Top Five Favorite High School Football Stadiums
"Recruiting is the lifeblood of your program."
That's the popular saying for college football programs (and unfortunately high school programs) and doing this job has allowed me to see some incredible high school football stadiums from all over the country as Notre Dame truly recruits nationwide.
I've had the chance to watch kids play in NFL stadiums and then a couple weeks later walk through two metal detectors before getting inside a high school stadium.
If you're out and about on a work trip or live in the area, here are a few I'd recommend seeing as these are my favorites from the places I’ve been.
5 - Freedom Field, Warner Robins, Ga.
I would say it's the home Jake Fromm built, but Freedom Field was a destination before the former Georgia star shredded his competition at Houston County.
It's a unique stadium in terms of being away from other buildings and it's basically set in the middle of a cornfield.
The atmosphere is unique as it has a community feel and an engaged crowd from the students to parents. You don't find that everywhere.
Now, it might not be the top program or facility in Georgia, but it was memorable.
And yes, it has a video board.
4 - St. Xavier Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati might be known for controversial chili takes, but it also is the home to some of the best high school football in the country.
St. X has one of the nicest facilities in the country and the stadium holds just under 7,000.
The Bombers have one of the top student sections in the country as the all-boys school lets loose on Friday nights.
3 - Paul B. Gay Stadium, Sanford, North Carolina
The home of Lee County isn't going to blow you away with facilities or a huge crowd. However, Lee County has a special setting because of the people there.
From the minute you walked in, the faculty, coaching staff and fans were awesome to work with and couldn't have been any nicer.
I might be biased as I've never heard a school personally thank media members by name for coming out over the PA system in the 4th quarter. (Isn't that right Tyler James?)
Or there might be some bias as the coaching staff let us film right next to them and they'd share the play so we could get a good video or photo angle.
You could feel the tradition of a top-notch program in Paul B. Gay Stadium. It was an odd feeling, but you just felt winning there.
2 - Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, Massillon, Ohio
There are some crazy stadiums in Texas and across the country, but Paul Brown Tiger Stadium is the mecca of high school football.
I've seen State Title games that would blow your mind and Massillon play games in front of over 10,000.
The Tigers come out through an inflatable Tiger and smoke. The video board and band also make it a unique experience. Oh, there is also a growling tiger noise.
It's a football town and one of the best experiences you'll find in high school football.
1 - The Pit - Cincinnati, Ohio
If you like an intimate 10,000 seat stadium built into the side of a hill, then The Pit is for you.
Similar to its rival, Elder is an all-boys school and very could have one of the best student sections in the country, which makes for an interesting environment on Friday night.
It' a big stadium, but not overwhelming in height as it wraps around the entire field.
But The downside is parking as it's literally built into the side of a hill, so finding a place to park is an adventure if you're late.
Everything that goes into the pregame is built on intimidation as well. The visiting team walks down a small hill into the stadium where they can do nothing but see the 10,000 fans waiting for them. However, not falling down the hill in cleats is also somewhat of a task from what I've seen.
Heck, there are also people watching from back porch as there is a set of houses right behind the press box.
The fans being on top of the field is one of the most unique aspects to The Pit. The stands start maybe 10 yards from the field of play, which at times, probably feels like they are in the huddle.
If you like high school football, Elder is a must-see.
