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As I sit here on this May afternoon, slowly counting down the days until the start of the high school football season in the Carolinas, I happened to come across the movie Friday Night Lights on television.
You know the movie, the Hoosiers-like story of a town, a team, and a dream, based on H.G. Bissinger’s book documenting the 1988 Odessa Permian Panthers and their march to the 5A Texas State Championship game against Dallas Carter.
Of course, most of us high school football fans have seen the movie, and many have read the book as well, but just watching it takes me back to my days spent in Texas during my military career.
I consider myself very fortunate to have spent a season on the road each week exploring the Texas High School Football scene. Following some of the best programs the Lone Star State had to offer, and seeing some of those heralded rivalries up close and personal.
Of course, just uttering the phrase “Texas High School Football” immediately sends shockwaves through your body, and certain visions come to mind such as new, state-of-the-art large stadiums, large crowds, enormous marching bands and booster support, and just an overall big-time feel.
That brings me to another saying that I learned at an early age in life, and was cemented into me by former Kannapolis Brown head coach, the late Bob Boswell.
“Big Time High School Football”
Just that saying alone sends excitement through my soul and gets me ready for the season.
But what is Big Time High School Football, and can we ever achieve that same level of excitement and enormity that we see in Texas?
My first inclination is to say no, at least on the overall statewide level, but there are some pockets in both North and South Carolina that come close, and a few schools and communities are well on their way when it comes to breaking through on the national and regional scene.
But in order for high school football in the Carolinas to even come close to achieving what football in Texas does, what would it take for us to get there? What can be done to raise the level of excitement and significance of that in Texas, or other states with a greater appreciation for the game?
Is it the stadiums? As you know, I’ve traveled the entire state of North Carolina on my mission to take photos of every stadium in the state, but it’s not necessarily the stadiums that give it that big-time feel. It’s always been more about the atmosphere than the size of a stadium that ranks the highest in my book.
Several years ago I had a chance to visit Ratliff Stadium in Odessa, Texas, the home of Odessa Permian, and the filming location for the movie, and I must say, for any high school football enthusiast, it’s the granddaddy of all stadiums.
It’s not the largest, the fanciest, or the best in terms of national significance, but it’s certainly one of those stadiums you want to visit, especially on a fall Friday night when the Panthers face off against arch-rival Midland Lee.
Other features that set Texas High School Football apart from our brand of football here in the Carolinas are the facilities, that are more college and professional-like, than your typical high school facilities across the rest of the nation.
Another thing is just the sheer magnitude of the programs themselves, the number of people involved in support roles, the large numbers of boosters, and the overwhelming amount of dollars being pumped into the programs.
Like they say, everything is bigger in Texas, and the athletic budgets there certainly hold true to that statement.
Give us your thoughts on what could turn the Carolinas into a hotbed for high school football and put us on the map nationally in the comments below.
Up next: I’m about to finally watch When The Game Stands Tall about Concord, De La Salle program in Concord, CA.
