Steve Fluke, Billy Brown and the Shawnee football squad liked what they saw before last Friday night’s Class 5A opening-round playoff game with Altus.
The home side of the stadium was packed as Shawnee enjoyed its largest audience of the season.
There were over 2,000 tickets sold, allowing the playoff game to top the estimated 1,700 spectators that viewed the Oct. 2 game with Carl Albert at Jim Thorpe Stadium.
“I think it’s a huge adrenaline boost when you have a big home crowd,” said Fluke, Shawnee’s athletic director. “It provides an electric atmosphere for the players, particularly when they are warming up. They know the game is a really big deal.”
As the host school, Shawnee paid for the Altus team’s mileage — an approximate 340-mile round trip — and for two meals for the Altus players and coaches.
The remaining gate revenue is divided up — 50 percent to the host school, 30 percent to the visitors and 20 percent to the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association.
Shawnee, from its 50-percent cut, also pays game workers and security personnel.
Fluke believes Friday’s upcoming quarterfinal game with Bixby, also slated for Jim Thorpe Stadium, could produce a larger crowd than the first-round game.
“I think Bixby will probably bring even more fans than Altus,” Fluke said. “Altus brought more fans than I thought they would because of the length of the trip. It was much better than I expected.”
Altus entered the game with a 4-6 record while Bixby will bring a 7-4 mark to Shawnee.
Head coach Billy Brown lauded the crowd support.
“For the kids, it’s the first thing they look at when they come out on the field to warm up,” Brown said. “You like this kind of crowd for the kids because they enjoy it so much.
“I hope the fans are back out here this Friday night.”
Fluke said tickets for Friday night’s game would be on sale from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Shawnee High School Performing Arts and Athletic Center. The ticket office will be closed between noon and 1 p.m.
All tickets are priced at $5. There is no reserved seating or parking for playoff games under rules authored by the OSSAA. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate.
Shawnee, 11-0 on the season, must win three more playoff games to claim a state championship. The Wolves already posted their first undefeated regular season since the 1973 state title crew.
Shawnee’s last football state championship came in 2003.
SHAWNEE, Okla. —
