Biggest High School Football Stadiums
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High school football is played in all corners of the United States. Every Friday night, stadiums fill up to cheer on local heroes who sometimes go on to become college and NFL standouts.
The variety in size of those stadiums ranges from the very small to the very, very big. We wanted to find the biggest high school football stadiums in the country. While it's an inexact science, we did have a few rules — only one stadium per state and only stadiums that were created primarily with high school football in mind.
These are the biggest high school football stadiums in the U.S.
30. Bobcat Stadium
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Capacity: 6,000
Location: Rexburg, Idaho
High school: Madison High School
Year opened: 2019
Note: Not all states are represented since capacity information isn't readily available for every high school football stadium.
Bottom Line: Bobcat Stadium
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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.
Bobcat Stadium's new press box features four separate rooms, and the turf was installed by the same company that has done several NFL fields. The really great touch here was an LED-lighting system that is something to behold. The University of Utah even approached the Madison County School District in hopes of incorporating the same lighting system at their stadium.
Madison has won seven state championships, including three consecutive titles from 1982 to 1984.
Bobcat Stadium GOAT: Logan Anderson
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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 d’Alene in the Class 5A title game.
They wouldn't have got there without star quarterback Logan Anderson, the Class 5A Player of the Year who was also an all-state punter for Madison.
29. Bismarck Bowl
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Capacity: 6,000
Location: Bismarck, North Dakota
High schools: Bismarck High School, Century High School, St. Mary's Central High School, Legacy High School
Year opened: 1996
Bottom Line: Bismarck Bowl
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The Bismarck Community Bowl is putting in as much or more work as any high school football stadium. 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 doesn't have a football team.
If you make it here for a game, try to catch Bismarck vs. Century. In the last decade, they've combined to win seven state titles, including four state championship games where they've faced each other.
Bismarck Bowl GOAT: Carson Wentz
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Carson Wentz grew from 5-foot-8 as a freshman at Century High in Bismarck, North Dakota, to 6-foot-5 as a senior and signed with FCS powerhouse North Dakota State.
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. 2 overall in the 2016 NFL draft.
Wentz's best year as a starter was in 2017, when he was an NFL All-Pro but he got injured in the 14th game of the season. Backup Nick Foles took over and led the Eagles to the first Super Bowl championship in franchise history.
28. Pete Cooper Stadium
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Capacity: 6,000
Location: Fairfield, Maine
High school: Lawrence High School
Year opened: Unknown
Bottom Line: Pete Cooper Stadium
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Lawrence High School Hall of Famer Earle "Pete" Cooper coached the school's football team for 28 seasons, from 1968 to 1996, leading them to the first three state championships in school history in 1973, 1983 and 1984.
Lawrence won another state title in 2006 and has finished as runner-up three more times, in 2007, 2011 and 2012.
Pete Cooper Stadium GOAT: Pete Cooper
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Lawrence High eventually named its stadium after Pete Cooper, who also led the Bulldogs to a state runner-up finish a stunning seven more times.
That means under Cooper, Lawrence played in the state championship game 10 times.
27. Darlington Memorial Stadium
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Capacity: 8,000
Location: Hampton, Virginia
High schools: Hampton High School, Bethel High School, Kecoughtan High School, Phoebus High School
Year opened: 1929
Bottom Line: Darlington Memorial Stadium
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While this stadium has existed in some form since 1929, the updated Darlington Memorial Stadium that opened in 1989 has seen as good a display of high school football in the last three decades as any stadium.
That begins with the great teams at Hampton High led by legendary coach Mike Smith, who won back-to-back national titles in 1997 and 1998. That being said, the best football player who ever called Darling Stadium home was Bethel High quarterback/defensive back/return specialist Allen Iverson.
Yes, that Allen Iverson.
Darlington Memorial Stadium GOAT: Ronald Curry
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Ronald Curry was one of the top recruits in the country starting his junior year and a high school All-American in both football and basketball. He also was the McDonald's All-American game slam dunk champion and MVP.
He flipped on a commitment to in-state Virginia to go play both sports for North Carolina, where he continued to play quarterback but switched to wide receiver for a seven-year NFL career.
People in Virginia still haven't forgiven him for jilting his first college choice.
