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11-21-2006, 08:07 AM
Highland Park: Detour on road to state
Why Shreveport for playoff game? It's the odds
02:52 AM CST on Tuesday, November 21, 2006
By TODD WILLS / The Dallas Morning News
Highland Park's road to Shreveport for Friday's football playoff game against Texarkana Texas High went through the West Texas town of Muleshoe (pop. 4,425) and Sulphur Bluff (pop. 280) in Northeast Texas.
Confused?
Well, strange things happen when coaches try to agree on where to play a big game. A Texas playoff game could even land in Louisiana.
High Schools
To determine the site of Friday's Class 4A Division I area-round game, the coaches, in lieu of meeting halfway for coin flips, played by telephone a game of odds and evens with ZIP codes.
Highland Park coach Randy Allen chose Muleshoe, and Texas High coach Barry Norton guessed it had an even-numbered ZIP code. Wrong; it's 79347. That meant Highland Park wouldn't have to play at Tyler's Rose Stadium, Texas High's preference for a neutral site.
Next was the right to host the game – SMU's Ford Stadium for Highland Park and Independence Stadium for Texas High.
Allen put forth Sulphur Bluff. Norton guessed odd.
Bingo. It's 75481. And Norton's call will send Highland Park on a three-hour drive to Shreveport for Friday's 1 p.m. kickoff.
The game is expected to draw a crowd of 8,000 to 10,000, said Ronnie Hammond, Independence Stadium's manager. Texas High is No. 1 in The Associated Press 4A rankings, and Highland Park is the defending 4A Division I champion.
Garland ISD athletic director Homer B. Johnson, who has been a coach and AD in the school district for 58 years, and other longtime observers don't recall a Dallas-area UIL team leaving the state for a playoff game.
On Monday, Allen said he's OK with the trip, especially since he doesn't have to play at 14,000-seat Rose Stadium, which Highland Park fans deem as too small. It is also a site where Texas High has played several playoff games. Texas High's stadium has a capacity of about 9,000.
"The Independence Bowl is a 54,000-seat stadium, so there's plenty of room for people," Allen said. "And I love Cajun food. So I'm sure we'll eat at Ralph & Kacoo's after the game."
Paul Rowsey, president of Highland Park's booster club, said he thinks most fans won't be upset at facing a long trip.
"We're more excited about playing Texarkana Texas High," Rowsey said. "Any disappointment about traveling is lost in the game."
It is not unprecedented for Texas schools to leave the state for playoff games. Amarillo and Lubbock schools have played El Paso schools in New Mexico. Jasper and Little Cypress-Mauriceville played in Natchitoches, La.
"We like to see the games in Texas," said Charles Breithaupt, director of athletics for the University Interscholastic League. "In this case, it didn't happen."
The UIL doesn't want to get in the business of assigning sites for 540 playoff games, Breithaupt said.
Highland Park fans were frustrated last year when tickets for the Class 4A Division I state championship game against Marshall sold out six days before the showdown at Rose Stadium. Pleas were made to the UIL to find an alternate stadium, but the governing body refused to get involved.
State Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, even said he would hold public hearings on the system. In June, the UIL Legislative Council approved a rule change for determining playoff sites, stating that a school cannot choose a football playoff venue that cannot adequately accommodate both teams' fans.
The new rule, known as "the Highland Park rule," didn't come into effect because Allen and Norton agreed Thursday that Rose Stadium would be the site if Highland Park lost the first game of guess the ZIP code.
Norton said Monday that while both coaches would like for the game to be played in Texas, circumstances dictated otherwise.
"We respect Randy Allen and his program," Norton said. "And I'm sure they respect our program."
It's the third year in a row the teams have met. Texas High won in 2004, and Highland Park won in 2005. Both games were played in Tyler.
Allen said, because of the Thanksgiving holiday, he has no idea how many Highland Park fans will make the trip. Texas High fans have an 80-minute drive with the most direct route taking them through Arkansas.
"Texas High is as happy as they can be," Allen said. "It's a fair deal. There are no hard feelings."
