ELKINS — Elkins High School athletic director Ross Ware said everything is still on schedule for the Tigers to play their first home football game of the season on brand new turf at EHS Stadium.
The first-ever football competition on the new surface is slated for September 9, when Lewis County comes to town to face the Tigers for a Big 10 Conference clash.
Before the tiger grinders take to the field for their home game, Ware said there’s a chance the EHS soccer teams will try the new surface first.
“We have football games scheduled with Sissonville for Saturday, August 27 and we hope to play those games on that.” he said.
Ware said that with the exception of laying the actual turf, most construction work on the field will be completed later this week
“They started by cleaning up the field and then had all the drainage systems installed,” he said. “They removed about eight million pounds of gravel. They cut so many inches of #57 stone, and then they came back and cut two inches of #8 stone, which is a finer stone. Then they rolled it so that it formed a flat surface.
“After they’ve leveled the field completely and then leveled the outside where all the access debris is, all they have to do is lay the turf.”
Ware said the turf should be delivered either this week or early next week.
“Everything is done inside the track. All we do now is wait on the pitch.” he said.
Ware said paving should begin sometime Monday evening on the running track surface surrounding the soccer field. He said it would not affect any of the upcoming scheduled competitions.
“Once they finish paving the track, it has to sit for 28 days before they spray paint the rubberized finish on it.” Ware said. “But people will be able to be there. It’s no different than paving a roadway.”
Phase 2 of the EHS Stadium project, being undertaken by Straw Construction Company of Boswell, Pennsylvania, began May 23. The cost of the second phase of the project is approximately $1,010,000.
Phase 1 was completed last fall when 2,000 bleacher seats and a press box were built on the pitch.
“Implementing this project is something we are definitely ready for,” Ware said. “We’re happy with the way it’s going – it’s very exciting.”
In 2020, the Elkins High School football team played every game on the street after Wimer Stadium was deemed unsafe for spectators. Elkins Middle School’s softball field and Tigers Valley High School’s baseball field were also classified as unsafe for spectators by the West Virginia Board of Risk and Insurance Management in 2020.
In 2021, the Tigers hosted a home game against North Marion in October. A previously planned EHS home opener for 2021 had to be moved to Grafton as EHS officials were still waiting for materials to arrive to complete construction of the new stadium.
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