26. Naranche Stadium
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Capacity: 8,000
Location: Butte, Montana
High school: Butte High School
Year opened: 1937 (closed in 1973, reopened in 2011)
Bottom Line: Naranche Stadium
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The fire that shut down Butte High Stadium in 1973 kept it closed until renovations in 2011 let it reopen in pretty grand fashion. It's a piece of architecture that now blends seamlessly with downtown Butte and seems like a perfect fit for the town.
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. The home team won a state title there in 2012 on a 46-yard field goal as time expired.
Naranche Stadium GOAT: Colt Anderson
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Colt Anderson has one of the most unlikely NFL careers you'll ever hear about. 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.
Anderson spent two seasons on the practice squad for the Minnesota Vikings before making the roster for the Philadelphia Eagles. He lasted eight seasons in the NFL as a special teams player and backup safety.
25. Burke Stadium
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Capacity: 8,000
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
High school: Burke High School
Year opened: 1967
Bottom Line: Burke Stadium
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The biggest high school football stadium in Nebraska (we think) is actually more known for hosting the state championships in track and field each year, which can draw around 25,000 fans.
Harry A. Burke Stadium should consider a name change — as should the high school. 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.
"I would never want black people in a position of power, where white children would be educated," Burke once said.
That name has got to go — hopefully sooner than later.
Burke Stadium GOAT: George Andrews
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After starring at Burke High, George Andrews became a three-year starter for the University of Nebraska, where he was a two-time All-Big 8 selection and an All-American in 1978.
Andrews, who played defensive end in college, was selected No. 19 overall in the 1979 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams and moved to linebacker. He played six seasons in the NFL before knee injuries ended his career.
24. Durham County Memorial Stadium
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Capacity: 8,500
Location: Durham, North Carolina
High school: Northern High School
Year opened: 1960
Bottom Line: Durham County Memorial Stadium
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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.
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. 18 overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
Durham County Memorial Stadium GOAT: Dewayne Washington
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Dewayne Washington was an All-American for Northern High before staying in-state to play for North Carolina State in college.
He was picked No. 18 overall by the Minnesota Vikings in 1994 and played 11 seasons in the NFL, with his best years coming with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
23. Santa Ana Stadium
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Capacity: 9,000
Location: Santa Ana, California
High schools: Mater Dei High School, Santa Ana High School, Century High School, Cesar E. Chavez High School, Saddleback High School, Valley High School
Year opened: 1963
Bottom Line: Santa Ana Stadium
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This one is blurring the lines we've set up a little bit. The stadium was created with both high school football and college football in mind in Santa Ana, with local community college Santa Ana College as one of its tenants.
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.
Mater Dei High School has won four USA Today national championships.
Santa Ana Stadium GOAT: Matt Leinart
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Matt Leinart's place among the greatest college football quarterbacks of all time is unquestioned. He won two national championships at USC and came one bravura performance by Texas quarterback Vince Young from winning a third consecutive national title.
Interestingly, Leinart backed up another Heisman Trophy winner in Carson Palmer before taking over as the Trojans' starter. Leinart was picked No. 10 overall in the 2006 NFL draft and played seven seasons in the NFL.
22. Spiegelberg Stadium
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Capacity: 9,250
Location: Medford, Oregon
High schools: North Medford High School, South Medford High School
Year opened: 1936
Bottom Line: Spiegelberg Stadium
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Originally named Medford Stadium, the name changed to honor legendary Medford High head coach Fred Spiegelberg upon his retirement in 1983.
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.
Despite the schools splitting into two whole new schools, North Medford has kept a claim on the state championships won before the split, including banners and trophies. Doesn't seem right.
Spiegelberg Stadium GOAT: Tracey Eaton
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Tracey Eaton represents one of the more amazing statistical anomalies you'll ever come across.
Tracey Eaton was a star defensive back at Medford High School in the early 1980s. His father, Scott Eaton, was a star defensive back at Medford High School in the early 1960s.
Both went on to star at in-state colleges — Tracey at Portland State and Scott at Oregon State, where he also played basketball. Both were then taken with the 187th overall pick in the NFL draft — Tracey in 1988 and Scott in 1967.
Both then played six seasons in the NFL. Life is crazy, isn't it?
