But the . Don Hansen busted heads playing linebacker for Reitz High, where he won a state championship in 1961 before going on to play for the University of Illinois, where he won a Rose Bowl championship in 1964. It was the only significant moment of Smith's NFL career. Harry A. Burke Stadium should consider a name change as should the high school. Byron's Stine Stadium, named after Everett Stine who was the Tigers head coach for 37 years (1967-2003), and led them to their lone state title in 1999, is just 5.3 miles away from Stillman Valley . The steps of the Stadium Bowl were famously used by the late Oscar winner Heath Ledger during an epic song and dance in the movie "10 Things I Hate About You," which you can find right here. Ray Stadium also has played home to some big-time talent over the years. 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. or Sign up with email. 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. . Allegany High linebacker Rod Breedlove was a three-time All-ACC and three-time All-American at the University of Maryland. Wistrom played nine seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams following the 1999 season. Kaluka Maiava was a star at Baldwin High and became the first player from Maui to ever play college football for USC. In South Carolina, they'll know you're talking about Dorman High's football stadium if you call it by any of its nicknames as well Taj Mahal, The Palace or The University of Dorman. 19 overall in the 1979 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams and moved to linebacker. NFL: Indianapolis Colts (2014-16, 2021-present), Denver Broncos (2017-18), Arizona Cardinals (2019), Carolina Panthers (2020), San Francisco 49ers (2021). The winning didn't stop there. Andy Cohen was a three-sport star at El Paso High in baseball, basketball and football. He was just 24 years old. NFL: Minnesota Vikings (2011-20), New York Giants (2021-present). The upgrades will ensure it remains a high school football bucket list destination for years and years to come. As I have state for years, Reitz Bowl is hands down the best HS Football venue in the state of Indiana. Both then played six seasons in the NFL. See the best high schools in the Seattle, WA metro area based on ranking, graduation rate, college readiness and other key stats. Berry Center Stadium, TX. Earle "Pete" Cooper is one of the greatest high school football coaches from Maine. High schools: Pueblo Central High School, Pueblo South High School, Pueblo East High School, NFL: Miami Dolphins (2009), Denver Broncos (2010), San Diego Chargers (2010-12), Arizona Cardinals (2012-13). Gronkowski, a surefire Hall of Famer, has won four Super Bowls three with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Central High School opened its doors in 1964 alongside its brand-new stadium, which was named for the U.S. president who was assassinated one year earlier. Dawson, who was portrayed in the film "We Are Marshall" by Matthew Fox and had a cameo in the film as an opposing team's head coach, coached one more season at Marshall before leaving coaching for good. Home to two high school football teams full time and all DeKalb County playoff games, it's one of five stadiums owned by the DeKalb County School District and used to go by Memorial Stadium. In this case, it's "The Red Army" for Quince Orchard High. Brady was never better than in the state championship game. Fans can take in the sprawling skyline of Minneapolis as they watch games. Football is serious business in parts of the United States, and where the game is played is hallowed ground. Spiegelberg Stadium (North Medford, South Medford) Built in 1935, Spiegelberg is one of Oregon's most historic high school football venues. Maiava was drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL draft and played six seasons in the NFL. He was only informed of head coach Joe Gibbs' decision to start him in pregame warmups. It's a bigger stadium than my No. Anderson spent two seasons on the practice squad for the Minnesota Vikings before making the roster for the Philadelphia Eagles. Bob Wetoska went from downtown Minneapolis to Notre Dame to NFL stardom. The entire stadium is surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains on all sides. Interestingly, Leinart backed up another Heisman Trophy winner in Carson Palmer before taking over as the Trojans' starter. He lasted eight seasons in the NFL as a special teams player and backup safety. Every Friday night, stadiums fill up to cheer on local heroes who sometimes go on to become college and NFL standouts. The stadium has been nicknamed "Eagle's Nest" in honor of its new mascot, a soaring eagle. By our count, the new $70 million structure is the second most expensive high school stadium in Texas, losing out only to Cy-Fair ISD's $80 million Berry Center in Houston that opened in 2006. NFL: New England Patriots (2010-18), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020-present). High schools: Allegany High School and Fort Hill High School. Whitworth, who turned 40 in 2021, is now in his 16th NFL season after joining the Los Angeles Rams in 2017, and is a three-time NFL All-Pro. 