Gridiron Guide: Mountain View delivers 'festive' vibe on Fridays
The midfield logo on the artificial turf at Mountain View High School's football stadium at the school in Tucson, Ariz., Wednesday, July 15, 2015. Mike Christy / Arizona Daily Star
School: Mountain View
Name: None, but principal Todd Garelick hopes to soon honor former coach Wayne Jones, who started the program and won a state title in 1993.
Address: 3901 W. Linda Vista Blvd.
Opened: 1988
The lowdown: There’s a reason fourth-year coach Clarence McRae believes his Mountain Lions have possibly the best facility in town. The still-new artificial turf field combined with the huge home bleachers — which are covered with the school’s initials, MVHS — can make Mountain View a frightening place for opponents to play. It is, quite simply, one of the most exciting venues to watch a game in Southern Arizona.
Don’t miss: The vibe. Even before kickoff, there is plenty of excitement with pregame festivities usually set up along the walkway to the ticket booth and stadium entrance (on homecoming night, Mountain View hosts a car show). Also, if you’re early enough, the view of the sunset from the home bleachers is worth more than a thousand words. Plus, you won’t miss Mountain View running onto the field through an inflatable tunnel, just like a college team.
Biggest game: Top-seeded and unbeaten Mountain View rallied for a 35-28 win in overtime against visiting Phoenix Paradise in the opening round of the 1993 Class 4A state playoffs before going on to win the state crown. Senior running back Kevin Schmidtke, who went on to play for the Arizona Wildcats, rushed for a whopping 254 yards on 26 carries and three touchdowns, including the game-winner on an 8-yard run.
Younger brother Gabe Schmidtke, a junior quarterback, threw two crucial second-half touchdown passes to help the Mountain Lions come back from a 21-7 deficit.
Performance for the ages: Montana-bound senior Dan Moore, a 220-pound running back, led the way as host Mountain View topped Salpointe Catholic 21-16 in 2007, giving the Mountain Lions their first win against the Lancers in six tries.
The hard-nosed Moore rushed for a game-high 173 yards and two scores in addition to catching a 68-yard touchdown pass. Mountain View rattled off 21 straight points after falling behind 10-0 in the second quarter.
Quotable: “We try to do things that make it very festive on a Friday night so kids feel like high school football is worth it.” — McRae
