Stadium renovation reflects Prexie pride
A feature of Wash High Stadium’s new field is alternating shades of green turf every five yards.
Preparations were under way for a new synthetic turf field at Wash High Stadium.
Sandblasting and repainting continued on the stands at Wash High Stadium.
New turf and refinished stands are part of the Wash High Stadium renovation.
They have been playing football at venerable Wash High Stadium since 1937. However, when the Prexies line up to play Burgettstown in the home opener Sept. 11, there will be a first for the stadium that has been home to football and track champions, hosted many Wash High football playoff games, some WPIAL championship contests and even a professional baseball team.
The Wash High-Burgettstown game will be the first home varsity football game played on synthetic turf.
Installation of a ProGrass synthetic turf surface has been completed, and Prexies athletic director Joe Nicolella couldn’t happier with the prospect of football without mud.
“It’s beautiful,” Nicolella said. “The Prexies script logo at midfield is about 20 yards in length and the black end zone really makes the Wash High in Columbia blue stand out. I’m pleased with the way it turned out. I know ProGrass is proud of it.”
Another feature of the field is alternating shades of green turf every five yards. That’s an idea Nicolella got from talking to an athletic director from Conestoga Valley High School, which has a similar design on its field.
“We’ve had more compliments about the alternating turf colors than anything,” Nicolella said.
The new turf is the first of a three-part renovation for the stadium that is expected to be completed by the end of July, in time for fall sports seasons. Work at the stadium caused the Prexies’ track team to be displaced this spring and practice at Washington & Jefferson’s Cameron Stadium.
“Work on the bleachers is currently in progress. They’ve started to sandblast the support structure of the bleachers down to the metal because of the lead paint,” Nicolella said. “We’re doing that in sections. The first section is done. When all the sections are completed, then they’ll install new aluminum bleachers.
“The final stage is the track. Because of the foot traffic from the turf installation and the effects of the sandblasting, we’ve decided we’re going to need to add a coating to the track. That’s just a cosmetic thing.”
Replacement of the bleachers was a safety issue. The school district had been patching and refurbishing the wooden bleachers for years.
One thing discovered when ProGrass, a Pittsburgh-based company, began doing site preparation for the turf installation is that the football field was not positioned exactly in the middle of the track’s two straightaways. The field, including the goal posts, had to be repositioned about 20 feet farther away from the track on the pressbox side of the field.
The turf should guarantee Wash High can host any potential first-round football playoff games. Two years ago, the Prexies were forced by the WPIAL to move a first-round postseason game to Cameron Stadium because Wash High Stadium’s grass field, which was originally designed to host only football games, was unplayable.
“Our field was a quagmire,” Nicolella recalled. “The heavy fall rains and then a snowstorm had made it unplayable. We get a lot of traffic on that field. We play soccer and middle school football there. It didn’t take long to wear out the grass.
“Now we’ll be able to do more things on the field. The band will be able to practice on it. The soccer team will be able to practice there. We can even play softball there, if needed. I’m not saying we will play softball there, but that is an option. The field is going to be more accessible to more groups.”
Nicolella said the school district had been attempting to get funding for synthetic turf for several years through an NFL-sponsored program but nothing materialized. The turf, which cost approximately $658,000, along with the bleacher and track improvements are being funded from school construction bonds procured for the Washington Park School renovation and existing capital reserve funds.
Nicolella said Wash High fans should be pleased with the renovations to the historic stadium, even if some find it odd that the 78-year-old football field doesn’t have a grass playing surface.
“And Wrigley Field, shouldn’t have lights, right?” Nicolella said. “There are still going to be people resistant to change, even as beautiful as it is. The stadium was in need of a facelift.”