Today: Higgins Field at Hill-Murray

Location: 2625 Larpenteur Av. E. in Maplewood

Tonight's game: 7 p.m. against Simley

Namesake: The Rev. John Higgins donated a portion of an inheritance from his parents to build the field about the time Archbishop Murray and Hill merged in 1971. The field was named as a memorial to his parents. Vince Conway, who stepped down last season after 32 years with the football program, said, "The word is the football team laid the sod for the whole field in two days." Lights were not put up until 1987, but playing day games never bothered Conway. "The kids didn't go home so we always had great crowds," he said.

The 1990s saw the installation of new bleachers and a new press box. But the wooded area to the north and east provide the charm. Conway said the stadium, virtually hidden from both Larpenteur and Century Avenue, is "a well-kept secret."

At the practice field on the stadium's north side, Conway said, it's common for players to see deer, foxes and wild turkeys. "Before we put the fences up, we had deer run across the field," he said.