Great photo’s. I believe you say you live near the Ohio-Pa border. I have a few questions if you don’t mind answering:
1) Is there a particular reason why you have gone to South Dakota, North Dakota and New Mexico multiple weeks?
Oil fields, mostly.
2) With those 3 states being so low in population, is the football and atmosphere comparable to going to a Div 5 type of game here in Ohio
It depends. In all honesty, compared to the size of the schools, they'd outrank Ohio for atmosphere. Elida plays six-man. They have 166 students from PK to 12th. That's just over 10 per class. Their entire population of Elida is 197 (the school covers more than just the town, obviously). So, it is a major thing, but it's still going to be a small crowd. Because it was a Saturday afternoon, there was a cattle auction taking place on the other side of the school at the same time. Normally, Elida plays Friday nights. But Animas had to travel 397 miles (one way) for the regular season finale.
Jal, for instance, is 11-man, but has only 129 total students in 9th through 12th in the high school. The school is beautiful though with a full track and turf field. Which I was told they're replacing the turf for next year. Courtesy of the tax revenue from the oil industry in the area.
For SD & ND, every game I went to was a 9-man game. Except for Watertown v. Pierre. That was mostly because Watertown has a really cool old WPA stadium that was built for baseball and football just fits there. The Aberdeen games were a doubleheader at Northern State University. While Northwestern and Wyndmere/Lidgerwood were both 9-man games at their respective home fields. The playoff game at Wyndmere had an incredible atmosphere for small town football. Once schools reach a certain size, the stands aren't really used. Fans stand around the field or sit in the cars pulled up to the sidelines. Also works well when it's cold and for elderly and disabled to just park around the field.
One stadium I haven't been to yet is South Dakota School of Mines. Where both Rapid City public high schools also play. It was designed with three levels of car parking along the visitor sidelines just for that purpose. And I do intend to see a game there at some point.
3) Finally the stands look fairly full in a lot of the photos. Is this because you are choosing a game of the week type matchup?
Again, great photos.
I don't put much thought into which game to attend based on matchup. It is moreso where I want to see a game. Usually some small town I've been to or through that I figure if I'm ever in the area I'll catch a game some day. So, when the opportunity arises, I'll go. Though if it's a really bad matchup, I might hold off and go elsewhere. Especially since both New Mexico AND South Dakota have a 50 point sudden death mercy rule. They both having the 35 point running clock. But 50 points ends the game. Kansas also has a 45 point rule for their 6 and 8 man football. But not 11. Texas has the 45 rule for 6-man. No other state that I'm aware of uses sudden death mercy rules. Although I'm sure there's a six-man state out there somewhere that I don't know about. I know Wyoming plays to the bitter end.
As for why the stands are packed? Because there's nothing else to do. HS Sports are still the big deal out west in the small towns. Which is why six man will squeak by with sometimes just six players on the team just trying to keep afloat. One of the favorite games I ever went to was Grass Range/Winnett v. Rosebud in Montana.
(these next few photos are from 2011 from a Blackberry. Quality was optional)
Two winless teams playing the last game of the season. Grass Range had only 9 players. One was a senior, no juniors, and most of them were freshmen. The game had about 70 fans at it. And it was televised for local public access on cable. Grass Range was down 30-19 after giving up a kickoff return for a TD. But ended up winning 39-36 thanks to a 4th down stop late in the game.
the track
home side
Rosebud's bus
Final
That is still, probably, my most memorable game I've ever attended. Sadly, Rosebud ended their football program a few years later. Due to the lack of seniors, Grass Range played a JV schedule in 2012. They brought back the varsity team and made it all the way to the state semifinals in 2018. And then numbers finally caught up to them. They formed a co-op in 2021 with Denton/Geyser/Stanford who already had a co-op. It was Montana's first ever 5-school co-op. Due to travel, Grass Range and Winnett gave in and formed a co-op with Fergus. Like Grass Range, Fergus is located in Fergus County. In Lewistown, which is the county seat and by far the largest town. Holding almost 6000 of the county's 11,500 population. Also, the county is about 1/10th the size of Ohio. Lewistown (as many Montana schools are known by their town's name not the school's name) play 11-man, and with Grass Range and Winnett joined, won the state title this year.
Winnett, meanwhile, is the county seat of Petroleum County. Montana's last county. Which has a total population of 496 souls. Winnett makes up 188 of that number. Winnett High School has 19 total students. Petroleum County is larger than Rhode Island. That's bigger than Stark, Tuscawarwas, and Wayne Counties, combined. With only 496 people.
It sometimes seems incomprehensible how empty some of this country is until you visit it. And it's just miles upon miles of nothingness.