed in 2019. There is a 40-foot high net in each end zone to catch attempted field goals and extra points. 6 overall in the 2002 NFL draft. Located approximately 40 miles from the Canadian border and just a stone's throw from Burlington Bay, Burlington Stadium really is as good as it get in Vermont when it comes to high school football. Andy earned a scholarship from the University of Alabama, where he was a star in all three sports before leaving school early to play professional baseball. Madison High School won just one game in 2010, but two years later completed a perfect 12-0 season with a win over two-time defending state champion Coeur dAlene in the Class 5A title game. Visit Us. Visitors to Lawrence High's Keyes Field have grown accustomed to the sight of not just the stands being full, but of people lining the field to the point of standing-room-only during games. Posted February 27, 2020. That's when future NFL star wide receivers Ed McCaffrey (Allentown Central Catholic) and Andre Reed (Dieruff) called it home. War Memorial hosts schools from the Maui Interscholastic League for high school football and still has a natural grass surface. We wanted to put it on the list because we couldn't leave out California, where they play some of the best high school football in the country, and especially not the home of one of the most dominant programs in the nation. This athletic palace. The key about going to a game at the Bulldog Bowl is making sure you get to take in everything going on in the town leading up to the game. Contact Us. Mitchell Stadium was named "America's Best High School Football Stadium" in 2019 by USA Today via online voting.
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