The hype is doubled, so it stands to reason that the details leading up to Friday's huge District 6-A high school football game would be as well.
Besides preparing his team for its biggest test of the season, South Pittsburg coach Vic Grider also has spent time making sure those accompanying details have been taken care of. The Pirates, top-ranked in Class 1A, host second-ranked Signal Mountain, and a huge crowd is expected at Beene Stadium.
"We have pretty much doubled everything for this game," Grider said. "We'll have twice the security, the gate keepers, two game administrators at each end of the stadium instead of just one. Everything is doubled, down to the folks who clean up after the game.
"We'll have every city cop, some from the county and even a few state troopers because we're expecting so many people. You just pretty much multiply everything by two for a game like this. Just from the attention we've already gotten from media and the talk from so many people in our area and in Chattanooga saying they're coming in for the game, we expect to have more than we had a couple of weeks ago for the Jasper [Marion County] game, and this could turn out to be the biggest crowd we've had for a non-playoff game."
Grider said the biggest gate he remembers recently was the 2007 semifinal game against Hampton, when more than 6,000 tickets were sold. There is limited parking at and around Beene Stadium, which means for big games fans fill the lots at local businesses and churches for blocks leading through town.
Signal Mountain requested 500 tickets Monday in hopes of avoiding some of its fans having to stand in long lines before kickoff.
"We want to make it as hassle-free as possible for everybody," Grider said. "I would advise the Signal students and fans to buy tickets at the school and get there early, because even with all the extra help at the ticket gates, there's no way to avoid having a line of people and a long wait.
Murphy Fair, who has published a statewide prep football preview magazine for more than 20 years, plans to attend and said the game has been drawing discussion in Murfreesboro.
"It's one of those games that has people talking even over here in the midstate," Fair said. "There's a buzz about that game pretty much statewide from coaches and fans that I've spoken with."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or (423) 757-6293.