New turf field coming to Woodmen Stadium

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Nathan Kremer, Sports Editor

Coming to Woodmen Stadium in the spring of next school year will be a completely new turf football field. 

This new field will bring a unique design compared to most high school football fields around the country. Instead of the classic, green grassed football field, the upcoming renovation will be installing a gray field that will be based off of a Division One football team.

“The design that was made for the field was based off of Eastern Michigan, who is one of the few schools to have a gray football field. Instead of keeping the field the same shade of gray, every five yards will alternate between dark and a lighter shade of gray. The middle of the field will still consist of our Greenwood G. The endzones will still have ‘Greenwood’ and ‘Woodmen’ on each side, similar to the old field design,” Mr. Rob Irwin, athletic director, said.

Having the opportunity to be the first group to play on the new field will be exciting for the Class of 2024 football players. 

“I am pumped to be able to play on the new turf for my senior year. It is going to be really nice to have a softer and better field to play on. The field now is really hard, and the turf feels very rough, so the turf burn from it can get pretty bad,” sophomore Brock Riddle, quarterback, said.

Being the only school in the area with a gray football field will definitely be a cool experience for the players but after having a green field for the past decade, it will take some time to adjust.

“Playing on gray turf with a new design will most certainly be something that I look forward to. I have been coming to Greenwood football games for as long as I can remember, and seeing a completely different field will definitely take some time to get used to,” sophomore Gabe Folco, defensive linemen, said.

The idea of a gray football field was first brought to Mr. Irwin’s attention by head football coach, Mr. Mike Campbell. 

“Coach Campbell first brought the idea to me, and then we had athletes stop by my office and look at the design to see what their opinions were. Everyone seemed to really like the idea, and we hope the rest of the community loves it too,” Irwin said.

The start of construction for the field is still undecided.