21. Nathaniel Traz-Powell Stadium
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Capacity: 10,000
Location: Miami, Florida
High schools: Miami Northwestern High School, Booker T. Washington High School
Location: Miami, Florida
Year opened: 1968
Bottom Line: Nathaniel Traz-Powell Stadium
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No stadium in the United States can say it was home to more future NFL talent than Miami's Traz-Powell Stadium. It's a virtual who's who of pro football talent cutting their teeth here.
Nike has played a role, too. 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 — something the community needed dearly.
For the sheer amount of talent you can see here on any given Friday night, it's worth the price of admission.
Nathaniel Traz-Powell Stadium GOAT: Lavonte David
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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.
David has been one of the NFL's dominant linebackers over the last decade with the Tampa Bays Buccaneers. He's been named NFL All-Pro three times and won a Super Bowl in 2021.
20. Mitchell Stadium
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Capacity: 10,000
Location: Bluefield, West Virginia
High school: Bluefield High School
Year opened: 1936
Bottom Line: Mitchell Stadium
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Built as part of the Works Progress Administration in the mid-1930s, Mitchell Stadium also serves as the home field for a team in another state — Virginia's Graham High School, which is the only high school in the nation that plays home games in a different state.
Mitchell Stadium was named "America's Best High School Football Stadium" in 2019 by USA Today via online voting. Mitchell Stadium has enough fame in the state that a Division I football game was once played there when West Virginia University faced Virginia Tech in 1953.
Mitchell Stadium GOAT: Bill Dudley
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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.
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.
19. Howard Wood Field
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Capacity: 10,000
Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
High schools: Washington High School, Lincoln High School, Roosevelt High School, O'Gorman High School
Year opened: 1957
Bottom Line: Howard Wood Field
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In an interesting piece of football history, the Minnesota Vikings actually played their first game (an exhibition) at Howard Wood Field against the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 5, 1961.
If you're going to make it to just one game at Howard Wood Field in your lifetime, we recommend being there for the Bob Burns Dakota Bowl, which always features 11-time state champion O'Gorman High.
Howard Wood Field GOAT: Larry Jacobson
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Larry Jacobson was a football and basketball star at O'Gorman High before going on to star at the University of Nebraska, where he went 33-2-1 in three seasons as a starter, won two national championships and became the school's first of eight Outland Trophy winners as the nation's top interior lineman.
Jacobson was drafted No. 24 overall by the New York Giants in the 1971 NFL draft but only played three seasons after his career was cut short by injuries to his leg and foot.
18. Union-Tuttle Stadium
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Capacity: 10,000-11,000
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
High school: Union High School
Year opened: 1976
Bottom Line: Union-Tuttle Stadium
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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.
Union-Tuttle Stadium's upgrade was part of a large $126.8 million bond issue passed in 2019.
Added to the crown jewel was a grand entrance on the west side, upper and lower decks on the home side, nine luxury suites, a refurbished visiting side, along with a weight room and new state-of-the-art turf.
"As each phase goes along, you start to realize 'Man, this is real,'" Union head coach Kirk Fridrich told The Tulsa World. "This is probably better than what we could have imagined, without a doubt."
Union-Tuttle Stadium GOAT: Dominique Franks
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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.
Franks played five years in the NFL and is currently the defensive backs coach for the New Jersey Generals in the USFL.
17. Reitz Bowl
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Capacity: 11,000
Location: Evansville, Indiana
High school: Reitz High School
Year opened: 1921
Bottom Line: Reitz Bowl
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You're not just going to a high school football game at the Reitz Bowl in Evansville, Indiana — you're having an experience. Aerial views of the stadium show an odd twist of architecture. The "Bowl" side of the stadium isn't a straight wall line, but kind of a squiggly line.
This was a happy accident. 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.
So they made a football stadium, and they also made history.
Reitz Bowl GOAT: Don Hansen
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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.
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.
16. Manual Stadium
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Capacity: 11,500
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
High school: duPont Manual High School
Year opened: 1924 (reopened in 1954)
Bottom Line: Manual Stadium
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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.
The stadium was condemned and closed in 1952 before it was refurbished and reopened with its current seating capacity in 1954.
Manual has won six state championships in its history but none since 1966. The school also won two mythical high school national championships in 1925 and 1938.
