Back during high school football season, there was a lot of talk surrounding football venues given schools’ hesitation to host playoff events. Obviously with OHSAA taking gate revenues, there’s less incentive than ever for schools to prepare everything.

It’s a shame, because we have plenty of great places to watch a game in the Mahoning Valley. And of course, I’d love for our playoff games to stay local as long as possible. It’s a lot cheaper on the gas tank.

This situation led my brain to think about some of my favorite venues in our area to catch a football game.

Obviously this is not a definitive list of the “best” or anything. Just like when I wrote about helmets earlier last year, this is just my take on things. And of course, I haven’t been to every stadium in our coverage area this season, and a few I’ve never been to at all, so if I left someone out, don’t take this as a slam.

I’m also attracted to oddities. The unique aspects of stadiums are fun and really provide that extra ounce of character.

First up, I’ll get Harding’s Mollenkopf Stadium out of the way.

It’s the stadium I’m most familiar with and the one I grew up watching games in.

Opened in 1934, it’s a classic in every sense of the word. The stadium and surrounding area have changed greatly over the years, the away stands came first and served as the grandstands for the Trumbull County Fair, and have since evolved to what we see today.

There’s even more changes to come as the complex at Harding continues to grow. Soon there will be an indoor facility where the old band shell used to be.

While plenty has changed over the years, the roots of the stadium are still there.

It’s been neat to see all the changes on that complex just in my lifetime.

By the same virtue, Rayen Stadium in Youngstown is just as much a classic as Mollenkopf. Opened a decade prior to its Warren counterpart, Rayen Stadium saw the first-ever usage of the penalty flag.

The modernization has been fantastic and the new turf playing surface is great. Given the state of the stadium pre-renovations, they really took upon a revival project but it paid off.

Hopefully the stadium on the grounds of the old Youngstown South campus can be revitalized in the future as well.

Hubbard Memorial Stadium has the super neat feature of being tucked away in the neighborhood. It’s not exactly practical, especially if you live in the house that sits right under the away stands, but the location provides a really cool atmosphere that isn’t seen in a lot of places.

How many stadiums in our area have a true upper deck? I can only think of one. Campbell’s Memorial Stadium features a small upper deck on the home side which sets it apart from other venues in the area. Overall, Campbell has a beautiful facility and I get why Valley Christian has decided to call it home as well.

A cannon and a great view. That’s what you’ll find at Salem’s Sebo Stadium. Reilly Elementary School sits atop the hill in the south endzone and provides a good backdrop to a football game. (And yes, the cannon fires after scores.)

South Range has pretty much everything you’d want in a small school football stadium. Another school with just a great facility top to bottom. And the little tunnel that crosses under Route 46 that the band makes its entrance through is just awesome every time I see it.

Lastly, I have to mention Champion, not just for its stadium, which I’ve always had a soft spot for, but the away side concession stand is great. I’m a sucker for buffalo chicken dip. The best way to win me over is having buffalo chicken dip as an option, especially with the Beach House fries.

Sorry if I missed any neat historical tidbits or forgot your community’s stadium. These were just a few neat stadiums that came to mind on a random weekday night. I’m sure there’s some other locations I’m forgetting, so maybe down the road I’ll do this again.

byauger@tribtoday.com