OCTOBER 15, 2009 ISSUE
Pioneer Play
New Watauga High School Athletic Facilities Begin to Take Shape
Workers put the finishing touches on the artificial turf in the stadium at the new Watauga High School last week. The stadium will have the words “Watauga” and “Pioneers” written permanently in the end zones. Photo by Jason Gilmer
Turn into the entrance for the new Watauga High School and the scope of the athletic facilities quickly comes into view.
The softball and baseball fields can be viewed to the left, the tennis courts in a far corner and the lights for the football field on the back of the property.
“The new high school athletic facilities are beginning to take form now as we move into the last 25 percent of the project,” said Watauga County Schools Superintendent Dr. Marty Hemric. “We are all very excited about the facilities and the shared uses they will provide for student-athletes and our community.”
Assistant Principal and outgoing Athletic Director Jeff Link said the facilities are on schedule to be complete when students move into the new school next fall.
And athletes should be happy with the improvements.
“It will be 10 times better,” Link said of the new facilities compared to the current ones, “mainly because these will be brand new.”
Artificial turf was recently placed on the stadium football field, which will have a capacity of 4,713 fans.
Bleachers haven’t been placed on the home or visitors sides, yet, but work has been done to prepare for that.
Link said the practice field, which is behind the stadium, was supposed to be turf also, but budget concerns have made it a grass field.
There will be a field house and a concession stand inside the stadium also. The track will be inside of the stadium and around the football field. Soccer teams will also use the stadium for its matches.
“I think all of us are excited about being in a new building and in the brand new athletic facilities,” new Athletic Director Tom Wright said.
While the football stadium may be the showcase for the school, it won’t be the only source of pride for the Pioneers.
Six tennis courts are just waiting for nets to be added and then the courts can be used. The courts have a dark blue and light blue color scheme to make tennis balls easier to see.
The school will have two gymnasiums, which is something the old school also has. The secondary gym will have seating so basketball games and other contests can be played in that gym, while other games are being played in the main gym.
Seating capacity in the main gym will be 1,446 and in 192 in the auxiliary gym.
The new facilities will also include a wrestling room and weight room.
In the past, it would be hard for fans to watch a baseball game and softball game that occurred on the same day, as the fields were across campus from each other.
That won’t be the case at the new school, as the fields are beside each other.
“The committees had the foresight to build this right the first time,” Link said.
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