What makes a "Football Town?"

[JNreturns]

An interesting review of some "football towns" from around the country: https://collegestats.org/2012/09/the-10-best-high-school-football-towns-in-america/

I've seen some amazing and fun things in Mo. high school football...

Seneca, Mo on a Friday night in 1988. The entire town shut down, and everyone in red doing the tomahawk chop on the crowded home side. Going to Webb, seeing the Jumbo-tron, and the high level play--and the enthusiastic knowledgeable fans. The old Dueling Pistols games between Excelsior Springs and Liberty (rivalry games lasted from 1903 to 1999.) Vicious hate filled and memorable games (but not necessarily championship teams.) Fort Osage has a great atmosphere. I think of Lamar, Maryville, Camdenton, Richmond, Lexington, Kearney, etc... All football towns.

What makes a town a football town?

1. Enthusiasm in the school and town. People showing up for games.
2. Success. Good coaching and good player performance.
3. Size? If a school is suburban, made up from kids from different cities, towns, can you still have this?
4. Can private schools can have the same atmosphere as a football town?

Is there such a thing as a football culture? Or am I making this up in my head?

 

[Duck_walk]

Go to the homecoming parade at Ste Gen MO. There aren't that many people watching the parade because almost the entire town is in it! And 75% of them are wearing football jerseys. Then you have Valle down the street reeling off championships. I don't live there. But that's a football town.

 

[BDdefense]

I think you are really close in your assessment. I also believe there must be winning over a long stretch of time and it starts with your administration. If its just another day to them, then it doesn't really matter. Poor Administration can kill spirit and moral faster than anything. I am referring to a period of time greater than a few years. Example, football starts school out and builds the moral. If there isn't a push by them and a mutual commitment, than it will be a tough place to WIN. As a result, no tradition equals not a football town. My Opinion.

 

[Graphic Edge Guy]

Good post and thanks for the link!

Bell Game and Turkey Day game are two on the bucket list for me.

Great football towns I think you missed
Lamar (no explanation needed)
Ste Genevieve (both Valle and SGHS)
Centralia (great atmosphere on any Fri nite)
Jeff City (still a great football town)
Kirkwood (Rare small-town-type community pride for a Class 6 school)

I am sure there are lots of others...

 

[FootballCoach8]

Winning creates the culture of a football town.

Most bad teams have terrible administration. Usually the successful schools have good administration.

 

[Gameday5013]

You all are hitting it spot on with the administration, it also helps to have supportive parents too.

 

[StefanDjordjevich]

My bet was that Ampipe was number 11 on this list. I bet West Canaan was somewhere around number 5000.

Here is my list for what makes a "football town"
1) Is it a mining town? (Steel, Iron, Coal...you name it, make kids and the community tougher)
2) Mascot (Bulldogs, Tigers, Eagles... basically any animal... no people mascot, like Knights - i.e. Walnut Heights)
3) Does it rain a lot? (rain makes mud, practicing in the mud all the time makes you tough and mentally strong)
4) Coaching (is your coach getting reruited by college as much as its kids? can your coach be crazy enough to be thought of as a genius?)
5) Parties ( Do college call your kids and offer scholarships during parties??)
6) For Sale signs (if you lose a big game, does the town want your HC gone?)
7) Pep Rally's (are they good, does the WHOLE community show up?)
8) taped neck rolls (look at pic)

 

[JNreturns]

My bet was that Ampipe was number 11 on this list. I bet West Canaan was somewhere around number 5000.

Here is my list for what makes a "football town"
1) Is it a mining town? (Steel, Iron, Coal...you name it, make kids and the community tougher)
2) Mascot (Bulldogs, Tigers, Eagles... basically any animal... no people mascot, like Knights - i.e. Walnut Heights)
3) Does it rain a lot? (rain makes mud, practicing in the mud all the time makes you tough and mentally strong)
4) Coaching (is your coach getting reruited by college as much as its kids? can your coach be crazy enough to be thought of as a genius?)
5) Parties ( Do college call your kids and offer scholarships during parties??)
6) For Sale signs (if you lose a big game, does the town want your HC gone?)
7) Pep Rally's (are they good, does the WHOLE community show up?)
8) taped neck rolls (look at pic)

Well, Mizzouri is out then, almost no mining towns left. For sale signs? Heck, the coach announces he's leaving on Twitter nowadays. And instead of TP'ing the coach's house, they just lambast him on Facebook. College kids always come home for parties. I like the animal names...what kind of a name is "Sporting KC?" I'll tell you, it is a bunch of wannabee Europeans making up a name for a soccer team.

