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 Current and former Spring-Ford High School football players and school officials will gather to celebrate the first game to be played on the newly installed synthetic turf field at Coach McNelly Stadium during a pregame ceremony at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19.
The field opening ceremony will begin with a performance by the Spring-Ford High School Golden Ram Marching Band. School board members and administrators will cut a ribbon to officially open the field.
Three former football players will bring three game balls to midfield and present them to the current Spring-Ford High School football team captains. James Cinciripino will represent the former Royersford High School; Robert Stipa, grandfather of current player Matt Stipa, the former Spring City High School, and Eugene Krumenacker, great-uncle of current player Chris Krumenacker, Spring-Ford High School.
Current captains are Trevor Sasek, Rich Ianelli and Jesse Ercole.
Long-time, loyal Spring-Ford sports fan Jay Mowrey, representing Royersford High School football, will do the coin flip.
The game against Boyertown High School will begin after the playing of the alma mater and National Anthem.
This will mark the first time that Spring-Ford has played a game on the synthetic turf field, which was installed over the summer as part of a larger plan to improve various athletic fields in the district.
A formal dedication of the newly renovated stadium will take place prior to the Homecoming football game on Saturday, Oct. 18.
School board members approved the $1.3 million Coach McNelly Stadium renovation in May. Though work on the football field is complete, improvements to the tack will continue throughout the fall.
After the stadium wok is done, the plan will be to get maximum usage out of the field. In addition to opening the field to community use, physical education classes and the marching band will be allowed access to the field. Lines can be painted on the field to accommodate sports other than football and soccer.
“With this new playing surface, we will be able to protect the safety of our players, reduce maintenance costs and accommodate more sporting events throughout the year,” athletic director Mickey McDaniel said. “We invite the public to come out and see the improvements that have been made to Coach McNelly Stadium so that they can see how such projects will benefit our student athletes and others in the Spring-Ford community.”
Coach McNelly Stadium is behind the 9th Grade Center at 400 S. Lewis Road, Royersford.
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