Outside the Huddle is profiling which 10 area football stadiums it feels are the best around as we count down the days until (hopefully) the start of football season in August.
Each facility is rated on four factors – game night atmosphere, design, amenities and team success, as well as testimonials from the home team, the opposition and the enigmatic Blitz himself.
No. 2 Victor Field
Location: Churubusco High School
First season: Believed to be 1968
Playing surface: Grass
Named for: The Victor Gasket Company, which donated the land for the field.
SCORE BREAKDOWN (1 – lowest; 5 – highest)
Game night atmosphere: 4.75
Tucked away from busy streets and intersections, Victor Field is a gem of a field and one of the top Friday night experiences around.
The fan support is top notch – from longtime Churubusco fans and residents to current high school students. There is plenty of tailgating to be had beyond the south end zone in the hour or two leading up to game time and the area is always packed with kids playing pick-up football games all night long.
There is arguably no better team entrance onto the field prior to kickoff than the Eagles, who trek from the locker rooms attached to the high school through fans and rush onto the playing surface as trucks belch heavy black smoke.
The rural setting, complete with a row of houses beyond the visitors bleachers, adds plenty of charm and character.
Design: 3.5
While nothing overtly impressive about the facility itself, it is a great setup for small-school football in Indiana. There is plenty of seating for both home and visiting teams, while the fencing that circles the field always has dozens of people standing up against it, both watching the game and carrying on with conversation.
The field itself is well maintained and taken care of. The press box is not massive but functional.
Amenities: 5
Pork burgers.
Seriously, that’s it. Pork burgers. Five out of five. Done. End of discussion.
Team success: 3.5
Last season’s 7-3 final mark was the 15th straight year in which the Eagles have finished with a winning record, dating back to the Lee Etzler days.
Churubusco is always in the conversation when it comes to competing for the NECC Small School Division championship. While the program has not won a sectional championship since 2010, it has captured four conference or division crowns during that time.
Total: 16
TESTIMONIALS
Churubusco coach Paul Sade:“There is nothing like a Friday night in Turtle Town. Our fans take their tailgating very seriously and show up hours before the game to set up and start cooking. The diesel smoke and the people in the end zone add to the whole experience. We are very fortunate to be able to play in a community like Busco. No place like home.”
BLITZ’S VERDICT
Anyone who is well traveled in the area for Friday night football would put the experience at Churubusco towards the top. From the environment to the atmosphere to the pork burgers, there is a lot to like in Turtle Town.
The fact that the team is always competitive and successful adds to the experience, thus continuing to bring out the support that makes Victor Field special.
Coming Thursday: No. 1
Churubusco School is one of the best facilities I’ve been in. One big happy, helping, blessed families I have witnessed! The love & concern for each other can’t be beat! Be Busco proud!!