Best High School Football Stadium
- Thread starter lookoutforliam
- Start date
This is a periodic thread theme and I will continue to nominate La Salle-Peru HS Howard Fellows Stadium. Built in a ravine in the mid-1930s as a Works Project Administration (WPA) construction, it is a sight. Big renovation late in the previous millennium and all-weather turf expected either this coming season or next.
http://www.footballfridaynight.com/StadiumDetail.php?qCollectionID=9323#.XqcVcshKjIU
http://www.footballfridaynight.com/StadiumDetail.php?qCollectionID=9323#.XqcVcshKjIU
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East Aurora's new set up is unreal. Has a great campus feel to it.
i'm partial to Roscoe Eades Stadium/Prescott Memorial Field at Sterling HS. but don't just take my word for it. this is an email from a coach at St. Rita, who sterling played in the 2019 playoffs:
"Every one of us was stunned when we got off the bus and walked into the stadium. We had seen the pictures but they don’t do that place justice. I can’t imagine a better HS football stadium in the state. everything from the beautiful school in the background to the jumbotron. Perfect."
"Every one of us was stunned when we got off the bus and walked into the stadium. We had seen the pictures but they don’t do that place justice. I can’t imagine a better HS football stadium in the state. everything from the beautiful school in the background to the jumbotron. Perfect."
Downstate Mount Carmel:
https://www.courierpress.com/story/...ried-tradition-but-changes-coming/1384231002/
More so for the atmosphere and community on game day. But if you've ever been to a game there it's a sweet setup.
https://www.courierpress.com/story/...ried-tradition-but-changes-coming/1384231002/
More so for the atmosphere and community on game day. But if you've ever been to a game there it's a sweet setup.
That 2003 Saturday afternoon semi against JC was the single most unique atmosphere I have ever seen. Even more unique than the zoo on a crazy Friday night at R-B in 2001.
just a very cool big game atmosphere. I wish everyone could see that stadium, particularly on a picturesque Saturday afternoon in November.
Glenbard west playoff atmosphere is electric.
Including the walk up for pregame!
I like Warrens visitors side is practically on the field.
Montinis field with tents in end zone is cool.
Lane tech stadium awesome.
Lake forest murals are cool.
Notredames field is nice football setup.
Including the walk up for pregame!
I like Warrens visitors side is practically on the field.
Montinis field with tents in end zone is cool.
Lane tech stadium awesome.
Lake forest murals are cool.
Notredames field is nice football setup.
All.... I second that also including the tree surrounded tailgate area ("the old Griffin woods") next to the baseball field where loads of fun occur before the game. Ratsy
https://www.google.com/maps/place/3...e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d39.8012!4d-89.6742
Probably too far down south for any of you, but Marion has an absolutely beautiful place. The turf is perfect looking, seating is available behind one end zone, and they have nets for the field goals. Also, when you walk in you go down into the stadium which gives it a higher energy feel. They also had the best announcer I have ever heard for high school football. Calls every play factually with player's names from both sides and you could never in a 1,00 years tell which team he supported.
Not a fan of the result of the game I was there for, but it is a really nice place. Tons of seating for both sides and their food is top tier as well
Rita was my favorite as a in the 90s. The full end zone stands made it seem much bigger than it was.
If you combine stadium and atmosphere Wilmington is tops for me....seeing a game there is a ton of fun
I was there for basketball back in January and noticed the football stadium - it looked pretty cool and I made a mental note to put it on my to-do list
Hmm...ranking the ICE...
Worst...Peotone...grass is horrible, cinder track unmaintained since the 70's, home bleachers ok but on the east side, visitors bleachers awful - couple 5 row portable sets drug over from the baseball diamond.
7th...Streator...recently rebuilt bleachers built into the hill, but again on the east side...limited visitors bleachers. Sewer plant dead west of the stadium...
6th...Manteno...nicely maintained, but when built in 2002 MHS was a 2A size school. Visitors bleachers sorely undersized, but visitors parking right behind the bleachers is a bonus. Nice concessions, having converted the former mobile classrooms into the concessions stand.
