Date: Fri 18-Jul-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Jenner-NHS-football-Reed-O&G

Full Text:

Football Team (May Be) Forced To Hit The Road

(with photo, sidebar)

BY STEVE BIGHAM

The newly installed lights at Bruce Jenner Stadium now tower high above the

Newtown High School football field. However, there doesn't appear to be any

need to turn them on this season.

The school's first night football game in history probably won't take place

anytime soon. In fact, there won't be any day games at NHS either.

The Nighthawks, the defending South-West Conference champions, may be forced

to play all 11 scheduled games on the road this fall. The field has undergone

extensive renovations the past four months and delays have pushed the

completion date beyond September. The sod, to be planted in August, won't take

root in time for the season, according to O&G Industries project manager

George Graikoski.

"You just don't have the growth time you need between August and October," he

said Tuesday.

School Building & Grounds Supervisor Dom Posca said the sod was supposed to be

planted earlier this summer, but contractor Darien Asphalt simply missed the

planting date.

"The site contractor has not performed," said Superintendent of Schools John

R. Reed at last week's Board of Education meeting. "The sod was not on the

field at the end of June. The track will be ready, but not the field."

NHS football coach Bob Zito and his team now face the prospect of defending

their league title without a home field for games and for practices.

"It seems like the project has been mismanaged," said Mr Zito. "It's extremely

frustrating on my end and I feel sorry for the seniors."

The NHS coach, who also serves as athletic director, said the school relies on

the gridiron gate revenues to fund the spring sports. On average, he said, the

fall football games bring in between $14,000-$16,000. This year, under the

lights, he estimated the revenue to soar up around $20,000.

"That's money that's never going to be made up," he said.

Of course, there's a chance the sod could be ready for football later in the

season, depending on the weather and other conditions, and NHS Principal Bill

Manfredonia intends to watch the field and the team's schedule closely.

"Right now I can't say for sure if we'll be able to use the field at all this

fall. We're scheduled to start the season at home, play two away games after

that, then come back home in October," he said earlier this week.

Mr Manfredonia said the key question is how long it will take for the sod to

take root. Some parents believe the field could be ready for the second half

of the season. Chan Chuongvan's son is a co-captain of the football team. He

was hoping to see NHS football played under the lights this year - in Newtown.

"People worked so hard for this. There's got to be some middle ground," he

said.

Some parents say little work has been done on the field this summer. They

believe the field could still be playable if the sod work was completed by the

end of this month or in early August. Parents were expected to meet in an

effort to persuade the Board of Education to demand that the sod work be

pushed up.

"It's real disappointing. It's very frustrating. The driving force for the

project was the Blue & Gold Club, and a group of parents of seniors, and those

kids won't get to play on the field under the lights," said Mike Kelley of the

Blue & Gold.

Lights were put up around the field earlier this summer, costing the Blue &

Gold Club members and donors upwards of $95,000.

Mr Zito said he was also hoping to schedule soccer matches on the field this

fall.