 

[StefanDjordjevich]

Well, Mizzouri is out then, almost no mining towns left. For sale signs? Heck, the coach announces he's leaving on Twitter nowadays. And instead of TP'ing the coach's house, they just lambast him on Facebook. College kids always come home for parties. I like the animal names...what kind of a name is "Sporting KC?" I'll tell you, it is a bunch of wannabee Europeans making up a name for a soccer team.

you were dead on... maybe i jsut live in the past...i noticed you didnt say anything bad about the taped neck roll... so at least we agree there.

 

[JNreturns]

you were dead on... maybe i jsut live in the past...i noticed you didnt say anything bad about the taped neck roll... so at least we agree there.

Lose points for having turf... Real grass is +10 points in the "football town" matrix.

 

[Duck_walk]

Lose points for having turf... Real grass is +10 points in the "football town" matrix.

Some would find it shocking your list of criteria includes no mention of mighty mite coach.

 

[JNreturns]

There are so.e who would question thr absence of Mighty mite coa


Some would find it shocking your list of criteria includes no mention of mighty mite coach.

Youth engagement in tackle football...probably a factor.

 

[Duck_walk]

Youth engagement in tackle football...probably a factor.

Not really. I was joking.

 

[catch_21]

A Lamar home game during the week of the Fair is a pretty awesome experience. It's usually the first or second week of season so your still learning all the new names and are excited to be getting back in the swing of things... Then add in having a little Metro BBQ before the game, Liberal burger and Lions Club suzies post game...it's a good time.

 

[ou812]

Here's your answers.

 

[Kenny56]

Obviously biased, but I feel a sense of luck that I grew up in Ste. Genevieve. Wouldn't have had it any other way. I remember going to the Valle/Ste. Gen. games in the early/mid 90's and the entire town would surround the field, no place to sit.

Obviously being fortunate to have a supportive community, administration and school board goes a long way.

 

[blue and white pride]

Harrisonville is a great football town, but I'm partial.

 

[KCHI]

I've had the honor of working in radio in two "Football Towns" - Lexington in the late 80s and early 90's, and Chillicothe since then. One thing they both had in common was that Friday night wasn't just a game.. it was an event. Packed house, enthusiastic crowd, head coach that has had success, a community that gives their time and money to help the program, Winning championships in the past and hope for the future helps make a football town. In Chillicothe, during homecoming week, every store window in down town has something painted on about one or more football players. Game day, Red and Black Flags hang outside every business front. players paying it forward helps, having current players speak at elementary schools occurs here in Chillicothe, and the little kids just love it.
A follow up good question would be "What occurred to turn your average football town into a serious football town". My guess would be.. wins. We love winning teams.

 

[JNreturns]

Harrisonville is a great football town, but I'm partial.

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Ah, that's affimative. Should be at the top of the list.

 

[blue and white pride]

I know we all tend to focus on the team we follow, but I enjoy seeing how passionate other fan bases are for their teams. When you walk into Cardinal Stadium at Webb City, Kearney, Blue Springs ect. you can see just how much towns love following their teams. I have also seen the flip side of that coin. I remember going to a 2008 Regional playoff game at Ruskin HS between the host Hickman Mills versus Harrisonville on a Thursday night. Hickman Mills had about 35 fans in the home grandstand. Bad weather ended up delaying the game and canceling it until the next night. So that Friday the same thing 35 people in the home grandstand. It was a competitive 21-18 win for Harrisonville. As a football fan it was sad to see the difference in football cultures. When you have a great football culture you shouldn't take it for granted.

 

[JNreturns]

I know we all tend to focus on the team we follow, but I enjoy seeing how passionate other fan bases are for their teams. When you walk into Cardinal Stadium at Webb City, Kearney, Blue Springs ect. you can see just how much towns love following their teams. I have also seen the flip side of that coin. I remember going to a 2008 Regional playoff game at Ruskin HS between the host Hickman Mills versus Harrisonville on a Thursday night. Hickman Mills had about 35 fans in the home grandstand. Bad weather ended up delaying the game and canceling it until the next night. So that Friday the same thing 35 people in the home grandstand. It was a competitive 21-18 win for Harrisonville. As a football fan it was sad to see the difference in football cultures. When you have a great football culture you shouldn't take it for granted.