Manual Stadium GOAT: Travis Prentice
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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.
Prentice finished his college career with some of the most vaunted NCAA records of all time — career rushing touchdowns (73), career touchdowns (78), career points and consecutive carries without a fumble.
Prentice played two seasons in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings.
15. John F. Kennedy Stadium
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Capacity: 12,000
Location: Bridgeport, Connecticut
High school: Central High School
Year opened: 1964
Bottom Line: John F. Kennedy Stadium
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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.
The stadium has been a staple of the community since it opened. It has hosted some of the biggest concerts to come to the region as well as playing home to the University of Bridgeport football team until it disbanded in 1975.
One thing that's never played at JFK Stadium? A state championship team.
John F. Kennedy Stadium GOAT: Trevardo Williams
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Trevardo Williams moved from Jamaica to the United States at 9 years old and became a football star at Bridgeport High School before going on to star at the University of Connecticut, where he was an All-Big East selection in 2012.
Williams was selected in the fourth round (124th pick) of the 2013 NFL draft by the Houston Texans and released a year later. He played three games in the NFL, with the Washington Redskins, in 2014.
14. Dutch Clark Stadium
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Capacity: 12,500
Location: Pueblo, Colorado
High schools: Pueblo Central High School, Pueblo South High School, Pueblo East High School
Year opened: 1950
Bottom Line: Dutch Clark Stadium
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This stadium was renamed for legendary running back and Pueblo, Colorado, native Dutch Clark — "The Flying Dutchman" — in 1980.
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. 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.
And if you do go, make sure you're there for the Bell Game between Pueblo Centennial and Pueblo Central. The teams have played since 1898, and it's always a sellout.
Dutch Clark Stadium GOAT: Gary Knafelc
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Gary Knafelc owns some pretty interesting parts of football lore. The former Pueblo Central and University of Colorado wide receiver/tight end is the only player to be carried off the field at Lambeau Stadium and won two NFL championships for legendary head coach Vince Lombardi in 1961 and 1962.
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.
13. Ray Stadium
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Capacity: 14,000
Location: Meridian, Mississippi
High school: Meridian High School
Year opened: 1937
Bottom Line: Ray Stadium
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High school football in the South is just different. And Meridian High School's Ray Stadium in Meridian, Mississippi, is a great example of what we're talking about.
Meridian is one of the oldest schools in the South. It opened its doors in 1886 and maintains an enrollment of almost 2,000. Ray Stadium also has played home to some big-time talent over the years.
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.
Ray Stadium GOAT: Raekwon Davis
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You aren't going to see a lot of football players built like Raekwon Davis — a 6-foot-7, 330-pound defensive tackle who starred at Meridian High, then started as a true freshman at the University of Alabama.
Davis won a national title at Alabama in 2017 and was a second-round pick of the Miami Dolphins, where he made the NFL All-Rookie Team in 2020.
12. Stadium Bowl
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Capacity: 15,000
Location: Tacoma, Washington
High schools: Stadium High School, Woodrow Wilson High School
Year opened: 1910
Bottom Line: Stadium Bowl
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The steps of the Stadium Bowl were famously used by Academy Award-winning actor Heath Ledger during an epic song and dance in the movie "10 Things I Hate About You."
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.
Stadium Bowl GOAT: Heath Ledger
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Not all stars have to be football players. 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.
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.
Ledger, who went on to win an Academy Award playing The Joker in "The Dark Knight," died of a drug overdose in 2008 at 28 years old.
11. J. Birney Crum Stadium
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Capacity: 15,000
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
High schools: William Allen High School, Dieruff High School, Allentown Central Catholic High School
Year opened: 1948
Bottom Line: J. Birney Crum Stadium
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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.
While the Wikipedia page for the stadium says it's no longer the biggest in Pennsylvania following a renovation in 2002, we've yet to find one to top its capacity seating of 15,000.
It would be hard to beat the mid-to-late 1980s as the best time to watch football at J. Birney Crum. That's when future NFL star wide receivers Ed McCaffrey (Allentown Central Catholic) and Andre Reed (Dieruff) called it home.
J. Birney Crum Stadium GOAT: Ed McCaffrey
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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.
