Tough places to Play

[pcwildcat]

Marion County is a very tough place to play. With that train whistle and there fans talking smack its one of the hardest places to play in south east Tennessee.

[Surf4life]

Science Hill has a WILD student section in the stands. The students stand the whole game and chant and dance. The marching band is right behind the student section so that band playing mixed with the crazy students makes it loud and awesome. They've always got guys spelling out TOPPERS in the front row and those guys lead the chants with the cheerleaders. Definetly an awesome sight that is a distraction to the opposing teams. DB is a tough place to play too. They're so good and they've also got great fan support...when their band starts the war chant and the chop you know you're in trouble.

[volfan911]

One word: Melrose

 

The descrption of Austin East earlier in this thread seems to sound very similar to the atmosphere at Melrose, but I can't imagine any place being worse. Just a rough place to be and riding through the Memphis ghetto is depressing to any attempt of getting pumped up on the bus ride. Players had to get down in their seats for fear of someone shooting from the road. Kind of takes the spirit out of high school football and competition.

 

Volfan911

[Edited by volfan911 on 6/30/02 5:14P]

[mrsoddydaisy]

Mcminn County without a doubt!!! As far back as I can remember (about 1965), you start out behind 14-0. In basketball, you play against 7. In baseball, you play aginst 11. Catching on? Also, the fans spit on you when you come out. I played there in 1970 and got coke thrown on me twice.

[STARSNBARS]

Well I have to say Shields Stadium, Jim Renfro Field, Maryville High School, Maryville. Maryville's stadium although relatively new, has a home side which has no track and the fans are right on top of you. And the neat thing about the stadium is it's been located at the same site for over 75 years. Go Rebs.

[scout]

I played against McMinn Co. at McMinn Co. in 1971. We had a similiar experience.

[TheEgoHasLanded]

haha I dont think anyone wants to play Melrose...its dangerous, I'm not going to lie...the stadium is succeptible to gunmen because it basically is surrounded by apartment buildings...its sad but I would never want to play there...seeing them march down the street chanting is very intimidating.

[accarp2614]

last year i played smith co. at their place. it was one of the weirdest places i've seen. First the visiting lockeroom was huge and the place is all one big hill leading down to a valley or the field. they had about 3 or 4 thousand there compared to our 100-150. pre game was boring for us; they had a great band, fireworks, explosions, and some sort of student section. not to mention the team was good. it took al we had to beat them.

[cbg]

Melrose may be the most dangerous place for high school athletics in Tennessee. The neighborhood looks like a war zone and a previous poster said it best that everyone is scared of being shot from one of the apartment buildings that surround the campus. In most other states Melrose would have to play at another stadium for home night games or play their home games in the afternoon after school. The place is a major accident waiting to happen.

[CoachBruce]

only played 2 games there in 94-95, but the roughest place I saw would have to have been Jackson Central-Merry's old RothRock stadium. Much the same conditions as the other Ghetto locations, maybe on a smaller scale.

 

Oh yeah....playing against Al Wilson and Bryant Cherry didn't exactly help matters.

[volfan911]

JCM really isn't that bad. I guess since I've seen worse that makes Roth Rock not look too rough but i agree that it is rough to a certain degree.

 

Volfan911

[TheEgoHasLanded]

Melrose has had some incidents involving firearms, but the same is also true for Whitehaven..the actual fans are very hospitable to you in Orange Mound...it's leaving after a loss or sometimes a win that scares me.