Ron Calcagno Stadium - St. Francis Lancers
- David Hegler
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Photos by David Hegler, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.00
Ron Calcagno Stadium
1885 Miramonte Ave
Mountain View, CA 94040
Year Opened: 1955 Capacity: 5,000
Welcome to Ron Calcagno Stadium
Located just off of Mountain View, California’s Permanente Creek, stands one of the Bay Area’s best high school football stadiums. Ron Calcagno was a longtime coach for the St. Francis Lancers back in the day, winning 12 West Catholic League titles and 11 Central Coast Section championships in 24 years at the helm. In total, the Lancers have won 17 CCS titles and have taken the WCAL crown 27 times, establishing themselves as one of the most storied high school football programs in the Bay Area.
Food & Beverage 4
While it may not look like it at first, the Lancers have quite a spread at both of their concession stands. There are no grills, ovens or stoves behind the cashiers, but if you order a hot dog ($6), pizza ($6), hamburger ($8), cheeseburger ($9) or tri-tip sandwich ($10), then they will give you a card stating what you ordered and have you walk over to the nearby barbeque pit where you can get your grub. The condiments are plentiful, too, as giant tubes filled with barbeque sauce and mayonnaise are stacked at the far end of the table.
Once you get your dinner, you can turn around and eat on one of the large stone picnic tables that sit under a cabana lit with Christmas lights. The only downside is that if you do choose to eat in comfort, you won’t be able to watch any of the game as it is too far from the action. All you can do is listen to the roar of the crowd as you stuff your face with the finest food high school football has to offer.
Atmosphere 3
Although the stadium itself doesn’t pay much tribute to the school’s esteemed athletic heritage, as you walk down the hall towards the field, you are overwhelmed by the pictures and trophies that fill the cabinets that line up elegantly along the walls. Halt at the entryway of several athletic courts that pay homage to many of the school's more than 200 CCS titles. It is the ultimate fusion of past and present.
Once you enter the stadium, you are met with a massive bay laurel tree that is the remainder of a long-ago orchard that was planted before the high school was founded, and has become one of the primary distinctions of Ron Calcagno Stadium. It looms over one of the two end zones as a crowd of supporters always gathers underneath it to cheer on their team. During the biggest games, this little section is packed with fans.
But not on this night, as St Francis is fighting to end the regular season at 5-5, and their opponents have only won three games all year, going into the last regular season game of the year.
Neighborhood 3
The surrounding neighborhood is safe and filled with activity. If you’d like something to eat before the game, Sourdough & Co., House of Bagels, and Sizzling Lunch are all right down Miramonte Avenue. There’s also an In-N-Out Burger on the corner of Grant and El Camino Real, but it gets jam-packed with people after the game, so if you’d like to visit, then I’d recommend going before the game.
Other sports to visit when in town include the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, the Santa Clara Broncos basketball, or the NHL's San Jose Sharks. Or for something cultural, visit the Computer History Museum in the heart of Silicon Valley.
If you’d like to stay the night, there are several hotels not too far from the stadium. These include the Hotel Strata, Hotel Zico, and TownePlace Suites by Marriott.
Fans 3
Saint Francis’s fans are a lively bunch who expect to win yet remain respectful enough to ensure that everyone in the crowd has a good time. This level of respect truly gives Ron Calcagno Stadium a familial feel.
Access 3
There is parking on campus, and although it stretches all over the place, it can feel a bit crowded. Get there early if you want to get a good parking spot. Speaking of cramped conditions, it’s still possible to get an Uber there.
The stands stand tall enough to get a great angle of plays as they develop, no matter where you sit.
When arriving, walk down the Athletic Hall of Fame towards the field. You'll be overwhelmed by pictures and trophies adorning the cabinets. It is clear that the school reveres its past athletic achievements and strives to win even more.
Return on Investment 3
The $11 spent on GoFans is well invested, as is the $10 spent on the tri-tip sandwich (it’s worth the heartburn, too). But it’s so much more than just the money spent. This is one of the premier athletic programs in California, with 13 state titles under its belt in multiple sports. Football has only won one of those, back in 2017, but they are still considered to be the face of the school’s esteemed athletic legacy. It’s worth your $21 to experience the aura of Lancer football.
Extras 2
Like any great book, Ron Calcagno Stadium has a great cover in a massive bay laurel tree that looms over one end zone and has become a symbol of the stadium’s unique identity. Lancer fans often gather underneath it to have a unique perspective of the game, and during the biggest games, that area swells with activity.
St Francis’s student section, dubbed "the Rage Cage," is easily the most lively part of the whole atmosphere. During the biggest games, smoke fills the section as the intimate crowd rocks the stands.
Final Thoughts
Ron Calcagno Stadium is one of the more unique stadiums in the Bay Area. While the scoreboard is well behind the times, both stands are tall enough to give every fan a perfect bird’s eye view of the action below.
But the true landscape of the venue is located just behind the massive tree that looms over one of the end zones. There, crowds mingle as food is ordered at a large concessions stand and cooked all the way over in a barbecue pit that overlooks one of the best eating spots in all of high school football.
Of course, the product on the field is often excellent as the Lancers pride themselves on tradition and legacy, always striving to add another WCAL and CCS title to their swelling trophy case.
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