Westmont Hilltop: A special report Price Field gets an overhaul; 'uplifting experience' for district and community, leaders say

Aug. 20—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — For decades, Price Field stood unchanged along Menoher Boulevard in Westmont Borough.

Originally built in the early 1930s, the complex has served generations of Westmont Hilltop School District students — a place of tremendous victories, inspiring individual performances and lasting memories.

But the field lacked modern amenities, was cramped in its own footprint and was outdated compared to neighboring sports arenas.

That's why, in 2021, the Westmont Hilltop school board began exploring upgrades — and even possible alternative locations.

Initially, there was conversation about building a new field at the high school in Upper Yoder Township, but ultimately the district officials wanted to keep the historic complex at its home between Menoher Boulevard and Luzerne Street.

"It was exciting for me to do this," board President Robert Gleason said.

"Everybody thought this was a great idea, and I believe it's going to be an uplifting experience not only for the school district — for the whole community."

The idea of improving the complex had been in the back of his mind for some time, Gleason said, even when he was appointed to the school board in 2017.

He noted that there were maintenance costs related to having a grass field, as well as safety concerns for players.

When he won re-election to his seat in 2019 and became the board president in 2021, that's when the district began investigating the upgrades.

Project's scope, team

Price Field was built between Luzerne Street and Menoher Boulevard because that's where the original Westmont Hilltop High School was located — the current site of the elementary school, which has been remodeled within the past five years, before that the middle school.

The roughly $7.5 million stadium project included an artificial turf playing surface, new grandstands and visitor seating, and a new and expanded track.

The field was repositioned at an angle to allow better use of the space.

The renovations also provided a new concession stand, restrooms and changing rooms for the teams in a structure under the home bleachers, upgraded LED directional lighting, an enhanced sound system, security upgrades and a video scoreboard.

Contractors and engineering companies that made up the Price Field project team included:

—Design planning: Eckles Architecture and Engineering, ELA Sport Co. and H.F. Lenz Co.;

—Field and stadium contractors: FieldTurf USA Inc., Straw Construction Co. Inc., I & Y Construction LLC, Musco Light Solutions, Daktronics, Stadium Solutions Inc., Watkins Security LLC and Horizon Information Services;

—Building contractors (for changing rooms, bathrooms, concession stand and mechanical room): J.C. Orr & Son Inc., Marc-Service Inc., K&K Plumbing Co. Inc. and Hallstrom-Clark Electric Inc.

For the first time in the school's history, home football games will be played on Friday nights instead of Saturday afternoons, thanks to the new lights.

The first Friday night home game will be on Aug. 26 against Central Cambria High School.

Who was Philip Price?

Westmont's stadium is named after the school board member Philip M. Price, who died in 1932.

A yearbook from that time notes that Price "took a deep interest" in the district's welfare and that Westmont was grateful to him.

"Our new recreation field will be known as the Philip M. Price Memorial Field in memory of Mr. Price," the yearbook says.

The namesake's grandson still resides in Westmont, and when he found out the field would get a facelift, he said he thought it was a good move for the community.

"I was glad to see them do it," Bill Price said.

Bill Price never got to know his paternal grandfather because Philip Price died decades before he was born, but the Westmont resident knows several stories about him.

The 1968 Westmont Hilltop graduate said his paternal grandfather owned a Cadillac automobile company in Johns-town, which is now the Suppes Ford building on Johns Street.

At the time, the vehicles were shipped to the city in parts and assembled on the premises.

Bill Price said his grandfather was a master distributor and also started the WHBP radio station for the area.

He later changed the call letters to WJAC, and after his death, the station was sold and turned into the local television station.

"He was well-liked, a good family man," Bill Price said.

Family, community ties

Growing up in the district, Bill Price didn't give the football field's name much thought.

"It was no big thing to me at that time," Bill Price said.

However, after graduating, he started to appreciate the recognition of his family's legacy in the district.

Bill Price described the renovations to the nearly 100-year-old complex as "long-overdue" and is glad the complex remained in a central location for the community.

Gleason said the new complex isn't just for the students, although he mentioned that he hopes a new facility might increase participation in extracurricular activities.

Just as before, the field will be open to the community, as are all district recreational areas.

"The community pays for these, and the community should have access to them during off-school hours," Gleason said.

The board president's vision is to have the district facilities available 12 months a year and seven days per week.

Pat Barron, Westmont Hilltop football coach, described the renovated field as the "jewel of the community."

"Everybody gets to use it, and that's the part that's very neat," he said.

'Remarkable' rebirth

Watching the upgrades take place so quickly was impressive for the coach.

"Growing up in Westmont and playing on that field ... to see where it was and now driving past to see where it is, it's just remarkable," Barron said.

He said he was looking forward to the first football game on the new turf and under the lights.

But also, as a father of three soccer players, Barron is excited for not only his children's opportunity to play at Price Field, but also for the generations of students that will come after them and utilize the facility.

"Such a phenomenal upgrade," Barron said.

One aspect that caught his eye was the new home grandstand, which provides a better view of the turf than the previous bleachers. But the football team isn't the only group excited for the new complex.

The boys soccer team and coach Jason Hughes are looking forward to the opening as much as anyone else.

It'll be tremendously beneficial to get acclimated to the speed of turf for playoffs, Hughes said.

"To be able to finally have a home playoff game ... it'll be a huge change," Hughes said.

"It's a huge step up and just goes to show the huge accomplishments of our football and soccer teams."

He's visited the field frequently since turf has been put down and is excited about the improvements.

"I can't wait to see it with the lights on and the stands filled up," he said.

One of Hughes' players, Gage Hensel, a rising senior, is thrilled by the new upgrades.

"I think it's pretty exciting," he said.

The student said artificial turf has several advantages for all those who play for Westmont.

That includes more practices and lights that allow for more time on the field.

"It's pretty cool that I'm lucky enough to play in it," Hensel said.

The 18-year-old has played soccer for 13 years, having started when he was 5.

It's the thrill of the ball hitting the back of the net that's kept him in it for so long, he said.

With the new improvements to Price Field, Hensel is also hopeful that means more fans at every game.

Thomas Mitchell, district superintendent, said the renovations were a long time coming and everyone involved wanted to "build something the community could be proud of."

"In our society today, community has never been more important," Mitchell said.