Vestavia Hills High School, Birmingham, AL

Vestavia Hills Rebels

     I visited Vestavia Hills High School while visiting my sister at Samford University.  Tonya was along for this trip as well and these pictures are from her camera.  Vestavia is in the 6-A classification of Alabama sports and has an enrollment around 1,250 (which seems small for a 6A school, however the smallest enrollment for a 6A school in Alabama is 744).  There are a lot of medium sized high schools located in Alabama, you would think there would be a better way to split up the largest division, but nothing can be perfect (not saying Vestavia shouldn't be in 6A, but 744 seems small for the largest classification). Vestavia is located right outside Birmingham on the mountain (or large hills if-you-will).  It is a gorgeous community and a great looking high school from an aesthetic point of view.

Home stands

      The home stands are pretty neat in my opinion, except for the fact that there is no middle entrance to the stands.  It is pretty large and the VH blue and red seats in the middle are a unique touch.  The press box is great and I'm sure there are concessions and bathrooms on the bottom level.  The stadium sort of sits in this valley up against the side of the hill where the home stands are located and it has the feeling of a great atmosphere when that place is full.

Visitors stands

     The visitors stands compliment the home stands very well.  It is shorter but the same width, which to me is the way it should be.  There are plenty of seats available for the bigger schools coming in, although I'm sure it looks pretty empty when the smaller schools come to visit.  Also I'm sure it is pretty intimidating to be standing over on the visiting sidelines looking up at that home side (the home side sitting on a hill has a daunting effect and makes it seem huge).  I love the field goal posts with the double support, it's kind of old school.  The entrance is great and if I remember correctly there are also entrance gates on the visitors side.  The lights are supported by big metal poles and they aren't just situated on the sidelines of the field but also along the corners of the field.
     There are a few more stadiums from Birmingham that I will profile in the coming weeks: Hoover, Wenonah and Mountain Brook.  I'm hoping to get in John Carroll Catholic High School at some point.  I loved taking a look at Vestavia Hills, not only because it's a great high school football stadium, but it's also a great town.    

The Westfield School, Perry, GA

The Westfield School Hornets

     I came across The Westfield School on a trip to south Georgia.  I was able to get in because the softball coach was there cleaning up the field, normally the gate is shut, so I got lucky and was able to take a few pictures before he left.  The school itself is very pretty and is located in Perry, Ga. (I will be profiling Perry High School in a few days). The Westfield School has an enrollment of 570 students (PK-12) and is a 3-A member of the Georgia Independent Schools Association.

Home stands

    The neat thing about this stadium is that the stands are wooden.  I'm not sure if the whole thing is made of only wood, but a large portion of it is.  It is a smaller stadium, but that is fine for a smaller school, especially when the visitors stands are just as big.  The added hedges around the field give it a nice touch.  I'm wondering if they were just recently planted or they trim them back to keep it shorter (I'd like to see them a little taller; maybe thats just the Georgia fan coming out in me).  The press box is a really good size and gives coaches plenty of room to observe the game from above (although one set of coaches are probably in the same room with the radio team if there is one).  Overall it is a very nice set of stands for the home fans.

Visitors stands, and Tonya doing the Heisman pose (or something like it haha)

     Very standard set of bleachers for the visiting fans.  No press box, which is a deviation from several of the previous stadiums profiled, but it is plenty of room for fans to mingle around and spread out.  It is a decent walk over to the other side of the stadium, and there are no concessions located near them.  Another noticeable characteristic of this stadium are the wooden poles that the lights are on.  That's a first for the blog!

Great scoreboard, and wonderful support from a lot of local businesses

Back of the home stands, and concessions area

     I was very glad that the softball coach was at the school when I drove by, it was right off the road I was traveling and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a few pictures.  It was very interesting to see the wood-look of this stadium and it's always fun to get the chance to get out there on the field.

Luverne School, Luverne, AL

Luverne School (formerly Luverne High School Tigers)

Luverne School was supposed to be the last stadium I visited on the way to Mobile in May, but then I hit up Brantley High School and Georgiana High School. Luverne houses PK-12 with a total enrollment of 1040 students, which puts it in the 3-A Alabama classification.  I have a lot of pictures of this little stadium, and it is situated right inside the high school grounds.  It's actually a pretty sweet location even though it is a small stadium.

