WRAY — Located 170 miles east of Denver, Wray High School is about as close as you get to another state. The views, however, would suggest you traveled west, instead.
"People in the mountains have views like this all the time," Wray head football coach Levi Kramer said of the Eagles' home stadium. "If you go to the plains, it's pretty hard to find, so it's pretty special."
While the majority of Wray is flat, the home football stadium is something you'd find in Colorado's Rocky Mountains. Powell Field sits at the base of some buttes. The cliff-side views provide a stunning backdrop during any home football game.
"The cliffs and everything in this valley, definitely it's different than other towns around here," Kramer said.
Wray High School has called Powell Field home since 1992. Kramer was among the first players to ever set foot there on game night. The previous football stadium was located further in town, until the Wray Community and District Hospital purchased the land so it could expand. The funding to build the new field was generously provided by the community.
"We're extremely fortunate in Wray," Kramer said. "We have two trusts here that are extremely generous with their money. Powell Trust actually funded this whole thing."
It's that tight-knit community feel that has become the cornerstone of the football program. Like any small town, the stands are filled when the lights are switched on Friday nights. On occasion, some will use the cliffs as a top-tier seat for a game.
"When we go up and play Denver schools, it seems to be more parents and family that show up for those," Kramer said. "Here, it's everybody. They show up for it, and when you get into the playoffs, that's when the town closes down and everyone goes to the game. It's pretty special."
Game night is nothing short of a celebration by the entire community. Wray's volunteer firefighters -- who also work as the chain crew during home games -- set off fireworks from the surrounding bluffs after the Eagles score.
Wray is home to two Colorado high school football state championships, earned in 1993 (3A classification) and 1984 (1A classification). Now in the 1A class, the Eagles last made state title game appearances in 2010 and 2008.
