'We're looking to the future': New stadium energizes Morgan Raiders' athletes and fans

McCONNELSVILLE — Improving the athletic experience has been a focus in recent years for Morgan.

The finishing touches are being put on that final piece, as the Morgan Raider Stadium nears its completion on the district's campus.

Morgan Raider Stadium features a new turf field by Astroturf, where football and soccer will play. There will also be an all-weather track, as well as a new scoreboard and press box and stands on both sides of the field. New reserved seats with backs will also be available for the home bleachers.

The stadium will be connected to the Raider Athletic Complex via a walking path. The indoor facility currently houses the visitors locker room with 88 lockers, the home locker room with 64 lockers, a video/classroom, a weight room with TVs, a sound system and strength equipment from Stray Dog Strength, an indoor turf practice area and a basketball court.

Baseball and softball teams will also be able to practice at the stadium.

Morgan is not the only one upgrading its facilities, as fellow Muskingum Valley League members, Maysville and New Lexington, have replaced their turf. Both were among the first league teams to transition from grass to turf more than 15 years ago.

Changes energize athletes and community

The sense of excitement and pride is one heard around campus and Morgan County, remarked Athletic Director Tara Newton.

The new stadium replaces Athletic Field, which hosted its inaugural game on Sept. 29, 1939, in McConnelsville and had been the Raiders' home for more than 80 years.

"People are nostalgic about Athletic Field. I understand since I live in town, and my kids and I would walk to the games," Newton said. "Last year's seniors were disappointed they didn't get their chance to play on the new field, but they left their mark by helping bring pride back to our athletic programs. We're going to miss them and their leadership and example.

"They helped change the culture and fortunes here, and the new stadium symbolizes that," she added. "Everyone here knows we're looking to the future. This will not only benefit our students, but it will be beneficial to the community."

Morgan head football coach Chase Bowman has seen that fervor lead over to the program, where he has seen increased numbers. During summer lifting, he makes sure the garage door is up so the players can watch the progress of their new home.

"There were a lot of people attached to the Athletic Field, and there were great memories there," Bowman noted. "But, it also felt like a road game. It took us nearly an hour to pack the buses with equipment, and it was an all-night affair. Having the stadium on campus is huge in many ways.

"Our kids are excited about this next chapter, and we see it every day," he added. "A couple of our seniors, Logan Niceswanger and Kole Searl, spoke to the team about the excitement and the benefit of this place. They understand this is another step in the right direction for our program."

The $7 million project is being funded by the ESSER/Federal, Permanent Improvement and General Funds and being completed by Wolf Creek Contracting from Waterford.

"We want this to be used all the time whether it's for youth, junior high or high school athletic or by the community," Newton noted. "We want to host events like community movie nights and the Special Olympics. We also want to encourage wellness and fitness by opening the facility to the public. There's a lot of possibilities and ways to benefit our entire community."

Mike Hilt, Wolf Creek superintendent, has noted the many onlookers as the project has progressed. He said their focus is to have it ready when practice begins on Monday July 31.

Morgan will host its first football game in the complex in Week 2, Friday, Aug. 25, against Vincent Warren.

"It's not about the bottom dollar as it's about doing things the right way and making sure everything is usable on their timeline," Hilt said. "We've been constantly at work so their stadium is ready to go for their season."

The school is also completing other projects. Newton said BSN Sports is helping the school with its branding, while the gymnasium will have new scoreboards and padding, as well as a fresh coat of paint and a new design by The Barn Artist Scott Hagan.

Seniors adding their own mark

A group of four seniors are looking to add another landmark to the stadium with a stainless steel Morgan Raider statue. Niceswanger, Searl, Cutter Myers and Elliott Voytko are raising funds for the project.

The statue is being commissioned by local artist Dave Griesmyer and will cost $135,000 to bring it to its final resting place in Raider Stadium. The boys are looking for alumni, businesses, and members of the community to help them make their vision come to fruition by their graduation May, Newton said.

"They're working on ways to raise funds, and they wanted to do something positive," she said. "This group of boys is a special group of highly motivated young men who simply want to make our community a better place."

If people are interested in donating, they can email Newton at tneweton@morganschools.org. All funds will be placed into a statue account, which Morgan Local Schools has agreed to hold for the boys.

Maysville, New Lex installing new turf

New Lexington was the first school to install turf in 2007, and Maysville followed in 2008, but both schools have upgraded their fields this summer.

The Maysville Athletic Complex (MAC) had turf installed by Vasco, while a new scoreboard and sound system were also installed, and the track will be repainted. The project will cost around $1 million with the money coming from the Permanent Improvement fund, noted Superintendent Brian Blum.

Long-time Maysville coach Craig Clarke praised the maintenance crew for extending the life of the old turf, but the upgrades also bring new energy to the program and complex.

"Our old turf was top of the line when it was installed. There's a lot that goes into maintaining it that people aren't aware of, and the credit goes to maintenance crew for extending its life," Clarke said. "There were rips and tears, and player safety is always one of your primary concerns so it was time to upgrade."

The willingness of the administration to provide the necessary upgrades shows the support they have for athletics and extracurricular activities. Clarke told his players how fortunate they are to play and practice in a facility like the MAC.

"I believe it is one of the best facilities in the area, and the updates only make it better," Clarke said. "I told our players how fortunate they are to have this facility, and they should appreciate it. We have a new video scoreboard, sound system and goalposts. The blue, gold, and white numbers really pop on the new turf.

"It brings a level of excitement and energy, and I know our guys will be ready to take that field on Friday nights."

New Lex coach happy with improvements

New Lexington was the first Muskingum Valley League high school to add FieldTurf in 2007, making venerable Jim Rockwell Stadium one of the most modern of its kind.

New locker rooms, concession stands and bleachers followed through the years, in addition to one of the MVL's first video scoreboards. But the playing surface took a beating through the years, to the point where the rubber fill that provides cushion to the surface was almost non-existent.

That made replacing it paramount.

In addition to a new surface, improvements to the underbelly of the stadium, such as upgrading the drainage, were also performed. There is also more turf in the corners of each end zone, giving players more safety. Concrete footers were a few feet from the end zones in previous years.

The turf project was completed by Dayton-based Oheil Site Solutions. That included the repair of old water lines from the city that athletic director Amanda McCoy said were upwards of 100 years old. Damage underground created a sinkhole around the 35-yard-line on the south end of the stadium, which was an undertaking to repair.

"The old turf had a lot of history with it," New Lex coach Kevin Board said. "It was the first in the league. Fifteen years it lasted, and they say if you get 10 out of it then you're doing well. To get above and beyond that is tremendous. It was certainly overdue."

The project prevented the team from getting on-field workouts until mid-May, but they've made plenty of hay in the time since.

It's part of a project that will eventually see a new soccer field being built at the high school and the track surrounding it resurfaced. Jim Rockwell Stadium is nestled on the village's southeast side off Mill Street in Arethusa Park. Renovation plans for the soccer and track are still to be determined as the school awaits funding from potential grants that are available.

Much of the work at The Rock was done by local contractors.

"Our community is phenomenal with support of every project with things that go on for all sports, but especially for football," Board said. "Just with the support you see coming out on Fridays, and we have close to 100 for youth camp every year. We try to get local businesses when we can, just some of those excavating jobs and hauling rock and gravel. We were able to get some local groups involved and that makes it more personal."

Early returns from the players have been pleasing, particularly with the comfort factor. The new Panther logo at midfield adds another aesthetic upgrade.

"We've had a lot of comments on how beautiful it is," Board said.

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Morgan Raider Stadium nears completion; other districts make upgrades