Marty Gordon
Blacksburg High School is looking at another trip to the state football playoffs, but their home field advantage might not be a real advantage.
Recent heavy rains have destroyed the grass surface, forcing the school to move a game against Richlands earlier this month to Christiansburg High School where a new turf field was available to use.
Christiansburg was playing on the road and was able to accommodate its neighbor. The field is part of a renovation project to updates CHS’s facilities. When it comes to Blacksburg going a similar route, the county doesn’t have the funds available in the short term.
Thus, the Blacksburg Athletic Booster Club has decided their sports programs should not or could not suffer through the poor condition on its current football field. As of this week, boosters are working to acquire the funds needed to place a turf field in Blacksburg.
Dave Shelor is the booster club’s outgoing president and Jason Massie is the current group president.
They are hoping for a major donor to step up and help cover part of an estimated $1.3 million needed to fund a turf field at the school. Wednesday afternoon, they said their proposal is for individual donors, 400 to be exact, to pledge $3,250 per person or business. That should cover the amount for the new field.
“We feel that would be easy for lot of people and businesses,” Shelor said. “We know the county is cash strapped, and we think we as a group can raise the monies to fund the field.”
Massie looks at the project as an investment for the athletic program and said the booster club has been talking about it for several years. He called it a sooner than later project.
This past year, the athletic boosters funded lights for the school’s softball field ($107,000).
If you would like to donate to the Blacksburg effort, contact the booster club at blacksburgathleticclub@gmail.com.
While we are talking about upgrades to athletics fields, the school systems and booster clubs need to consider replacing older scoreboards at Auburn, Radford and Christiansburg high schools. I’ve personally experienced problems with equipment at both Auburn and Christiansburg.
Local businesses need to step up and help to pay for all of the upgrades. Area youngsters deserve better. In the case of the scoreboards, those same businesses can purchase advertisements around the scoreboards to help pay for the costs.
I am also amazed millions of dollars were allocated for a new turf field at CHS but nothing for a scoreboard. It just doesn’t fit with the décor of a new field.
Here are the latest points rankings from the Virginia High School League (VHSL):
Region 4D: 1) Blacksburg 29.5, 2) E.C. Glass 27.714, 3) Jefferson Forest 25.714, 4) George Washington 25.143, 5) Pulaski County 24.25, 6) Salem 23.286, 7) William Byrd 23.143, 8) Liberty Christian 22.0, 9) Carroll County 18.429 (Top Four have qualified for playoffs).
Region 3D: 1) Northside 28.0, 2) Lord Botetrout 25.43, 3) Tunstall 21.86, 4) Abingdon 20.57, 5) Magna Vista 20.0, 6) Hidden Valley 19.0, 7) Cave Spring 17.43, 8) Patrick County 14.57, 9) Christiansburg 14.14.
Region 2C: 1) Glenvar 25.5, 2) Radford 23.0, 3) Gretna 22.0, 4) Appomattox 21.67, 5) James River 20.83, 6) Giles 19.0, 7) Ft. Chiswell 17.29, 8) Dan River 16.29.
Region 1C: 1) Galax 22.0, 2) Narrows 20.285, 3) George Wythe 18.5714, 4) Bath County 17.0, 5) Covington 16.857, 6) Parry McCluer 15.285, 7) Auburn 15.0, 8) Eastern Montgomery 12.285.