McCaffrey, who also led Central Catholic to two state basketball titles, was an All-American wide receiver at Stanford in 1990 before embarking on a 14-year NFL career in which he won three Super Bowls and made an NFL All-Pro team and Pro Bowl team in 1998.
10. Watson Memorial Stadium
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Capacity: 15,000
Location: Hobbs, New Mexico
High school: Hobbs High School
Year opened: 1964
Bottom Line: Watson Memorial Stadium
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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.
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.
The football stadium isn't the only thing in Hobbs named after Watson. The student apartments at NMJC are also named after him.
Watson Memorial Stadium GOAT: Timmy Smith
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Timmy Smith's football career was notable for its unbelievable highs and lows, beginning when he set the New Mexico high school rushing record at Hobbs High.
Smith starred as a freshman at Texas Tech, but injuries throughout his career dropped him to the fifth round of the 1987 NFL draft, where he was selected by the Washington Redskins.
Smith got the only start of his rookie year in Super Bowl XXII. He was only informed of head coach Joe Gibbs' decision to start him in pregame warmups. Smith went wild, setting a Super Bowl record with 204 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 42-10 win over the Denver Broncos and was named Super Bowl MVP. It was the only significant moment of Smith's NFL career.
9. Greenway Avenue Stadium
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Capacity: 15,000
Location: Cumberland, Maryland
High schools: Allegany High School and Fort Hill High School
Year opened: 1937
Bottom Line: Greenway Avenue Stadium
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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.
The two schools that share the field, Allegany High and Fort Hill High, have two of the best football traditions in the state. Since Maryland began officially hosting state football playoffs in 1974, Fort Hill has nine state championships and Allegany has eight state championships, with Fort Hill winning its latest Class 1A title in 2022.
Greenway Avenue Stadium GOAT: Rod Breedlove
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Allegany High linebacker Rod Breedlove was a three-time All-ACC and three-time All-American at the University of Maryland. He played eight seasons in the NFL and was a Pro Bowler with the Washington Redskins in 1962.
Breedlove died in 2021, at 83 years old.
8. Kingston Stadium
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Capacity: 15,000
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
High schools: Jefferson High School, Washington High School, Kennedy High School
Year opened: 1952
Bottom Line: Kingston Stadium
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Kingston Stadium was a pretty swingin' place in the two decades after it opened in 1952, with Canadian Football League exhibition games in 1961 and NFL exhibition games in 1961, 1962 and 1963.
In the 1970s, three semi-pro football teams called Kingston Stadium home. 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.
Kingston Stadium GOAT: Dedric Ward
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Dedric Ward starred at Washington High before staying close to home, playing for Northern Iowa and becoming one of the greatest players in school 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.
Ward played eight seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in 2004.
7. Quigley Stadium
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Capacity: 15,000
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas
High School: Little Rock Central High School
Year opened: 1936
Bottom Line: Quigley Stadium
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The home stadium for Little Rock Central High School (formerly known as Little Rock High) is named after former head coach Earl Quigley, who went 149-56-11 in 22 years as football coach and won 18 consecutive state championships as the head coach of the track and field team.
The stadium was the largest in the state for over a decade after it opened and played host to several University of Arkansas football games until 1948.
Quigley Stadium GOAT: Fred Williams
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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.
Williams won state championships in three sports at Little Rock Central High in football, basketball and boxing. He went on to star at the University of Arkansas, then played 14 seasons in the NFL, where he won an NFL championship with the Chicago Bears in 1963 and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection.
6. Cavalier Stadium
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Capacity: 15,200
Location: Roebuck, South Carolina
High school: Dorman High School
Year opened: 1967
Bottom Line: Cavalier Stadium
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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.
If you'd like to know about what kind of show they're running here, we'll reference the stadium's 3,000 box seats and chairback seats available to boosters, which bring in a reported $300,000 each year.
Cavalier Stadium GOAT: Ryan Sims
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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. 6 overall in the 2002 NFL draft.
Sims, who was an All-American in 2001, played nine seasons in the NFL.
5. James R. Hallford Stadium
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Capacity: 15,600
Location: Clarkston, Georgia
High schools: Martin Luther King Jr. High School, Stephenson High School
Year opened: 1968
Bottom Line: James R. Hallford Stadium
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James R. Hallford Stadium soared past its 50th birthday in 2018 and remains the largest high school football stadium in the state of Georgia.