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. Rudolph has made almost $60 million in career earnings through his first decade in the NFL, and signed with the New York Giants as a free agent before the 2021 season. The football stadium isn't the only thing in Hobbs named after Watson. The great thing about Inter-Lakes High School's stadium is the sheer beauty of New Hampshire. Texas high school football is special for a number of reasons: it has . The stadium's opening in 2005 was perfect timing. Year opened: 1937 (closed in 1973, reopened in 2011), NFL: Philadelphia Eagles (2010-13), Indianapolis Colts (2014-15), Buffalo Bills (2016-17). Gerry was not only a star linebacker in high school. This stadium was renamed for legendary running back and Pueblo, Colorado, native Dutch Clark "The Flying Dutchman" in 1980. 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. The "Bowl" side of the stadium isn't a straight wall line, but kind of a squiggly line. Here are our top choices -- some famous, some quirky and some for other reasons -- for the nation's best places to watch high school football. Gloucester High School is also one of the oldest on this list the school was officially a four-year high school in 1857. 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. Pro's- At less than 4.5 yards from the field, this is the most intimate stadium in Ohio. High schools: Jefferson High School, Washington High School, Kennedy High School. . When the state championships started, Cardinal Stadium could only hold between 1,500-2,000 fans. The home of the Woodland Hills High School Wolverines has one of the more unique names of any stadium on this list. The SEC's edge was widespread but powered in part by the two-headed pro development machines that are Alabama and Georgia. You're not just going to a high school football game at the Reitz Bowl in Evansville, Indiana you're having an experience. 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. That changed in a big way when the school's first football stadium opened in 2009 on Nicollet Island a small chunk of land in the middle of Minneapolis in the middle of the Mississippi River. 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). Learn more here. At a cost of $200,000, it had a seating. San Antonio College), he became a star at West Virginia, where he was an All-Big East linebacker and finished second in the nation in sacks in 2010. Northern's 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. In South Carolina, they'll know you're talking about Dorman High's football stadium if you call it by any of its nicknames as well Taj Mahal, The Palace or The University of Dorman. The Hall of Fame Game is just one of the highly . There are so many things to love about The Cougar Dome the home stadium for Quince Orchard High School. He was an All-Big Ten player at the University of Nebraska and won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles as a rookie in 2017. If you do a double-take when you first see Bentonville High's Tiger Stadium, that's perfectly fine. So they put the football stadium on the roof. Leinart was picked No. Maybe it's when it starts to rain, and you realize you're in Oregon, where almost all of the stadiums have these bizarre, extended roofs, and you're not gonna get soaked like you usually would at a football game. All stadiums in the list are located in the United States. Dudley went on to start for the University of Virginia, fought in World War II and returned home to be named NFL Most Valuable Player in 1946. Memorial Stadium is mainly used for football by all the High Schools in Mesquite. 1. Stadium sits on a 72-acre plot of land. The St. Louis Rams selected him in the sixth round, at No. It has a huge outdoor Stadium next to it facing the bay. Been here 50+ times. Aerial views of the stadium show an odd twist of architecture. City. It seats 2,500 and has artificial turf. That means under Cooper, Lawrence played in the state championship game 10 times. High school football in the state of Washington will be held at a professional stadium for the first time since 2019. Voters approved a $16 million bond in 2010 that ended up providing new artificial turf, new lighting and fixed the bleachers at the football stadium. The city of Gloucester, Massachusetts, was made famous by the 2001 film "The Perfect Storm" and also boasts one of the singular views of any high school football stadium in the country, where fans can watch fishing boats sail out of the harbor and into the Atlantic Ocean. Thank you MANSCAPED for sponsoring this video! That's when future NFL star wide receivers Ed McCaffrey (Allentown Central Catholic) and Andre Reed (Dieruff) called it home. Wherever you're sitting at this stadium, you're going to be looking out at the Chugach National Forest, featuring a vast expanse of trees you have to see to believe. Year opened: 1937 (closed in 1973, reopened in 2011). Old school: Texas Tech Tyson is the epitome of an all-around player and one of the most underrated two-way wings in the sport after averaging 10.7 points and 6.1 rebounds on 53.8% . Sure, what Tom Brady is doing playing into his 40s is remarkable. Dewayne Washington was an All-American for Northern High before staying in-state to play for North Carolina State in college. Rob Gronkwoski played his final season of high school football at Woodland Hills High before going on to star at the University of Arizona and becoming one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. Roebuck High's Ryan Sims was a star defensive tackle at the University of North Carolina alongside future NFL player Julius Peppers before the Kansas City Chiefs selected Sims No. And while football is great and all, no Washington football player could ever live up to the school's most famous alum the late poet Maya Angelou. Sims, who was an All-American in 2001, played nine seasons in the NFL. 