It's all about atmosphere. There's something to be said for every high school football venue in South Jersey. Every school community has its own traditions and its own special touches that make Friday nights and Saturday afternoons a unique experience.
By now the members of our sports department have seen hundreds of games in dozens of different venues, throughout South Jersey and beyond.
Everyone has a place or two that they always look forward to seeing again -- some for obvious reasons -- the hill at Cherokee High School, the cannon at Washington Township and the ferris wheel lighting the sky at Ocean City -- and some for fairly obscure ones.
Our sports department talked about the sights and sounds they enjoy the most, when the high school football season gets underway.
This week's question:
What three high school football fields do you always look forward to getting back to?
John Lewis
Moorestown: There are a lot of great bands in South Jersey, but for me, that moment when the Moorestown band plays Bruce Channel's "Hey Baby" is a highlight of the game. A lot of bands now play that song, but it was at Moorestown where I first heard it, and I haven't heard anyone do it better. Moorestown also gets points for having a pep band, instead of a marching band -- it sounds great and everybody sings, and it adds to the uniqueness of the Quakers' whole take on the sport.
Pemberton (William McDowell field is actually located at the Helen Fort Middle School): It's the only place in South Jersey that I know about where you can get a chili dog, but more than that, the Hornets play Saturday afternoons, and since I became a photographer/videographer, I've come to appreciate that. The sunlight and the green uniforms -- the game just has a bright, vivid look at Pemberton. Lawrence High School in Mercer County and Vic Kubu Field in Manasquan, Monmouth County, have the same rare quality, but in South Jersey, Pemberton takes the prize.
Woodbury: I've actually only been there a couple of times, but I like Woodbury Stadium for a lot of the same reasons I like Pemberton (minus the chili dogs). No lights, no frills, just football in the sunlight. The Thundering Herd gets extra points for their stadium, though: the high wall and the finished, brick and concrete stands just look great. If I was going to make a movie about high school football, that's where the home team would play.
Tom Rimback
Bordentown:It's new. It's different. It's unique where else can you simultaneously play football, soccer and field hockey without overlapping anywhere. The Scotties unique setup, which can also host concurrent baseball and softball games inthe spring, is the state of the art for multi-purpose facilities. There's even a 70-yard gridiron practice field so all the school's fall teams can practice at the same time.
Clayton:OK, full disclosure, I've never actually seen a game at Clayton but it's on my bucket list. There's no track. There are no frills. It's just a block of perfect turf in the middle of Clayton. The sidelines sit betweenEast Academy and East Center Street. The end zones run alongside North New and North Vine Streets. What could be more pure than that?
Palmyra: One of the most historic stadiums in South Jersey, Matt Curtis Stadium has a classic concrete home stands on the sideline with locker rooms built under the seating area. It's latest remodel underneath makes for a cozy home for the Pals.
On a historic note, the home side of the trackused to be feature a 200-meter straightaway so runners didn't have to turn. The stadium once held the world decathlon championships in the late 1950s after Palmyra's Charlie Pratt won the United States title in 1957.
Tom McGurk
Ocean City’s Carey Stadium:What’s better than a cool breeze on a warm summer night? Experiencing that breeze while watching some high school football. Just off the boardwalk of this seaside town and in the shadow of the Ferris wheel on Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, Ocean City’s Carey Stadium isa true football paradise. Go early for some pizza and Johnson’s caramel popcorn on the boards and stay for the football, which is being played at a high level by the OC boys these days. Carey Stadium became the popular destination for football fans in August when the inaugural Battle of the Beach showcase presented by the West Jersey Football League Coaches Association was held.
Vineland’s Gittone Stadium:This reporter was fortunate enough to call this awesome place my home away from home for seven years while covering the Fighting Clan on a weekly basis. Just off Landis Avenuein the heart of downtown with the old high school as the backdrop, Vineland football has been playing at the same site for nearly 90 years. The huge concrete stadium seating on the home side was constructed under the Works Progress Administration andcompleted in 1938. Vineland actually played night games back in those days, until the school removed the lights in 1955. Night football returned decades later and Gittone Stadium has added many new perks over recent years like artificial turf and a videoboard to show in-game highlights. And be sure to say hello to Rowdy Rooster, who is without a doubt the best mascot in South Jersey.
Camden’s Farnham Park:You want atmosphere? Go to Farnham Park and experience what a great marching band brings to high school football. The Mighty Marching Panthers are loud and proud, creating an unmatched electricity with sounds and movements that few other bands in this region can rival or duplicate. The Panthers have played football on this field since 1915, when it was known as Forest Hill Park. Camden Catholic and St. Joseph (of Camden) also played football there. But beware, if your team comes out on the wrong end of the scoreboard, you will get serenaded by the Camden faithful with chants of “You want The High? You got The High!”
Josh Friedman
Buena: I arrived to South Jersey in 2007 and my first football beat was covering Buena week in and week out for The Daily Journal. Watching the 2008 team, which featured Ken Miles, Tommy White, Donetae McKinnon and Joey Cifaloglio, reach the South Jersey Group 2 semifinals was a blast, and walking back into the John J. Zucal Athletic Complex always brings back those memories.
Cherokee: I really enjoy making my way down the stairs into the bowl at William H. Foltz Field. There’s a great energy at the Marlton school. Having the field below the fans creates a bit of a college vibe and seeing fans relaxing on the grass hill next to the bleachers reminds me of minor league baseball games. Cherokee’s student section has never disappointed when I’ve gone either and opposing fan bases always seem to travel well there too.
Ocean City: Selfish choice here. Few schools treat media members better than Ocean City. We’ve beenofferedJohnson’s Popcorn, salt water taffy and other food in the press box, and there’s always a seat available when I need it. As for the game, the view is simply spectacular. There’s a reason the West Jersey Football League Coaches Association wanted to have the Battle of the Beach there. The lit-up Ferris wheel is an impeccable backdrop to a Friday night. Ocean City is a great place to watch a game.