E-mail twills@dallasnews.com
Why Shreveport for playoff game? It's the odds
02:52 AM CST on Tuesday, November 21, 2006
By TODD WILLS / The Dallas Morning News
Highland Park's road to Shreveport for Friday's football playoff game against Texarkana Texas High went through the West Texas town of Muleshoe (pop. 4,425) and Sulphur Bluff (pop. 280) in Northeast Texas.
Confused?
Well, strange things happen when coaches try to agree on where to play a big game. A Texas playoff game could even land in Louisiana.
High Schools
To determine the site of Friday's Class 4A Division I area-round game, the coaches, in lieu of meeting halfway for coin flips, played by telephone a game of odds and evens with ZIP codes.
Highland Park coach Randy Allen chose Muleshoe, and Texas High coach Barry Norton guessed it had an even-numbered ZIP code. Wrong; it's 79347. That meant Highland Park wouldn't have to play at Tyler's Rose Stadium, Texas High's preference for a neutral site.
Next was the right to host the game – SMU's Ford Stadium for Highland Park and Independence Stadium for Texas High.
Allen put forth Sulphur Bluff. Norton guessed odd.
Bingo. It's 75481. And Norton's call will send Highland Park on a three-hour drive to Shreveport for Friday's 1 p.m. kickoff.
The game is expected to draw a crowd of 8,000 to 10,000, said Ronnie Hammond, Independence Stadium's manager. Texas High is No. 1 in The Associated Press 4A rankings, and Highland Park is the defending 4A Division I champion.
Garland ISD athletic director Homer B. Johnson, who has been a coach and AD in the school district for 58 years, and other longtime observers don't recall a Dallas-area UIL team leaving the state for a playoff game.
On Monday, Allen said he's OK with the trip, especially since he doesn't have to play at 14,000-seat Rose Stadium, which Highland Park fans deem as too small. It is also a site where Texas High has played several playoff games. Texas High's stadium has a capacity of about 9,000.
"The Independence Bowl is a 54,000-seat stadium, so there's plenty of room for people," Allen said. "And I love Cajun food. So I'm sure we'll eat at Ralph & Kacoo's after the game."
Paul Rowsey, president of Highland Park's booster club, said he thinks most fans won't be upset at facing a long trip.
"We're more excited about playing Texarkana Texas High," Rowsey said. "Any disappointment about traveling is lost in the game."
It is not unprecedented for Texas schools to leave the state for playoff games. Amarillo and Lubbock schools have played El Paso schools in New Mexico. Jasper and Little Cypress-Mauriceville played in Natchitoches, La.
"We like to see the games in Texas," said Charles Breithaupt, director of athletics for the University Interscholastic League. "In this case, it didn't happen."
The UIL doesn't want to get in the business of assigning sites for 540 playoff games, Breithaupt said.
Highland Park fans were frustrated last year when tickets for the Class 4A Division I state championship game against Marshall sold out six days before the showdown at Rose Stadium. Pleas were made to the UIL to find an alternate stadium, but the governing body refused to get involved.
State Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, even said he would hold public hearings on the system. In June, the UIL Legislative Council approved a rule change for determining playoff sites, stating that a school cannot choose a football playoff venue that cannot adequately accommodate both teams' fans.
The new rule, known as "the Highland Park rule," didn't come into effect because Allen and Norton agreed Thursday that Rose Stadium would be the site if Highland Park lost the first game of guess the ZIP code.
Norton said Monday that while both coaches would like for the game to be played in Texas, circumstances dictated otherwise.
"We respect Randy Allen and his program," Norton said. "And I'm sure they respect our program."
It's the third year in a row the teams have met. Texas High won in 2004, and Highland Park won in 2005. Both games were played in Tyler.
Allen said, because of the Thanksgiving holiday, he has no idea how many Highland Park fans will make the trip. Texas High fans have an 80-minute drive with the most direct route taking them through Arkansas.
"Texas High is as happy as they can be," Allen said. "It's a fair deal. There are no hard feelings."
E-mail twills@dallasnews.com