Which Florida high school football stadiums have the best student sections?

We picked out 10 high school football stadiums with incredible atmospheres around the Sunshine State

Niceville’s student section really makes the experience at this stadium worth the visit like none other / Matt Christopher

We’re back for Round 3 of Best Friday Night Vibes out of the state of Florida as we approach the 2024 high school football season. 

We all know there’s those high school football stadiums, all those places that all we can say is, it’s just different here when it comes to Friday night vibes. When you walk in through the gates, you know there’s a big game feel about it. 

The crowd gets into it, they have unforgettable food and swim thing makes the place standout from the rest. We have so many different stadiums we’re going to list from schools and cities all around the Sunshine State so here’s our list.

Know of another? Send a note to villamarzo@scorebooklive.com with some details. 

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Eagle Stadium in Niceville

A Friday night at Eagle Stadium might rival a Saturday night at crazed college stadiums. 

The town of Niceville loves its football team and they let them know it every Friday night when the stadium is picked by the thousands. Even on a bad night, you still get a better atmosphere than most high schools could ever dream to have.

Niceville’s student section really makes the experience at this stadium worth the visit like none other. 

From the coordinates crowd chants to the college-like gameday atmosphere of it all, there may not be a stadium that quote matches up to what goes on at Eagle Stadium on Friday nights. 

Niceville's fans are arguably the best, not only in Florida, but the country / Matt Christopher

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Traz Powell Stadium in Miami

You never know who you might run into when you’re at Traz Powell Stadium. May run into NFL quarterback Lamar Jackson (former Boynton Beach quarterback) on any given Friday night. 

If there's a big time matchup like a Miami Central versus Miami Northwestern, you better get a parking space early.

Theres no other stadium that can boast being home to more future NFL’ers than Traz. ‘The Mecca’ as they call it sits minutes away from I-95 and seemingly has a big game played there weekly. 

Heck, any game you see this season could be featuring someone you might be watching on Sunday’s in the future.

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Thomas E. Whigham Stadium in Sanford

Central Florida features some of the best high school football in Florida, but it also has some scintillating gameday feels as well.

One of the top stadiums around the 407 is Sanford Seminole's Thomas E. Whigham Stadium. The venue attracts locals from around the area to catch some football action. The Seminoles play local powers like Apopka, DeLand, Edgewater and Lake Mary.

Stadium fills up fast on a Friday night, but is a place you certainly want to catch a high school football game this fall season.

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Bryant Stadium in Lakeland

The dreadnaught-designed golf cart leading the team onto the field is one of the experiences you get when visiting Bryant Stadium. 

Anytime you head to downtown Lakeland for a football game, you immediately think of the 8-time state champion Lakeland Dreadnaughts, with the field itself being named after former head coach Bill Castle. 

Seeing a game at Bryant Stadium brings a big game feel to things. From the Jumbotron, hometown song remixes mentioning the Dreadnaughts and the big crowds drawn, it’s the place to be in Polk County on Friday nights.

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Powell-Davis Stadium in Venice

On a big billboard towards the north end of the stadium it reads ‘#ITSJUSTDIFFERENTHERE’ and for all intents and purposes, it is for those in the community. 

It helps that the team has been very successful over the last couple of decades as well. 

At what locals call ‘The Island’ over at Venice, the stadium sits with a waterway behind it making for an island feel. With the town being more suburban and fans pouring in on Friday nights, creates a cool small town vibe.

Not quite a full moon rises over the Venice football field. Spring football was back as Venice hosted the Naples Golden Eagles at Venice's Powell-Davis Stadium Tuesday evening May 21, 2024. Venice went on to win 27-17. / THOMAS BENDER/HERALD-TRIBUNE / USA TODAY

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Bulldog Stadium in Zephyrhills

If you drive a pickup truck, you could end up with one of the best seats in the house at Bulldog Stadium. 

You can literally pull your car up against the fence line after you pay for parking/admission and watch the game from there without having to walk away from your vehicle. 

From boiled peanuts to the small town feel of closing the local shops down, Bulldog Stadium is a treat for any high school football fan looking for a new experience. 

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Boot Hill Stadium in Madison

Want to really talk about an high school football experience? A game at Boot Hill Stadium to see the Madison County Cowboys is one that’s a must-see. 

In a small rural town that’s about 40 minutes east of Tallahassee and two hours from Gainesville, Boot Hill Stadium brings every bit of the energy of high school football you want at a field. Might not be much around the town, but on Friday nights, it’s easily the place to be at. 

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Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand

First thing you may think of when it comes to this historic stadium is a certain movie. 

Yeah, that one with Adam Sandler in it called ‘The Waterboy’. If you’ve seen the movie, then you know Spec Martin is where they filmed most of the hit flick. 

It’s much more than that, though, as it serves as the home field for Stetson University and DeLand High School. This place in any given big rivalry game can size up with just about any other stadium on this list when it comes to Friday night vibes. 

Trust us when we say Spec Martin Stadium is an experience for any high school football fan. 

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Staver Field in Naples

When you think of Naples, you think of its first class downtown area and luxury around the city. 

Friday night high school football takes over the scene in Naples, giving the Golden Eagles a strong home field advantage any time they step foot on Staver Field. 

An artificial turf field, the stadium sits minutes away from the local mall for anyone looking to shop or eat beforehand. When it comes to the football vibe end of things, it’s a special place to see a game at in Southwest Florida. 

Naples' Jonas Duclona celebrates his teams win against North Fort Myers, Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, at Staver Field in Naples. Ndn 1113 Ja Nfm Nhs Fb / Jon Austria/Naples Daily News USA TODAY

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Bear Stadium in St. John's

If you've never been to a game over at Bartram Trail High School, you've done yourself a disservice.

One of the best environments in all of high school football resides out of Northeast Florida at Bear Stadium. The moment you walk into the stadium, you can feel the electricity throughout as the place is filled to the brim with fans.

From a raucous student section to weekly highly competitive games, Bartram Trail features undoubtedly one of the best atmospheres in all of the Sunshine State.

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl