By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor and Shane Paschal
CLAY, Ala. – Clay-Chalkville and Shades Valley will face off at Cougar Stadium on Friday night.
The home stands and press box in Cougar Stadium have been the Cougars’ den since September 13, 1996. During this time, the Cougars have amassed a 133-40 record at home.
The Mounties, who are no strangers to those same stands, hold a 153-79-5 home record.
While Clay’s first game in the stadium was a 35-12 win over West Jefferson in 1996, the stands and press box had their original opening night 46 years earlier inside of Mountie Stadium.
On November 16, 1950, Shades Valley hosted the Cordova Blue Devils at Mountie Stadium. The Mounties lost 19-7 that night and had to wait until September 21, 1951, for their first win, an 18-6 victory over Minor.
Mountie Stadium opener in 1950. Credit: The Birmingham News
The first stadium plan for the old Valley campus in 1949 initially featured a 3,000-seat bleacher only as the home team bleachers. However, Mountain Brook and Homewood leaders, determined to build a stadium “second only to Legion Field,” financed the construction of a larger grandstand across the field to serve as the home side bleachers.
The changes to the plans resulted in multiple delays and forced the Mounties to play all of their 1950 games away, except for the season finale, which served as the trifecta: stadium opening, home opener, and homecoming.
Mountie Stadium was the pride of Birmingham’s high school stadiums for decades.
Valley played in Mountie Stadium for the next 45 seasons before moving to Irondale before the 1996 football season.
Mountie Stadium in 1978. Credit: SVHS
In 1995, the plan to relocate the home bleachers and press box to the new site just off Old Leeds Road was abandoned due to unsuitable terrain, resulting in the construction of a new concrete stadium.
The smaller 3,000-seat visitor bleachers were partially built into the ground at the old campus and could not be moved to Irondale.
The 5,000-seat metal bleachers and press box were moved from the Homewood-Mountain Brook area to the newly built Clay-Chalkville High School.
“All they did was repaint the stadium and press box after relocating it,” said Tony Pugh, the Cougars’ first head coach.
The original press box has been improved and enlarged over the years, but it remains to this day.
Cougar Stadium. Credit: CCHS
The two programs in Jefferson County have 286 victories at home, with a 70% winning percentage in front of their 75-year-old metal structure. However, they are not the only teams that have hosted games there.
Howard College, now known as Samford University, played one game yearly at Mountie Stadium from 1952 to 1958, including one homecoming game. During those years, the Bulldogs went 4-2-1. They faced Sewanne three times, Milsaps, Maryville, and Mississippi College.
Quarterback Bobby Bowden led Howard to a win over former SEC member Sewanee. Bowden later became one of college football’s greatest coaches.
Bobby Bowden leads Howard to win in Mountke Stadium. Credit: Birmingham News
Rosedale High School, an all-black school, used Mountie Stadium from 1951 to 1962 before desegregation.
The Mountain Brook Spartans used Mountie Stadium as their home field their first year in 1966 until their stadium was ready in 1967.
The John Carroll Cavaliers played most of their home games at Mountie Stadium before their football stadium on Montclair Road was finalized in 1963.
Clay holds a 9-2 record over Valley at Cougar Stadium. The Mountkes last won against Clay in 2003.
The old stands and press box, which have witnessed hundreds of games over the last three-quarters of a century, are scheduled to be replaced in a few years. Whether you are a Mountie or a Cougar, the memories will endure.
