3afan
11-21-2008, 08:40 AM
Best bargain in playoffs
08:58 PM CST on Thursday, November 20, 2008
Texas Stadium has been the site of many a memorable high school football playoff game. In its final season, the place with the hole in the roof is host Saturday to one of the best roof-raisers of any season.
In high school football circles, Texas Stadium has become synonymous with playoff quadrupleheaders. But there's a lot more going on than just four games.
A $10 dollar ticket buys a full day of the best high school football in the nation.
Veterans know to dress warm and bring cash for the hot cocoa. Texas Stadium is notoriously chilly come playoff time, but there's plenty of heat on the field.
Every one of Saturday's eight teams was ranked in the area Top 20 at the end of the season, including Euless Trinity, which is No. 1 in the state and No. 2 in the nation.
The day starts with two recent 5A champions: Cedar Hill and Southlake Carroll.
By playing in the 11 a.m. opener, Carroll and Cedar Hill get as much preparation time as they want. There's no waiting around all day, and anxious players don't burn up nervous energy waiting for the game to start.
Once a game ends, a 45-minute countdown clock begins for the kickoff of the next game. Arriving teams accustomed to a more leisurely warmup period might feel a little rushed.
Since there are only three locker rooms, teams often must clear out their locker room by halftime for the next team to use. Exiting players often walk up the tunnel and right onto a bus.
Some teams don't like playing at Texas Stadium because of the logistics, particularly if they are one of the middle games of a triple- or quadrupleheader.
Cedar Hill coach Joey McGuire is definitely in the pro-Texas Stadium camp.
"Playing in Texas Stadium, there's nothing like it," McGuire said. "I just think it's incredible for the kids and the fans."
That card continues with Hebron and Wylie at 2 p.m., assuming the Carroll-Cedar Hill game doesn't run long. Most games take longer than two hours, 15 minutes. So you can probably count on a late start.
Time could be made up when Plano and Euless Trinity play in the main event at 5 p.m. Trinity is a dedicated running team, and Plano can be one at times, too.
Running the ball eats up the clock, although in last year's state semifinals Plano and Euless Trinity went to two overtimes.
Plano and Trinity have huge followings and long traditions. They will probably have the biggest crowd of the day, which means arrive early if you're coming for the finale between Allen and Coppell. Trying to enter Texas Stadium's parking lots when another big game is letting out is no fun.
On the other hand, there's no telling how late Allen and Coppell will kick off. With three games stacked ahead of them, it's pretty much a sure thing it won't be at 8 p.m.
It's not an easy thing to stage four big games at Texas Stadium in one day, but for a lot of people it's well worth the trouble.
A TOP-RANKED AFFAIR
All eight of the teams in Saturday's quadrupleheader at Texas Stadium were ranked in The News' final area poll:
12. Cedar Hill vs. T-13. Southlake Carroll, 11 a.m.
6. Wylie vs. 7. Hebron, 2 p.m.
1. Euless Trinity vs. 5. Plano, 5 p.m.
2. Allen vs. 16. Coppell, 8 p.m.
link (http://www.hsgametime.com/dfw/sharedcontent/dws/content/topstories/stories/112108dnspowhitmire.35ae4f3.html)
08:58 PM CST on Thursday, November 20, 2008
Texas Stadium has been the site of many a memorable high school football playoff game. In its final season, the place with the hole in the roof is host Saturday to one of the best roof-raisers of any season.
In high school football circles, Texas Stadium has become synonymous with playoff quadrupleheaders. But there's a lot more going on than just four games.
A $10 dollar ticket buys a full day of the best high school football in the nation.
Veterans know to dress warm and bring cash for the hot cocoa. Texas Stadium is notoriously chilly come playoff time, but there's plenty of heat on the field.
Every one of Saturday's eight teams was ranked in the area Top 20 at the end of the season, including Euless Trinity, which is No. 1 in the state and No. 2 in the nation.
The day starts with two recent 5A champions: Cedar Hill and Southlake Carroll.
By playing in the 11 a.m. opener, Carroll and Cedar Hill get as much preparation time as they want. There's no waiting around all day, and anxious players don't burn up nervous energy waiting for the game to start.
Once a game ends, a 45-minute countdown clock begins for the kickoff of the next game. Arriving teams accustomed to a more leisurely warmup period might feel a little rushed.
Since there are only three locker rooms, teams often must clear out their locker room by halftime for the next team to use. Exiting players often walk up the tunnel and right onto a bus.
Some teams don't like playing at Texas Stadium because of the logistics, particularly if they are one of the middle games of a triple- or quadrupleheader.
Cedar Hill coach Joey McGuire is definitely in the pro-Texas Stadium camp.
"Playing in Texas Stadium, there's nothing like it," McGuire said. "I just think it's incredible for the kids and the fans."
That card continues with Hebron and Wylie at 2 p.m., assuming the Carroll-Cedar Hill game doesn't run long. Most games take longer than two hours, 15 minutes. So you can probably count on a late start.
Time could be made up when Plano and Euless Trinity play in the main event at 5 p.m. Trinity is a dedicated running team, and Plano can be one at times, too.
Running the ball eats up the clock, although in last year's state semifinals Plano and Euless Trinity went to two overtimes.
Plano and Trinity have huge followings and long traditions. They will probably have the biggest crowd of the day, which means arrive early if you're coming for the finale between Allen and Coppell. Trying to enter Texas Stadium's parking lots when another big game is letting out is no fun.
On the other hand, there's no telling how late Allen and Coppell will kick off. With three games stacked ahead of them, it's pretty much a sure thing it won't be at 8 p.m.
It's not an easy thing to stage four big games at Texas Stadium in one day, but for a lot of people it's well worth the trouble.
A TOP-RANKED AFFAIR
All eight of the teams in Saturday's quadrupleheader at Texas Stadium were ranked in The News' final area poll:
12. Cedar Hill vs. T-13. Southlake Carroll, 11 a.m.
6. Wylie vs. 7. Hebron, 2 p.m.
1. Euless Trinity vs. 5. Plano, 5 p.m.
2. Allen vs. 16. Coppell, 8 p.m.
link (http://www.hsgametime.com/dfw/sharedcontent/dws/content/topstories/stories/112108dnspowhitmire.35ae4f3.html)