Great game, Hays, but your stadium needs work!

[chap fan]

Congratulations, Hays! It was a great game.

I know you anticipate dropping down to 4A, and I hope before you return to 5A y'all make some serious upgrades to the stadium facilities. You lost a ton of money tonight by having that crazy 4A concession stand setup where you put the visitors' concession stand behind the end zone. Most of us didn't want to leave our seats for that long.

Also, traffic control is a major problem. My relatives who live in Kyle tell me it takes them thirty minutes during rush hour just to go a few blocks to get onto and off of IH-35. Most of us from Westlake spent 45 minutes in bumper to bumper traffic on 1626 trying to reach the stadium. Have you heard of having the local police do traffic control? (They were around the immediate stadium area after the game, but there was no one to break the miles of backed up traffic on 1626). While I like the competitive games with your team, I am very happy we won't have to face that horrible traffic again.

Finally--parking. Why don't you try putting up some signs and paving your dirt parking lot. I think a lot of people would rather pay to park than have to park on the side of an FM road (that's also a sign of a 4A school).

Now, my home town is a 4A school--although they've had better stadium facilities and parking than yours since 1965 (Fredericksburg). So that's not a put down--just the voice of experience.

Good luck against Round Rock and probably Lufkin! We'd love to see you go deep in the playoffs and represent our district well.

Again, thanks for helping upgrade the quality of football in our district. I'll miss your team--if not your stadium!

[RebelRumble]

They're working on the whole traffic control problem, they really weren't expecting the area to explode like it did, so you end up with 1 lane each way FM roads going to the school. The cops can't really do much to direct traffic TO the stadium, there's only one lane each way so there's not really anywhere they can direct traffic to. They only dircet traffic afterwards to stop traffic on 1626 to allow cars from the parking lots out. I parked behind the band hall and got stuck back there for 30 mins not moving before turning around and driving on the cross country track/road all the way around until i reached the field house, jumped a curb and ended up in the parking lot next to the stadium (can only learn that trick in the boonies ;) ) We've only been 5A for about 4-6 years, I don't remember the exact number of years. The side y'all were sitting on was the home side until about 4 years ago when they knocked down the East stands and built the new home stands. Next year that stadium will be supporting 2 varsity 4-A high schools (Hays and Lehman), so that was part of the reasons for the stadium renovations. Sorry that concessions were like that, it's still remaing from the old 4-A days ;). As for parking, our campus is so large and spread out that it covers a lot of land that could be used for parking, there are barely enough spots on campus for a regular school day, much less enough parking for around 10,000 people.

[BandidoNB]

I went recently to Hays stadium for a band competititon and I think that they have an awesome stadium. It seats 16,000 and has artificial grass with a very nice press box. Although you do make a good point when it comes to parking, this is definetly NOT a "4A stadium"; in fact I would have to say that it is one of the best 5A stadiums I have seen in a while. Better than Fredericksburg stadium? I dont think so. I been to that stadium, and it seats probably 5,000 or so (unless they have made some MAJOR upgrades since I last went there).

[chap fan]

I agree that the field and stands themselves at Hays are great--I just wish for their own sake that they'd finish the job. After all, if Hays drops down to 4A, we may never visit that stadium again. But the parking and the loss of revenue on visitor concessions is something that affects Hays all the time.

The original Fredericksburg stadium (built when we were what is now 3A) seated 5,000 I believe. I know there has been at least one major upgrade, but while I've driven by there, I don't think I've been to a game there in 30 years, so I can't really say what the current capacity is.

Again the field and stadium seats in Hays were great, just trying to offer some constructive suggestions.

[Red Raiders]

I think its ridiculous alot of teams are really under 5A with like 1,800 people and I don't see that, some 4A teams are more.

[The Lone Ranger]

I think its ridiculous alot of teams are really under 5A with like 1,800 people and I don't see that, some 4A teams are more.

The schools had above 1925 at the beginning of the alignment cycle. It lasts for 2 years. Realignments will be released in February.

[CenTexFan]

I have always liked Hays stadium and the community really supports them. The only thing I would like to see improved is the parking. You have to park on the highway and walk forever with heavy traffic.

Good luck to Hays in the playoffs!