I've been around Kearney quite a bit. It really is about the town and family. Yes, they do pretty good, but their identity is more about buying in to being something more than just themselves. They want you to know you played a good team that cares about playing good football. Defintely a football town.

 

[sw5890]

What makes a town a football town?

1. Enthusiasm in the school and town. People showing up for games.
2. Success. Good coaching and good player performance.
3. Size? If a school is suburban, made up from kids from different cities, towns, can you still have this?
4. Can private schools can have the same atmosphere as a football town?

Most around here would consider Webb City "the" football town. It meets those criteria - especially people showing up for games. Though I would say a football district because a lot of that district is made up of rural subdivisions north and east of town, but all united under the banner of Webb City. The actual town itself isn't really anything special for football. I can't remember back far enough to know if football was a big deal before they started winning. I doubt it was, considering the 700 seat Cardinal Stadium was sufficient up until the late 1990s when it started getting difficult to find a seat without showing up at least an hour early.

As far as private schools, I can't imagine a private school with the same kind of fan support. I saw tiny crowds from C6 power Rockhurst. And Chaminade's home crowd at the C5 semifinal was dwarfed by Carthage who had to travel across the state.

 

[knowitall2018]

"What makes a football town?" GREG JONES

 

[BoosterBosko]

My bet was that Ampipe was number 11 on this list. I bet West Canaan was somewhere around number 5000.

Here is my list for what makes a "football town"
1) Is it a mining town? (Steel, Iron, Coal...you name it, make kids and the community tougher)
2) Mascot (Bulldogs, Tigers, Eagles... basically any animal... no people mascot, like Knights - i.e. Walnut Heights)
3) Does it rain a lot? (rain makes mud, practicing in the mud all the time makes you tough and mentally strong)
4) Coaching (is your coach getting reruited by college as much as its kids? can your coach be crazy enough to be thought of as a genius?)
5) Parties ( Do college call your kids and offer scholarships during parties??)
6) For Sale signs (if you lose a big game, does the town want your HC gone?)
7) Pep Rally's (are they good, does the WHOLE community show up?)
8) taped neck rolls (look at pic)

I think Stef said it best here! Ampipe is the true embodiment of a "football town!" I would also add, the entire town assembles to run the coach out of town!

 

[StefanDjordjevich]

I think Stef said it best here! Ampipe is the true embodiment of a "football town!" I would also add, the entire town assembles to run the coach out of town!

Also, Great Pep Rally's need to be added too... OH and if your mascot is an actual live animal, that is bonus points. Like at Ampipe we rolled out a real live Bulldog.

 

[JNreturns]

I think Stef said it best here! Ampipe is the true embodiment of a "football town!" I would also add, the entire town assembles to run the coach out of town!

The whole town Bosco? No, just you and your thugs dumped trash on that great man's driveway, and spray painted your profanity on the house of his wife and child. Sick Bozco. He is a college coach now, and u are still on the cleaning crew at whats left of Am Pipe.

 

[JNsDaddyzDaddyIownU]

An Oldie but a goodie.

 

[thetophat2021]

Predates JACKSON..................beyond a FB town.

 

[Freebirdfriday1992]

Im from jackson so i may be a little biased but i have been to a lot of other high schools around the state to watch football and i haven't seen anything quite like Jackson MO on a friday night

 

[thetophat2021]

Im from jackson so i may be a little biased but i have been to a lot of other high schools around the state to watch football and i haven't seen anything quite like Jackson MO on a friday night

That crowd in CoMo for the 2019 C5 championship was the largest and most enthusiastic I think I've ever seen in this State................

 

[Baldguy]

If the town name is followed by a comma and the word, Texas.

 

[farmer_fran]

A town that has a legendary coach who has his trainers shoot up the running back's knee with cortisone. The QB's girlfriend wears a whip cream bikini. The hot HS teacher has a side hustle as a pole assassin.

 

[PBMulesRule71]

Stadium without a track you definitely know it's a football town. I.e. Jackson.

 

[Baldguy]

I may not live in a football town but I’ll bump this up and over the drug dealer. Just say no.

 

[cardsfan200306]

Too many 1 sport parents in the first place, I'd rather live in a sports town than a 1 sport town.