Proof that Allen High School and its stadium are over-the-top? Two mascots

by Michael Florek

The $60 million stadium rivals some college arenas.

ALLEN — Besides the football game itself, here are the five most interesting things at the Southlake Carroll/Allen High School game on Friday, which kicked off at Allen's $60 million stadium:

John F. Rhodes

The Allen Eagles football team takes the field just prior to the start of an UIL high school football game against Southlake Carroll High at Eagle Stadium in Allen on Friday, August 31, 2012. It was the opening game of both team's 2012 football season and opening night debut for the new $59.6 million Eagle stadium.

1. Allen’s entrance. They come out of the locker room, down the steps and around and through one an Eagle’s Head blowup tunnel and through a banner. I don’t know if it was my first game or not, but I got chills when they walked out.

2. The horseshoe part of Allen’s stadium (near the scoreboard). Behind the field goal posts is a big Allen "A." Behind that is the scoreboard (impressive in its own right) and a set of flag poles, with the U.S. flag and Texas state flag. People have said more than once that this is a college-level stadium. That side of a stadium is probably better than most.

3. Road fans representing. I know Carroll is the defending state champion, but to see green taking up nearly the entire visitor sideline was pretty impressive. Until they started streaming out in the fourth.

4. Honoring old players. Before the game, Allen honored some of their former players with a ceremony on the field. Just outside of Eagle Stadium, they have a Hall of Fame of sorts, with names going up on a set of brick walls. It was a nice touch.

5. One team, two mascots? If there was anything that told me about the complete over-the-topness of Texas high school football, it was Allen’s multiple mascots. The regular, furry suit Eagle was professional enough. When I saw that it was partnered with a second, inflatable Eagle mascot in the same ilk as Nebraska’s Lil Red, I realized just how serious this whole thing was.