JOHN KNAPICK FIELD Campbell's remodeled stadium: A jewel on the hill

The 1936-built stadium has undergone a $2.8 million renovation.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CAMPBELL -- At halftime of last Friday's football opener against Springfield, Campbell schools superintendent Jim Ciccolelli left his seat and walked over to the visitors side to take a peek at the home stands at John Knapick Field.
He couldn't help but smile.
"I just wanted to see what it looked like," he said.
And?
"It's breathtaking," he said.
The stadium -- first built in 1936 as part of a WPA project -- has undergone a $2.8 million renovation. The field, stands, press boxes, locker rooms -- pretty much everything, actually -- have been either updated or replaced.
It's about 95 percent complete -- there's still some landscaping and fencing work remaining -- and the early returns have been stellar.
"It's beautiful," Campbell football coach John Ryan said. "It's a state of the art facility. It's really amazing how much nicer it is."
Improvement needed
The stadium was once one of the nicest in the state, but 70 years worth of football -- and Ohio weather -- took their toll. The stands cracked, the steps crumbled and an entire section had to be closed off for safety reasons.
"We did patchwork, but there came a point where there was nothing more we could do," Ciccolelli said. "It was a lawsuit waiting to happen."
So Ciccolelli approached the Campbell Board of Education asking for funds to renovate the stadium. Since Campbell was also building a new high school, money was tight. But the board didn't blink.
"They gave me the go-ahead," he said. "We found a way."
Ciccolelli secured a 20-year, $2.8 million low interest lease loan from the state. Campbell now has new facilities from K-12 and some of the finest athletic facilities in the area.
"Our superintendent basically took this project on himself," Ryan said. "He obviously had a team around him, but he's the one who had the vision to make this come together and create such a wonderful product."
League limbo
Campbell officials are hoping area leagues take notice. The Red Devils have been independent since the Mahoning Valley Conference disbanded 10 years ago and they've had no luck finding a league.
That may change soon. Campbell was mentioned prominently in last year's super-conference discussions and, a few days ago, Ciccolelli received a letter from the Inter-County League. The ICL is considering forming a two-tiered league, which could involve the Red Devils.
Would Campbell be interested?
"I informed them that we would be very interested," Ciccolelli said. "Now we're just waiting to hear back from the league officials."
Ryan, like everyone else at Campbell, is keeping his fingers crossed.
"If that were to happen, that would be great," said Ryan, who graduated from Boardman High and played in the Steel Valley Conference. "We're proud of the stadium, but not having a conference does make the season a little more difficult.
"You don't have the same rivalries. When you're in a league, you play the same kids from junior high up to varsity. It's one of those things that the kids are missing out on."
Still, the new facilities have helped improve the attitude at Campbell.
And not just with the students.
"There's something special going on here," Ryan said. "Everyone in the community has a sense of pride.
"It's fun to be a part of that."
scalzo@vindy.com