New Soccer Field for Savage Teams

New Soccer Field Cleared for Sod. Yucca Street in Distance

For the past several years, since soccer became a sport for Lamar High School, the teams made use of the field along Yucca Street in Lamar, just north of the school complex. Prior to that it had been used as a football practice field and needed some polish to bring it up to standards.  Yucca would be lined with cars as parents and friends of players would watch the games only from that limited viewpoint.

Tree Line Along South 14th Street

This summer, the RE-2 administration is moving the soccer field northward and keeping the old field as a practice site. According to Steffan Warn, Maintenance Supervisor for the district, 80,000 square feet of sod is being laid out on the new field and the sprinkler system is being revamped to accommodate the new acreage for the playing field.  “This is very good sandy soil and the recent rains have really helped,” he explained, adding that the sandy soil is better for maintaining the sod than the clay composition of the football stadium.  “The sandy composition offers really good drainage,” he explained.  He said that part of the prompt for the new field stemmed from visiting coaches saying their teams were not used to playing on such a rough field.

Warn admitted that there were some definite ‘bumpy’ spots as opposed to the level field that is required. “We had cut down a 16” tall slope on the south side in order to have more of a level grade on the field and the new one will be as flat as we can make it.”  He said there are other changes and improvements still on the way.  “We’re taking out some of the dead trees and debris along the stand of trees that runs parallel to South 14^th Street so there’s going to be available parking from the intersection with Yucca to the south.  We’re also developing the parking lot adjacent to the school so more cars can fit in and we’re setting up the two sets of bleachers on top of the bluff, overlooking the new field, so spectators can get a better view of the game.  We also have a scoreboard coming in for the new season.”

By Russ Baldwin