The five best places in Maine to watch a high school football game, as determined by Kalle Oakes:
5 — Maxwell Field, Winthrop. Thank goodness the Ramblers didn’t lose their longtime home when they got a new high school. Think fishbowl, with the game taking place at the bottom. Most of the fans camp out on top of the hill, so the distance from tailgate party to the place you’ll sit/stand is about 10 feet.
4 — Fitzpatrick Stadium, Portland. Yeah, I know it’s artificial turf, and I hesitate to admit that the folks in the big city have anything better than we do. But the Maine Principals’ Association’s championship Saturday venue is a perfect set-up for high school football.
3 — Waterhouse Field, Biddeford — There’s a reason the Lobster Bowl is played here every year. It feels like a college stadium. And there’s some sort of charm in coasting around until you find the closest parking space along one of the side streets, then walking up to the gate.
2 — Keyes Field, Fairfield. Because of its central location and its status as a perennial power in the Pine Tree Conference, Lawrence High School draws the largest crowd anywhere. They stand three-deep, and they look and feel close enough to reach out and smack players on the helmet. Awesome atmosphere.
1 — Chet Bulger Field/Hosmer Complex, Rumford. Ample bleacher seating. Central location. Immaculate field conditions all season. Home team steeped in tradition. Smokestacks spewing … whatever that is in the background. It’s a slice of Americana, and it doesn’t get any better in this neck of the woods.
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