In Texas, if you build it, they will come...

ALLEN, Texas (AP) - A wealthy Dallas suburb is preparing to christen its new $60 million high school football stadium replete with 18,000 seats, a towering upper deck and a 38-foot-wide high-definition video screen.

Allen High School will have to take down defending state champions Southlake Carroll on Friday night if it's to open its new stadium with a win.

While other school districts are struggling to retain teachers and keep classroom sizes down, Allen voters approved a $119 million bond issue that pays for the stadium and other district facilities.

Officials defend the stadium as a community centerpiece. Allen previously had to use rented bleachers and portable toilets at its old stadium.

Players say they're excited to run onto a field that compares favorably with many college stadiums.