West Orange football to play game in Hall of Fame Stadium next fall | Observer Preps

The Warriors are headed to Canton next season.

West Orange High School Athletic Director Jerry Shafer confirmed last week the Warriors football team will be playing its Week Two game Sept. 7 at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. There, West Orange will face off against the perennial powerhouse McKinley High Bulldogs.

The opportunity for the unique, out-of-state showdown came about because of ties that Shafer, who is from Ohio, has in the Canton community.

“(McKinley Athletic Director) Greg Malone and I got together and started talking — obviously I have family back in Ohio and at McKinley High School,” Shafer said. “They always like to bring one out-of-state team in every year. We talked some more, the coaches exchanged some film and next thing you know we’ve got a contract.”

The trip is an exciting opportunity for head coach Bob Head’s program, coming off a 2017 campaign where the Warriors (6-4) just missed making the FHSAA Class 8A Playoffs. The Warriors will play this game in place of their originally scheduled matchup against Freedom High.

“Since I came to Florida, we’ve had some opportunities to play some games and travel, and I never really truly entertained it, because I’m always worried about logistics and money and the kids missing school,” Head said. “The way this game seemed to play out, I felt like it’d be a great opportunity.”

Some of those logistics for the game will be sorted out in an ongoing matter. Shafer said last week the team is undecided as to whether it will fly or take charter buses with some stops along the way to maximize the experience. For parents and supporters of the program who are interested in making the trip, a package deal offering food, lodging and tickets to the game also could be offered. 

The program also will be doing some fundraising in the coming months to offset costs.

“We’re going to have to do some fundraising to get where we want to go — it’s not cheap, obviously,” Shafer said. “But it’s also one of those things you can’t pass up.”

The game is a unique opportunity in a number of ways.

First, there is the stadium and its close proximity to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The stadium once belonged to McKinley High (its campus is next door) but has since become the NFL property. However, the Bulldogs play their home games there, and the state football championships for Ohio are played there, as well.

The 23,000-seat venue has been refurbished and features many of the bells and whistles of an NFL stadium.

“I pulled up the virtual tour of the stadium … and it was incredible,” Head said. “That’ll be something really neat for the kids.”

The opponent, too, presents an opportunity. The Bulldogs, who went 8-3 this fall and made the playoffs, are a nationally recognized program with a lot of tradition. 

The game, itself, figures to attract a crowd of more than 10,000, according to Shafer, given that the football-crazed community in Canton will be excited to get a look at a team from Florida.

“Everyone in Ohio always wonders what the Florida teams are like,” Shafer said. “It’s a huge draw. It’s not your average high-school football game. There will be a very big crowd.”

Shafer also confirmed he and the staff from McKinley are exploring avenues to get the game televised in both markets: Canton and Orlando.