5th...Herscher..Seebach Stadium was the place to be in the 80's...and it's stuck there. Lots of visitors bleachers, but they aren't elevated so the first three rows are basically useless, and they are open board making them a bit scary...and dropping something requires a trip under the bleachers.
4th...Reed-Custer...The best nuclear power plant tax money can buy, nice track, plenty of bleachers. But bleech...absolutely no character. The concessions stand was built to serve baseball, softball and the stadium, so it isn't very well placed for any of them...And the general lack of a competitive team doesn't help much.
3rd...Lisle...I remember running track at Lisle's huge invitational at the facility behind the junior (?) high building without lights. Great track, probably not a very good football stadium. Moving to Benedictine gives the Lions probably the nicest stadium, but no visitors side, and it just doesn't feel right.
2nd...Wilmington...Absolutely an awesome atmosphere, but some of us remember back to the pre-Reents era...One of my first high school games ever was a Wilmo vs. Peotone / Manteno co-op in the early/mid 90's, and the visitors side was probably worse than Peotone's (the mosquitos coming out of the woods were vicious). But the seating additions make this a great place to watch a game...even if visitors have to walk around the remains of the cinder track under the woods to get to the visitors' side.
Best...Coal City...Coalers originally built a stadium with the bleachers on the wrong / east side and no visitors bleachers (and the only all-weather track I ever ran on that was done in yards rather than meters...lol). The construction of visitors side bleachers and parking additions, and the concessions stand, makes the Coalers stadium the best in the conference. The Coaler's faithful also make the atmosphere pretty good as well. There have been discussions of reconstructing the facility, adding lanes to the track and replacing the bleachers. I really don't understand why they just don't add to the west side bleachers and make them the home side, leaving the east side bleachers to be the visitor's side...
Worst...Peotone...grass is horrible, cinder track unmaintained since the 70's, home bleachers ok but on the east side, visitors bleachers awful - couple 5 row portable sets drug over from the baseball diamond.
7th...Streator...recently rebuilt bleachers built into the hill, but again on the east side...limited visitors bleachers. Sewer plant dead west of the stadium...
6th...Manteno...nicely maintained, but when built in 2002 MHS was a 2A size school. Visitors bleachers sorely undersized, but visitors parking right behind the bleachers is a bonus. Nice concessions, having converted the former mobile classrooms into the concessions stand.
5th...Herscher..Seebach Stadium was the place to be in the 80's...and it's stuck there. Lots of visitors bleachers, but they aren't elevated so the first three rows are basically useless, and they are open board making them a bit scary...and dropping something requires a trip under the bleachers.
4th...Reed-Custer...The best nuclear power plant tax money can buy, nice track, plenty of bleachers. But bleech...absolutely no character. The concessions stand was built to serve baseball, softball and the stadium, so it isn't very well placed for any of them...And the general lack of a competitive team doesn't help much.
3rd...Lisle...I remember running track at Lisle's huge invitational at the facility behind the junior (?) high building without lights. Great track, probably not a very good football stadium. Moving to Benedictine gives the Lions probably the nicest stadium, but no visitors side, and it just doesn't feel right.
2nd...Wilmington...Absolutely an awesome atmosphere, but some of us remember back to the pre-Reents era...One of my first high school games ever was a Wilmo vs. Peotone / Manteno co-op in the early/mid 90's, and the visitors side was probably worse than Peotone's (the mosquitos coming out of the woods were vicious). But the seating additions make this a great place to watch a game...even if visitors have to walk around the remains of the cinder track under the woods to get to the visitors' side.
Best...Coal City...Coalers originally built a stadium with the bleachers on the wrong / east side and no visitors bleachers (and the only all-weather track I ever ran on that was done in yards rather than meters...lol). The construction of visitors side bleachers and parking additions, and the concessions stand, makes the Coalers stadium the best in the conference. The Coaler's faithful also make the atmosphere pretty good as well. There have been discussions of reconstructing the facility, adding lanes to the track and replacing the bleachers. I really don't understand why they just don't add to the west side bleachers and make them the home side, leaving the east side bleachers to be the visitor's side...
Coolest overall atmosphere: LaSalle Peru, Wilmington. New Mt Carmel & Coal City would be maybe's. I've never sat in those stands for games.
Best for seating and great view: Joliet Memorial Stadium (JCA) 10,000 good seats with no end zone seats. Mt. Carmel has even hosted there against JCA once or twice, but sitting in the East stands just seemed wrong somehow.
Best for seating and great view: Joliet Memorial Stadium (JCA) 10,000 good seats with no end zone seats. Mt. Carmel has even hosted there against JCA once or twice, but sitting in the East stands just seemed wrong somehow.
Yeah LP was always a great place to play in HS, except for the on field fights every year.
Program is making a bit of a comeback. I’d say their visitors section bests Bolingbrook now.
Morris would be in the running if they didn't have small death-traps for visitor's bleachers.
Not Illinois but Merrillville is something to see when driving up I65.
Easily Mandrake Park. If phillips would play their playoff games at Mandrake they would never lose. There’s a little hill off to the sides of the field you can sit on and watch the game but if you’re really into the game you can go stand on the field next to the coaches. Saw a Phillips fan actually stand next to the opposing teams DC, it really is something. If you get really lucky maybe you’ll even see a fight in the endzone from people at the park during the game. It is truly an experience unlike anything else
There are a lot of stadiums like that in Indiana. Grand Park in Westfield hosts baseball tournaments all summer long and they use many of the local HS fields for games and the facilities are top notch. The Chicago Area needs a youth sports trap, I mean facility to attract out of state organizations, instead of us going to them all summer long.
i must have not been paying close attention the 4 or 5 times i was at morris. nothing about the place stands out in my mind. seems pretty basic to me.
Plenty of them but just not for baseball/softball. Rockford hosts tons of soccer, basketball and volleyball. Olympic park in Schaumburg has a huge complex for soccer/lacrosse.
Granted, at The 'Brook you have the rare black turf and extra-wide visitor bleachers. Beyond that, the stadium feels like a ball mall and the campus scale fits in well with all the nearby gigantic fulfillment warehouses in the area. Former poster Cross Bones would be livid at this post.
Edgy, What do you think of Minooka’s stadium now? Just like that, the home stands became the visitor’s side.
Thos
those complexes are nothing like Grand Park in Indiana, the Perfect Game facility in Iowa, Atlanta or Texas. The Baseball National facilities in Kentucky, SC and other sites, cal Ripken in Myrtle Beach or host of others.
i realize, Now, you said just not for baseball. My point was their facilities bring in so much money and so many teams that they need the local HS fields and in turn, those HS are getting huge upgrades for their facilities. Grand park brings in hundreds of teams a week from April til August and that’s just baseball, they also host soccer, have a huge Indoor facility and host the Colts training camp. That’s how you bring money in to the area
those complexes are nothing like Grand Park in Indiana, the Perfect Game facility in Iowa, Atlanta or Texas. The Baseball National facilities in Kentucky, SC and other sites, cal Ripken in Myrtle Beach or host of others.
i realize, Now, you said just not for baseball. My point was their facilities bring in so much money and so many teams that they need the local HS fields and in turn, those HS are getting huge upgrades for their facilities. Grand park brings in hundreds of teams a week from April til August and that’s just baseball, they also host soccer, have a huge Indoor facility and host the Colts training camp. That’s how you bring money in to the area
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Change your name to PanthersCoalers then......is the stadium itself nicer, sure. Is the overall game atmosphere better, not even close.
Climate plays a huge part in it along with support from local government. It is hard to play baseball consistently in Chicago in March, April, October and November even with turf. Also people are going to go to a warmer climate during those months. Then you have to get buy in from a local agency to pay for it and allow it to be used for tournaments. I went to conference in Orlando and toured a complex down there. They have like 16-20 baseball fields. They run events about 50-60 times a year. They allow local teams to use the fields for all sports Monday-Thursday and then rent it out to these tournament organizers for events Friday-Sunday. It would be hard for a park district to put in a 20 million facility and then tell the locals that they can’t play any homes games there on the weekends.