Home stands (I'm assuming)

     I am assuming that these are the home stands since they are newer and the press box is named.  The visitors stands have a larger press box, but older, smaller stands.  The building to the left is the end of the schools gym and the walk way from the entrance over to the home stands is very small, but it puts you right in the action.  Very cool in my book.

Picture of the whole stadium

     In this view, my back is straight against the wall of the school.  Like I mentioned earlier, the walkway is very small, but it puts you right on the field.   Also these stands are extremely close to the field, assuming that both squads are not very big and cheerleading squads are small, you will be up close and personal watching a football game at Luverne School.

Visitors side of the stadium

    I'm guessing this is the former home side of the stadium judging by the pressbox, because what small school would have two press boxes unless they switched sides (Which seems to be a common thread in the stadiums I have visited, maybe the new thing now is to have a press box on both sides of the field, but I've only encountered that in small town stadiums not in the larger stadiums.  Which makes me think that the schools has switched the sides around).  This is set up very nice for the visiting fans, although it is spread out, it allows the fans to sit behind where ever their son probably stands for most of the game.  It is also closer to the entrance than the home side is.

Entrance to the stadium

Nice record of state champs and state runner up, should be due any time now for that next state championship.   The team is also in class 3-A now.

Scoreboard, I love the Tiger on top.  Very unique touch for a basic scoreboard for a small school.

Side of the school

Press box on the home stands

State banners

    I absolutely loved this stadium.  The setting is awesome, where the school is located is pretty neat too.  I would definitely drive down to this part of Alabama again on a Friday night to watch Brantley play and then come back through the next Friday night and watch Luverne play.  Two amazing small town football stadiums that explain why I really love traveling around and visiting stadiums.  Thanks Luverne School for letting me onto the field to take some pictures.

Jones County, Gray, GA

Jones County High School Greyhounds

     Jones County was a school Tonya and I came across on our way back from south Georgia.  I think it was the last one we visited on the trip because I remember the camera dying while we were taking pictures, which is why there are only four of them.  I apologize for not having more, especially one that shows the whole stadium or the sign of the school.

Home side of the field

     The home side of the field is a decent size.  This is a quad-A classification high school, and small one at that with the enrollment at 1,171 (schools w/ 1850+ students are placed in five-A).  The far left side of the stands are shorter than the main section and was an addition in the past several years. Now there are no lines on the field yet, but these seats seem very close to the field which is awesome.  The concession stand and booster club tent are right near by which is clutch for every fan and the scoreboard is visible to all.  It's a very standard home-stands look, but it is functional in every way.

Thats the visitors side, and my gf in the picture.  Her hair really isn't that poofy, windows rolled down will do that to long hair haha.  Sorry Tonya! (it does look like something out of the 80s.

     The one thing I like about the visitors stands at Jones County is that it gives the visiting band a section all to themselves.  To me that is nice so that the fans do not have to worry about the band standing up or being in the way the entire game.  Concessions aren't that close by, but definitely within hurry distance if you're needing to get back to the action.  Also once again, let me point out how different the light poles are in the Georgia and Alabama stadiums than the oil rig looking light poles that a lot of the Texas stadiums have.  

Entrance into the stadium.

     This is a gorgeous entrance.  Nice gated area, great statue and plaque to give the visiting fans a unique piece of information about Jones County.  It also gives me a nice shot of the scoreboard which is the type of scoreboard that should be standard at every high school. JCHS has a typically standard high school stadium but the entrance and the hound pound sign are two things that set it apart.

Brantley High School, Brantley, Alabama

I freaking love this sign.  Old school.

    I randomly happened upon Brantley High School (PK-12) when I was driving down to Mobile, AL in May 2011.  It was out of the way, but as soon as I got into Alabama I got off the interstate and hit the back roads.  I had just finished up at visit at Luverne High School (about 25 minutes away), and had told my buddy Alex that I would not stop by any more and I'd head straight to Mobile.  That didn't happen because I stopped by two more.

