12 veteran coaches share favorite venues in Georgia
Twelve active Georgia football head coaches have coached in 300 or more games in their Georgia careers. The latest to join the 300 club was Burke County’s Eric Parker last week. Only 77 Georgia coaches in history, going back more than 100 years and including the GHSA and all other associations, have coached in 300 games. This week, the 12 active coaches with 300 games were asked: What is your favorite high school football venue in Georgia other than your own, and why? Enjoy their answers as you get ready for another football Friday night in Georgia. Click on their names to see their Georgia coaching history.
Frank Barden, St. Francis (321 games)
“I have to say the best Friday night experience I have seen was in Cartersville at Weinman Stadium. The stadium sits just off Main Street in downtown, and the town shuts down for a Friday night home game. As fans enter the stadium, they hear the announcer saying, ‘Weinman Stadium is now under a Hurricane Warning.’ With the band playing, cheerleaders and fans make a path for the players to come out from under the stadium with smoke filling the stands. Just the history alone of all the teams that have come out that same tunnel is awesome to think about. The atmosphere is electric, and the fans in Cartersville love their ’Canes. Rich in history and tradition, this Friday night experience is one of the best anywhere.”
Alan Chadwick, Marist (486 games)
“My favorite high school football venue, other than Marist of course, would be Mary Persons. Their field sits kind of down in a bowl, and the stands are right on top of you. When you go back to the players’ bench to talk to your guys, fans are hanging over the railing practically in the huddle with you and the players. Their field is grass, which helps to give you that ‘old-time football’ feeling. It’s just pure football without all the fanfare, flashing lights and fancy stuff. The local fans are very passionate about their team and give them great support. It is easy to see how coach Dan Pitts was so successful there for so many years.”
Ed Dudley, Winder-Barrow (326 games)
“I have had the opportunity to coach in many wonderful stadiums around the state of Georgia in the past 39 years. Some of my favorites include tiny Rose Bowl field in Monticello and the massive concrete palace at Lowndes County High School. While it is hard to single out one venue, for me and my family, Memorial Stadium in Waycross is our favorite. Affectionately known as ‘The Swamp!’ it has a unique configuration, a rich history and some of the most rabid fans. It has hosted Hank Aaron, the Atlanta Crackers, Old Central High School and the Waycross Bulldogs and is the current home of the mighty Ware County Gators. The question prevents me from picking lovely Clair Harris Stadium in Winder, but we are located right here between Atlanta and Athens, and we have one of the best game nights around.”
Maurice Freeman, Brooks County (345 games)
“I would say the favorite would be Valdosta High School. We’ve played them four times there and only won one time, but the atmosphere was wild. Our folks travel well, so we always have a good crowd on the visitors’ side. Before the game, their players are beating on the tin with their helmets when they come out of the tunnel, and we see them run down the sideline the entire 100 yards, and that was a turn-on for us because we knew it was time to battle. Of course, the stadium has a mystique to it – Bazemore-Hyder Stadium – the respect I have for those old-school coaches. It’s all that tradition, playing in a stadium that calls Valdosta the winningest school in the history of high school football. That’s where you want to do battle.”
Jeff Herron, Camden County (352 games)
“For me I would have to say Warrior Stadium in Oconee County. Primarily because it is the only state championship game that I got to coach that was at home. In the 1999 game, it was such a special feeling walking out of your home locker room, going through your normal pregame rituals, playing before a packed house and then getting to stay on the field and celebrate with all the people from the community after the game. Playing and winning in the Georgia Dome did not come close to that feeling. Runner-up for me would be playing at Valdosta in 2003, again a packed house, great, loud atmosphere and knowing all the great teams and players that had been there before. The place was electric from the moment our buses pulled up until the end of the game. The celebration wasn’t bad either, although their security folks were not quite as accommodating since we were the visitors. Still a great venue and atmosphere to play in.”
Keith Maloof, Norcross (301 games)
“There are way too many venues to list them all, but one really sticks out – Camden County. We traveled to Camden in 2012 for the state quarterfinals. We were 12-0, and they were 11-1. The atmosphere was unbelievable that night. They really try to intimidate you in pregame with all the loud music and student section that shows up early to harass all the players while they are warming up. Our kids really embraced the moment and played their hearts out, and we came away with a victory on the road that helped us win our first state championship with a perfect 15-0 record.”
Rich McWhorter, Jackson County (402 games)
“A lot of coaches are going to tell you their favorite is their own field, but as far as playing on the road, it’s wherever you’re successful. You can play at a lot of great places and get beat and it doesn’t feel the same. But it does feel really good to win a big road game. In ’99 at Charlton County, we beat Lincoln County at Lincoln, and in ’04 we beat Buford at Buford. We won a state championship at Calhoun in ’05 on their field. Those are great venues with a lot of history and great teams and players that have come through there. Of course, the old Georgia Dome was special too in the ’90s and early 2000s when we were able to make that trip for the semis and state championship. It’s a great place to play, to see your community show up and show out, your band, your cheerleaders, familiar faces at an unfamiliar place. We may have had people show up at the Georgia Dome that didn’t show up to regular-season home games because it’s a special place and game they didn’t want to miss.”
Bill Murdock, Terrell Academy (411 games)
“I’d have to say Mercer because it means we’re playing for a state championship. We’ve played there twice. It’s pretty neat because you’ve got AAA, AA and A games, so you get to see a lot of teams. It’s got the big scoreboard and a jumbotron. It’s neat playing on the artificial turf. I love playing on real grass and the smell of a freshly cut field, but it’s good for the kids to get to play some on a turf field because it’s something we don’t usually do. So it’s just the whole environment. Every year as a goal, we want to go to Mercer. If you get there, it’s been a successful season.”
Eric Parker, Burke County (300 games)
“It’s been a long time ago, and I think it’s gotten better since then, but Buford and Carrollton come to mind. They stand out when you look at the entire complex in terms of facilities, stands and weight room. Those are probably the two best right off the bat. At Carrollton, that was the first place I’d ever gone at a high school level where they had an indoor practice facility. At the time we went, back in 2010, that was just almost unheard of. That’s awesome for the kids and even the coaches to get that experience playing at those places where the community obviously rallies around it, and they’re crazy about football. They’re hard places to play because of the atmosphere.”
Gerry Romberg, Westminster (353 games)
“Definitely the Granite Bowl at Elbert County High School. It's an incredible venue. We played there three times. We won in 2003, 21-12. We lost in 2005, 33-14. We won again in 2014, 24-7. The 2014 game was Mecole Hardman's junior year. He had a knee injury and only played in the first half. They have the old UGA scoreboard in one end zone. In my opinion, the most historic stadium in all of Georgia. Having played in the Georgia Dome as well, it pales by comparison.”
Erik Soliday, Tiftarea Academy (379 games)
“I really enjoyed playing in the Georgia Dome while at Americus. At the time it was such a great feat for the kids to play there, and it was special as very few schools got to play there or even had turf at that time. It gave a lot of kids an opportunity to do something they could talk about for the rest of their lives and many kids a first chance to even experience such a venue. It wasn't always easy for the logistics of travel, meals, etc., but the atmosphere and importance and magnitude of the games made it worth it. We got stuck in traffic one year and could see the Dome but were not moving. As time got later and later, I finally told the players to dress on the bus. Only thing that saved us was a police officer from Americus who was working in Atlanta and came and got us, took us the wrong way down a one-way road and got us to the Dome about 30 minutes before kickoff. Kids didn't have time to be intimidated by the place as we were so rushed that we just had to go out and play. Probably helped us really.”
Mark Stroud, Calvary Day (347 games)
The Pit at Toombs County, where I was head coach for 16 years. It is a bowl with fans really close to the field – super loud and exciting. The fans are so close on the home side they might hear the play call. The Toombs County fans come to impact the game and create electricity. We had so many great games in The Pit, and when crosstown rival Vidalia comes to town, it goes to a whole new level. In that game, the cornerback on your side can’t hear you yelling at him. One of my favorite games was in 2001 when we beat seventh-ranked Vidalia on a goal-line stand to end the game, 16-9.”