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. ^ "Stadiums with Capacity Greater Than 16,500". Allen set records in the 1994 state championship game loss to Service High for passing yards (237) and longest touchdown pass (69 yards). One of the smaller stadiums on this list, Big Horn High School's stadium has been home to six state champions over the years. 98110-2111. Playing Class A in Iowa, the state's smallest classification, West Branch High School has created a huge tradition and legacy thanks to its home-field advantage at the Little Rose Bowl. High school football is played in all corners of the United States. High School: Little Rock Central High School. 18 overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. The Post and Courier has spanned the Palmetto State and come up with its list of the top 10 high school stadiums: Cavalier Stadium Dorman High School Capacity: 15,200 Built: 2002. Texas Football Staff Apr 7, 2020. It is the second-largest high school in the state . So they made a football stadium, and they also made history. 739. Tracey Eaton was a star defensive back at Medford High School in the early 1980s. Jaylon Tyson. 2. Benson donated $11 million dollars to expand the stadium from 15,000 to 22,400 seats in 2015. Located on a Navajo reservation right on the Arizona-Utah border, the view from Monument Valley Stadium will have you thinking you've died and went to heaven watching the sunset against some of the most famous red rock formations in the United States. Watson Memorial Stadium was named for Hobbs High alum John Watson, a star football player for the Eagles who went on to play for the University of New Mexico before he returned home to Hobbs and spent decades as a businessman and civic leader. Mason was drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens and bounced around on three different practice squads over his rookie season. However, after the latest renovations, it easily made our list as the 17th largest stadium in the world. He has 170 tackles, 9.5 sacks and 7 pass deflections. Raider Stadium. Take Johnny Mathisfor example. What's Nearby 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. NFL: St. Louis Rams (2000-01), Green Bay Packers (2001-02), Washington Redskins (2003-05), Buffalo Bills (2006). Email Us. 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. Every Friday night, stadiums fill up to cheer on local heroes who sometimes go on to become college and NFL standouts. He set the state record with most interceptions in a season (18), game (5) and led his school to the state championship. He dropped out after his junior year and got his GED. And if you do make it here, try to catch Bismarck vs. Century. TEXAS FOOTBALL: Take a look inside of Katy's $70 million high school football stadium Topping the list once again was Katy High School's Gary Joseph with $136,374, which represents a. Stadium Name. And if you do go, make sure you're there for the Bell Game between Pueblo Centennial and Pueblo Central. NFL: Minnesota Vikings (1994-97), Pittsburgh Steelers (1998-2003), Jacksonville Jaguars (2004), Kansas City Chiefs (2005). High school football in the South is just different. Competing in Maine's largest classification, Lawrence High has won four state championships the last in 2006 and lost in the state championship game a whopping 10 times. "This is probably better than what we could have imagined, without a doubt.". Katy Independent School District in Mckinney, Texas, for example, built its high school a new stadium that came with a $72 million price tag. Mark Chapman was a two-time all-conference wide receiver for Monument Valley High in 2015 and 2016. He famously was overtaken for a bronze medal at the 1972 Olympics in the last 10 meters of the 5,000-meter race. It takes a moment right when you walk up to grab the dynamics of the structure in total a place where the first Friday night football games were played in Texas. William "Red" Dawson was a star tight end and defensive end for Valdosta High and at Florida State before playing one season in the NFL, but it was what happened after his playing career was over that set him apart. The Iowa commit and No. It hosted a college football game once, in 2001, when the University of Hawaii defeated the University of Montana in front of a crowd of just 12,863 fans. When the stadium was built in 1930, it had a capacity of just 22,000. 9. Tomball ISD Stadium is one of the newest high school football stadiums in Texas that debuted in 2021. In the last decade, they've combined to win seven state titles, including four state championship games where they've faced each other. 