I wasn't even looking for this place when I turned onto the main street and bam, I hit the jackpot.  

Love this picture, taken from the middle of the road

     This was a gem of a place!  As I pulled in I saw a teacher standing outside the Admin. building and I asked him if it would be alright to take a few pictures.  He said sure, and he took me down the the locker room and introduced me to the head coach, who in turn introduced me to the rest of the staff.  The players had just finished with practice - a few were walking home and others were hitting the weights; and the coaches were studying in their section of the locker room.  I talked with the head coach for a minute and he let me shoot away.

Visitors Side

     The visitors side is pretty standard for a high school football stadium except it has a press box, which makes me think that the visitors side is a new addition.  I'm sure at some point everyone sat on the home side of the field, but I could be wrong.  The green seats are a nice touch, it makes me laugh because the visiting fans have to sit in them which could pose a problem sometimes haha.

Favorite picture

Wide shot of the field, I love pictures like this that show the whole stadium.  I try to get one in every stadium I visit, but sometimes its not possible.  This shot gives the player's point of view before they run out into this place, which  is one of my all time favorite smaller stadiums.  The head coach said it seats about 1500-2000 people which is pretty amazing considering the town population is 920 (Brantley is in the city of Luverne which has a population of 2600. And i'm not so sure that Brantley didn't have a bigger stadium than Luverne HS, which I'll profile later), and the school plays in single-A Alabama football.

Home side

Home side is pretty nice for a Single-A school.  Not spread out, steep and compact.  Perfect for keeping the noise level up, and giving everyone a great view of the game. Not to mention a very decent press box.  This town keeps impressing me.

Great scoreboard for the school, pretty cool backdrop as well.

Bulldog statue

     I'm not sure how long the statue has been there, but its a great addition to the already stellar facilities for a school this size.  Total student body is around 580!  I'm guessing the players touch the bulldog when they run out, but I do not know for sure.

Restrooms and Concessions

Locker room, weight lifting, and coaches offices

I had a great time stopping by Brantley High School, and I want to thank Coach Lowery for letting me chat for few minutes and take some pictures of his stadium.  Good luck in the upcoming season, and if I'm ever down that way in the fall I would definitely stop by to watch the bulldogs play.

   

Dooly County High School, Vienna, Georgia

 As my girlfriend and I were driving back to Anderson, SC from Cordelle, GA after spending a weekend at the lake, I convinced her to let me stop by a few HS stadiums and take pictures.  We stopped at five HS's on the way back, and I had a blast.  Tonya, not so much haha.  However, she was very patient with me even though it made the trip back 2 hours longer.

    

 Dooly County's stadium was pretty small, but large for single-A Georgia High School Classification.

     The set up is very interesting with the entrance to the stadium located on the visitors side of the field.  It is obvious that the visitors stands had been either redone or replaced recently and the home side looks newer as well.  The split seating sections is something I had never seen before except at Charleston Southern University.  Very interesting to say the least, but it gave me a decent shot at the field.  Take notice of the light poles, very different from New Braunfels High.  

     This next picture makes me think that the visitors side used to be the home side, because there is a pressbox on both sides, which is not very common at high school stadiums unless they end up switching the seating around. 

Very interesting set up for the ticket counter haha, but that's one thing I love about these small town football stadiums.  It adds character, history and it is very intriguing. 

     A gazebo sits right outside the stadium, probably a class gift at some point in time.  Kind of a romantic feel to it, most definitely a spot where HS kids have made memorable moments. 

     I really enjoyed getting to visit Dooly High, and even more so I enjoyed the town of Vienna.  Very tiny, very southern and tons of history.  Dooly County is definitely one of the most unique stadiums I have been to, and if I'm ever down that way again I'd love the chance to catch a game there.  

     I'll leave you with this parting photo: Go Bobcats!

Also, if you're wondering what the wooden structure is in the picture, I've been told it is for handicap seating.

More coming next week

Last week I discovered that I could not find pictures on the rest of the stadiums I have visited.  Last night however I found those pictures.  11 stadiums total.
Today I drove down to Mobile, AL to visit some friends for a few days and I made visits to 5 other stadiums along US 29 in East/Southeast AL. Those will be up soon as well.