The gates opened at 11 a.m. but fans were in line by 9:30 in the morning outside McKenzie Stadium, awaiting the first state football semifinal games to be played in Clark County.
By the time the Camas-Sumner game kicked off at 1 p.m., it was standing room only.
“It was crazy,” Camas quarterback Jack Colletto said. “Even the Sumner side was completely packed. It was loud, too. There was not an empty seat in the entire stadium.”
This fall, west-side state semifinal football games were played at regional sites rather than the Tacoma Dome. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association selected McKenzie Stadium to host Camas-Sumner in a Class 4A game and then La Center vs. Connell in a 1A contest.
Cale Piland, the athletic director for Evergreen Public Schools and the administrator in charge of the stadium, confirmed that Saturday’s gate was north of $40,000.
“It was a great environment for high school football,” Piland said. “A pretty electric crowd. It definitely felt like a really big high school football game, that’s for sure.”
Camas coach Jon Eagle is a fan of the new format, too.
“That was the goal of every coach, to coach in the dome. But if you give me a choice of playing in the Tacoma Dome or what we experienced Saturday (at McKenzie), I’ll take Saturday every time.”
John Miller, an assistant executive director of the WIAA, said Monday that he does not have all the data from the various sites but initial reaction is positive.
“I’m very pleased with how things went,” Miller said, noting that he attended the doubleheader at Pop Keeney Stadium in Bothell while WIAA executive director Mike Colbrese was in Everett for two games.
“I really think we had great atmospheres for high school football,” Miller said. “Big crowds at all three venues.”
Miller said he spoke with Piland as well as Rory Oster, Camas’ athletic director, about Saturday.
“A smaller venue probably wouldn’t have held it,” Miller said upon hearing the reports.
That did lead to at least one drawback. Parking was an issue, even though McKenzie Stadium has plenty of space. It was just that so many more people showed up for the two games than anticipated. Fans for the La Center-Connell game had to wait for the 4A game to end in order to move into seating. Some reportedly waited to park until fans from the first game left.
“That’s a good problem to have,” Miller said, noting the demand.
“But we don’t want to inconvenience folks.”
The WIAA is looking into changes in the scheduling for next year. If a stadium is to host two games, perhaps there can be a longer break in between the two games, Miller said.
Not everyone loves this new format. Colletto, the Camas quarterback, said he thinks more teams should get the experience of playing in the dome. Growing up in western Washington, the goal was always to get to the dome, for the final four. Now, only the teams in the finals get that journey.
Still, he acknowledged it was fun to play in such a big game so close to Camas’ fan base.
“That was a lot of people,” he said.
Plus, Colletto and the Papermakers will still get that trip to the dome. They take on Richland at 7:30 p.m. Saturday for the Class 4A state championship.
Eagle noted this format puts everybody on the same footing. He said he thinks the WIAA does a “tremendous job” of coordinating playoffs for all sports. However, he always wondered why the east side football teams always got a semifinal at or near home while the west side teams were always in the dome.
That is not an issue anymore.
Miller said the plan is to run with this format in the coming years, while trying to fix any bugs, such as parking.
“From our standpoint, we’d like to continue with the games in the communities,” he said.
If Saturday is any indication, Clark County will welcome — and support — that plan.
Championship game tickets on sale
A limited number of pre-sale tickets for the Class 4A state championship football game will go on sale at the Camas High School ASB office Tuesday.
Camas will face Richland at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Tacoma Dome.
Tickets are $17 for adults, $13 for seniors, and $13 for students.
Tickets also can be purchased at the Tacoma Dome. The game will be televised on Root Sports Northwest.
