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New Hutch Field Unveiled Friday

By KEVIN FLAHERTY
Morning Sun Staff Writer

Pittsburg USD 250 assistant superintendent Matthew Wendt walked slowly across the new Fieldturf at Hutchinson Field, lightly kicking the grass to spread around the sand.

"Isn't this just amazing," Wendt said. "Now you have one of the state's most outstanding fields for two of the state's most outstanding football programs."

USD 250 and St. Mary's-Colgan officials unveiled the new field Friday for a final walk-through. The field turf is one part of a project funded by anonymous donations. The project also includes a new practice field for Colgan High School that includes a four-lane running track, and new, more energy-efficient lights at Hutchinson Field.

"There were a number of people who just started talking about what the potential for this could be," said Gary Price, USD 250 superintendent. "Then came the donors and the dream kind of became the reality. We have to give a lot of credit to the people who started those conversations, and of course, the people who gave the gifts."

The project should alleviate two scheduling conflicts Colgan has - football practice and junior high school games played at JayCee Ball Park, and track practice at Pittsburg State University.

Last season, 27 games were played at Hutchison Field. While the first games played on the field would likely be freshman contests, Tina Jones, USD 250 communications coordinator, said the field would see first action during the preseason scrimmages. Jones said the district would talk about potential special plans to make the scrimmage a special event to bring more people out.

However the schedule works out, coaches said they wouldn't be watching the skies quite as closely.

"I remember when it used to rain at the start of the season and you were worried about ruining the field for the rest of the year," said Chuck Smith, Colgan football coach. "Now we don't have to worry about that."

The field features two-tones of green grass in five-yard increments down the field, alternating light and dark. The end zones are decorated with diagonal stripes, identical to the classic design seen in Notre Dame University's end zone. Topping it all off is a giant PHS "P" logo at midfield that stretches 16-yards wide.

"From down here, it looks huge," Price said. "But from up there in the stands ... it's perfect."

PHS football coach Merle Clark said his team first played on a field turf-type surface against Salina South for the state championship game at Memorial Stadium at the University of Kansas.

"The first time, it's just amazingly similar to grass," Clark said. "This stuff, you really can't tell the difference.

"Pittsburg is a very giving community and this is just more strong evidence of that," Clark said. "This has really created so much excitement around the community, and not just our community either. Everywhere I go, people want to talk about this field."

Smith said his players were excited to start the next year.

"I think it's fantastic," Smith said. "I really do. It's a tremendous complex that is going to be used almost every night. I think it will be a highlight for other teams to come and play here."

The Morning Sun, (www.morningsun.net) May 20, 2006