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. He was picked No. NFL: Cincinnati Bengals (2006-16), Los Angeles Rams (2017-present). These are the best high school football stadiums in every state. Renton High School is a public secondary school (grades 9-12) in downtown Renton, Washington, . 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. Dunlavy Stadium, Sonora. One big reason for that was senior running back Kevin Brady, who rushed for 1,870 yards and had his No. 473811N 1223127W. Dozens of important people either played sports there (Babe Ruth) or spoke there (Presidents). Allen I.S.D. Arrests one month apart in Dallas in 2017 and another arrest in March 2018 after it was revealed he broke his ex-girlfriend's jaw with a punch led to his release from the Seahawks. Those are the type of feelings you get when you walk into Gallatin High's Green Wave Stadium for a football game. Mater Dei High School has won four USA Today national championships. I would put Carmel and Center Grove at the top when it comes to . War Memorial Stadium only had a capacity of just less than 7,000 when it first opened in 1969. Some have been built with millions and millions of dollars. Hansen's ferocity was rewarded in the NFL, where he played 12 seasons for four different teams, including for the Seattle Seahawks during their inaugural season in 1976. In the 30 years since then, it has more than doubled in size. Fax: (724) 223-5046. It's the home field for Evergreen, Heritage, Mountain View, and Union high schools, and also serves as a venue for regional track meets and other events. Call it the palace of high school football: A gleaming $60 million facility with seats for 18,000 roaring fans, a 38-foot wide high-definition video screen, corporate sponsors and a towering upper . College: Eastern Arizona Junior College/Arizona State/East Central Oklahoma State, NFL/CFL: New York Jets (1979-88), BC Lions (1990). Washington. High schools: Hampton High School, Bethel High School, Kecoughtan High School, Phoebus High School, Position: Quarterback/defensive back/kick returner, NBA: Philadelphia 76ers (1996-2006, 2009-10), Denver Nuggets (2006-08), Detroit Pistons (2008-09), Memphis Grizzlies (2009). The stadium is right below one of the two high schools that play there (Stadium High School) and has been there since the school was built in 1910, overlooking Puget Sound. One of the five or 10 best high school athletic programs in the entire nation resides at Bishop Gorman High, and much of that success has been propelled by its football program. Nationally, high school football participation has declined 9.1 percent over the past 10 years. Watson, a star running back for head coach Duane Fisher, helped run his family's trucking and supply business in Hobbs and was one of the driving forces behind the creation of New Mexico Junior College at the time the only junior college in the state. While the stadium food here is undoubtedly great, you're probably doing it wrong if you don't go sample some of the local seafood after watching the six-time state champions play. Hey, soccer teams use football stadiums, too. 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. Dudley went on to start for the University of Virginia, fought in World War II and returned home to be named NFL Most Valuable Player in 1946. The Newtown Nighthawks won their first state championship since 1992 in 2019, when they beat Darien High on a touchdown pass as time expired. R.R. Bob Paroli Stadium. 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. The skinny: The $70 million, 110,000-square-foot John McKay Center opened at USC in 2012 and houses meeting rooms, a locker room for football . The school cost $180 million, with $15 million of that going toward the stadium. 15 overall in the 2012 NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks and won a Super Bowl with the team in 2014. 1758. There is only one domed high school football stadium in the United States, and it's the Round Valley Ensphere in Eagar, Arizona. An arrest while playing for TCU just days before the Alamo Bowl his senior season likely cost him his spot in the NFL draft, but he made the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent before several more arrests led to his arrest after two seasons. Sperry stuck around in the NFL for five seasons, playing for four different teams. High schools: Miami Northwestern High School, Booker T. Washington High School, College: Fort Scott Community College/Nebraska. 23. Ben Mason was named the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year after his senior season in 2016, then went on to be a valuable player at Michigan for four seasons with key roles on special teams and at fullback. The really great touch here was an LED-lighting system that is something to behold. Dec 2019. He played eight seasons in the NFL and was a Pro Bowler with the Washington Redskins in 1962. High schools: Stadium High School, Woodrow Wilson High School. Lovecraft probably would have imagined a high school football stadium would look like. Murray was a three-time All-Big 12 selection for the Sooners before playing in the NFL for seven seasons, making three Pro Bowls and leading the NFL in rushing in 2014, when he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Year and made his lone All-Pro squad. 