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.
It's also been the site of five state championship games — three in the 1970s and two in the 1990s. The last state championship game was held at the site in 1995, a 14-7 win by Southwest DeKalb High School behind future NFL quarterback Quincy Carter.
James R. Hallford Stadium GOAT: Bruce Irvin
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Bruce Irvin didn't even play his senior year at Stephenson High. He dropped out after his junior year and got his GED.
After trekking across the junior college football landscapes of Kansas (Butler Community College) and California (Mt. 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.
Irvin was selected No. 15 overall in the 2012 NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks and won a Super Bowl with the team in 2014. In the Super Bowl the following year, the Seahawks lost to the New England Patriots, and Irvin became the first player ever ejected from the Super Bowl for throwing a punch at New England tight end Rob Gronkowski.
4. Mesquite Memorial Stadium
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Capacity: 20,000
Location: Mesquite, Texas
High School: West Mesquite High School
Year opened: 1976
Bottom Line: Mesquite Memorial Stadium
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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.
Opened in 1976, the stadium underwent an $11 million renovation that was completed in 2015 and added elevators, a refurbished concourse area, new locker rooms, restrooms and concession stands.
Mesquite Memorial Stadium GOAT: Trevone Boykin
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Trevone Boykin was an All-American at TCU and only played two seasons in the NFL as a backup for the Seattle Seahawks in 2016 and 2017.
Bokyin probably would've played much longer in the NFL had he been able to stay out of trouble. 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.
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.
3. BREC Memorial Stadium
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Capacity: 21,395
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
High schools: Baton Rouge Public Schools
Year opened: 1952
Bottom Line: BREC Memorial Stadium
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Sitting in the shade of the Governor's Mansion in Baton Rouge, BREC Memorial Stadium has been home to area high school football teams since the 1950s and remains one of the largest high school football stadiums in the nation.
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.
BREC Memorial Stadium GOAT: Grantland Rice
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The man who BREC Memorial Stadium's signature bowl game was once named after, Grantland Rice, is thought of by some as the greatest sportswriter of all time.
Rice gained fame by his writing but was a pretty great athlete himself back in the day. He lettered in both football and baseball at Vanderbilt and captained the baseball team as a senior.
2. Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium
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Capacity: 22,400
Location: Canton, Ohio
High school: Canton McKinley High School
Year opened: 1938 (reopened in 2016)
Bottom Line: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium
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Formerly named Fawcett Stadium and renamed Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in honor of the late owner of the New Orleans Saints, the 22,400 capacity is a perfect fit for its long-standing home team at Canton McKinley High School.
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. Benson donated $11 million dollars to expand the stadium from 15,000 to 22,400 seats in 2015.
Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium GOAT: Mike Doss
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The football program at Canton McKinley High School has had some legendary teams that won national championships. The best of those was the 1997 national title team, and the best player on that team was Mike Doss.
Doss starred at running back, linebacker and safety for Canton McKinley and was named a high school All-American. He went to college at Ohio State, where he won a national championship in 2002.
Doss was drafted in the second round by the Indianapolis Colts in 2003 and won a Super Bowl with the team in 2006.
1. War Memorial Stadium
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Capacity: 23,000
Location: Wailuku, Hawaii
High school: Baldwin High School, Hana High School, Kihei Charter School, King Kekaulike High School, Lahainaluna High School, Lanai High School, Maui High School, Moloka'i High School, St. Anthony High School
Year opened: 1969
Bottom Line: War Memorial Stadium
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War Memorial Stadium only had a capacity of just less than 7,000 when it first opened in 1969. It expanded to 23,000 in order to host the Hula Bowl, a college football All-Star game that was held there from 1998 to 2005.
War Memorial hosts schools from the Maui Interscholastic League for high school football and still has a natural grass surface. 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.
War Memorial Stadium GOAT: Kaluka Maiava
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Kaluka Maiava was a star at Baldwin High and became the first player from Maui to ever play college football for USC. He was twice named Special Teams Player of the Year, was an All-Pac-10 selection as a senior in 2008 and was the Rose Bowl Defensive MVP in 2009.
Maiava was drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL draft and played six seasons in the NFL.