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Emmitt Smith Field – Escambia Gators
Since opening in 1958 EHS has been one of the more successful programs in the area. Currently competing in the Class 6A District 1 of the FHSAA, the Gators have made the state playoffs over 20 times and have made four state championship games in their history (1984,1985, 2009, & 2019), winning titles in ‘84 and ‘85. Much like the Florida Gators’ colors, the Escambia Gators’ colors are also blue and orange.
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Book Review: Friday Night Lights
In 2004, Billy Bob Thornton starred in a movie about the insane world of High School Football in the small, Texas town of Odessa. Friday Night Lights took the world by storm and would lead to a television series of the same name on NBC which would last five years. The origin of this media explosion came from the H.G. Bissinger book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream. The unlikely story that developed from the unlikely topic has made for one of the best sports books ever written.
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Dolphin Stadium – Gulf Breeze Dolphins
Built in 1971, Gulf Breeze High School remains the only high school in the city and has an enrollment 1,800 students. Notable alumni include former Seahawks All-Pro receiver Doug Baldwin, former Bears Fullback Jason McKie, former Phillies and Royals pitcher Ben Lively, MLS player Keith Savage, and actress Abigail Spencer.
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Bennett C. Russell Stadium – Navarre High School Raiders
In terms of entertainment options on the Emerald Coast of Florida, high school football often takes a back seat. Nicknamed Redneck Riviera, the Emerald Coast is a popular summer vacation destination for millions of people around the country, but particularly has become a top tourist destination for people in the southeast United States. From the spring break crowds of Panama City to the family crowds vacationing for the week, to the military crowds from nearby Naval Air Station Pensacola and Elgin AFB in Fort Walton Beach, the Emerald Coast has it all.
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Crusader Stadium – Bergen Catholic Crusaders
In this overpriced professional sports universe, Crusader Stadium is a refreshing taste of Americana. Norman Rockwell would feel right at home in Oradell. The football is elite for a very modest price. The atmosphere is equal intense and cozy. And the Crusader Crazies are some of the best football fans anywhere. North Jersey’s Bergen Catholic offers a Friday Nights Lights experience – though it’s often on Saturday afternoon.
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Jim Scoggins Stadium – Pensacola High School Tigers
For over 100 years Pensacola High School has served the community of south central Pensacola as its main public high school. Originally opened in 1870 as the Pensacola School for Boys, the school went through several name changes and changed locations several times before officially being recognized as Pensacola High School, and becoming permanently settled in downtown Pensacola in 1905. In 1952 a fire gutted the buildings, forcing PHS to relocate once again, this time to its current home on Maxwell Street about a mile north of the old locale.