5. USC. 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. So they made a football stadium, and they also made history. Hiller Stadium hosts football and boys and girls soccer and lacrosse. Gene Stephenson starred at Guthrie High in football and baseball before he went to the University of Missouri on a football scholarship. 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. Related:Best High School Football Player in Every State, Baltimore Colts (1973-78), Pittsburgh Steelers (1978), New York Giants (1979), Detroit Lions (1980-82), Best High School Football Player in Every State. 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. 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. Prefontaine died in 1975 in an automobile accident in Eugene, Oregon. Mitchell Stadium was named "America's Best High School Football Stadium" in 2019 by USA Today via online voting. If you make it here for a game, try to catch Bismarck vs. Century. And if you do go, make sure you're there for the Bell Game between Pueblo Centennial and Pueblo Central. 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? The stadium is shared with the district's other high schools. Most famously, BREC Memorial Stadium was the home of the Grantland Rice Bowl from 1969 to 1973 that feature the best small-college teams in the country the divisions that would ultimately become known as NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III. He went to college at Ohio State, where he won a national championship in 2002. 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. For one thing, you know you're in a stadium that's probably pretty old. And if you can catch just one game there, make sure it's when hated rival Hendersonville High comes to town. 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. And we all love high school teams who have a cheering section so rabid they get their own nickname. High schools: Martin Luther King Jr. High School, Stephenson High School. Kurt Gouveia's name needs to be included in the discussion when it comes to the greatest high school football players to ever come out of Hawaii. He played four seasons in the majors for the New York Giants. College: Marshall/Georgia Military College/Tennessee-Chattanooga. While Rebel Stadium still sits in the same place it always has, there is very little of the old facility that remains (if any) after a massive, $6.5 million renovation began in 2015 and was completed in 2017. Union City High School's football stadium is on the roof of the school. Few players in Nebraska high school football history can hold a candle to what Norfolk Catholic High's Aaron Hughes did in 1991. The field was completed in 1976, and it has a seating capacity of about 20,000 seats. Away side actually has 2 decks, 35 total rows, and row 35 is about as high as row 45 on the home side. Originally built as a hotel, it was turned into a high school 100 years ago. Deshea Townsend was a star quarterback for South Panola High alongside future Alabama teammate and NFL linebacker Dwayne Rudd, leading the team to a 15-0 record and the state championship in 1993. McKenzie. You don't need Coach Eric Taylor to tell you that, across the state, the biggest event every week in the fall is the local game. Top HS Football Stadiums in North Carolina. Lawrence High has actually played in the state championship game every decade since winning its first title in 1973. Pro soccer: Greenville Triumph (2019), Real Monarchs (2020), New Amsterdam FC (2021). See what your friends are saying about Washington High School Stadium. It's a hike to get to tiny Artesia, New Mexico, and if you're going out of your way to get there, you might as well catch one of the more unique experiences in all of high school football. The 6-foot-5, 247-pound defensive end stayed loyal to his home state and turned down offers from a gaggle of Big Ten and Big 12 schools to sign with the University of Iowa in 2021. 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. High schools: Mater Dei High School, Santa Ana High School, Century High School, Cesar E. Chavez High School, Saddleback High School, Valley High School. CAM Stadium came with the new Belfry High School in 2005 and was immediately one of the great home-field advantages in the state of Kentucky. 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. He started off his career at Marshall, was a junior college All-American at Georgia Military College, then finished his career at Chattanooga. The stadium was saved by a $16 million gift from the Abessinio family in 2019 and underwent some pretty slick renovations. 546 likes. Bishop Hendricken has found a way to consistently churn out NFL talent for decades, including four-time Super Bowl champ Steve Furness, a member of Pittsburghs famed "Steel Curtain" defense, and Will Blackmon, who won a Super Bowl with the Giants in 2011. Published: ; Jun. 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. When JFK was elected president in 1960, he handpicked Smith to take his place on the U.S. Senate a move made so Smith could hand the Senate seat off to JFK's younger brother, Ted Kennedy, when he turned 30 years old in 1962, and Smith could take a kush position in JFK's cabinet, which he did in 1963.