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Boardman excited about unveiling of its new stadium
Boardman excited
about unveiling of its new stadium
By Steve Ruman
BOARDMAN
When it comes to Boardman football, Bill Bonte bleeds maroon.
A 1965 Boardman High graduate, Bonte played for the Spartans, and has supported the program his entire life. In fact, Bonte is a 20-year president of the Boardman Booster Club.
However, as far as Bonte is concerned, when heated rivals Boardman and Cardinal Mooney meet tonight, football won’t necessarily be the focal point of the evening.
“[Tonight] will be a community celebration, it will be a complete display of community pride and involvement,” Bonte said. “Football is big, no doubt, but this is bigger than football.”
Bonte’s “bigger than football” reference is directed toward the unveiling of the new Spartan Stadium, which tonight will welcome more than 7,000 fans as it hosts its game.
Spartan Stadium is located in the northeast corner of Boardman’s Glenwood Avenue campus. It replaces the old high school stadium located off Market Street, which opened in 1941.
“Quite honestly, the footprint for this night was set 25 years ago when the district built a complex that included a grass field, lights and a track,” Bonte said. “We just took that complex and turned it into what we believe is one of the premier football facilities in the state.”
The project began four years ago when the Boardman Booster Club and its stadium committee set a lofty goal to raise roughly $4 million through a privately funded plan. Twice, bond issues failed to help raise funds for updates.
Phase one of the three-phase project became a reality last summer when the field at the stadium location was equipped with artificial turf. At the time, almost $3 million was still needed to turn the field into an operable venue suitable for high school games.
“Really, there were times when we had to wonder if this could be pulled off,” Bonte said. “But at the same time, we had the mindset that there was no turning back.”
The stadium project received its first big financial boost in 2013 through a $100,000 gift from the Home Savings Charitable Foundation. That donation augmented the $800,000 that had already been raised for the project, and allowed the stadium committee to pursue the turf installation.
“Once that donation came in, I think other corporations and private donors saw that this was really happening, this was going to become a reality,” Bonte said. “Then when the community saw the turf laid down, they knew it was all systems go. That’s when everyone jumped on board and became excited about being a part of this project.”
On May 30 of this year, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to signal the start of phase two of the stadium project. This phase added 4,500 home seats, 2,600 visitor seats, a scoreboard, a press box and a 34-by-22 foot video board. Home seating includes chairback seating and premium bleacher seating designated for season-ticket holders.
Work on the stadium was completed in late August, and a final inspection was held Tuesday.
“As work progressed, the enthusiasm surrounding the project became contagious,” Bonte said. “We recently held a 50-year reunion, and I took a lot of my former classmates on a tour of the facility. A lot of the individuals just stood there in awe. They kept saying how proud they were to be from Boardman, and how proud they were of the community who made this happen.”
The third phase of the project — which still needs approximately $1.2 million in donations to become a reality — will add a complex with locker rooms, restrooms, concession stands, ticket booths, additional parking and a band shell.
“We still have work to do,” Bonte said. “We still need a lot of support from the community. But I don’t want to diminish what has already been accomplished.”
Boardman athletic director Denise Gorski stressed the fact that Spartan Stadium is more than just a football facility. The complex will be used by the district’s soccer, baseball and softball teams. The facility will host track meets, and it will benefit the school’s band, physical education department and performing arts department.
Gorski noted that the stadium can also be used for concerts and other community-related events.
“This truly does belong to the community,” Gorski said. “The people of Boardman can take pride in the fact that they are part of something special, something other communities would love to have.”
Such pride has already been on display, according to Gorski. She noted that when she was at the stadium on Tuesday following through on last-minute preparations, numerous Boardman residents walked by to get a closer look.
“You could just see the sense of pride in everyone’s eyes,” Gorski said. “Everyone kept walking by saying, ‘Wow, I can’t believe this is ours.’
“This took a lot of hard work by a lot of people. It also took a lot of sacrifice from both the business community and from private donors. But seeing the result, and knowing the pride it will bring to the community, makes it all worth the effort.”
Boardman football coach Joe Ignazio noted that the stadium has caused such excitement in town, he and his staff have to work hard to keep the grand opening from being a distraction.
“It’s been the talk of the community for a long time now, and as the construction progressed and the players were able to see what they were going to be a part of, the excitement just kept growing,” Ignazio said. “As a coach, you want to just focus on the game. You want your players focused on what’s happening on the field.”
Still, Ignazio said he understands the magnitude of tonight’s home opener, and he wants his players to savor the moment.
“The players can’t help but be excited about the new place,” Ignazio said. “They feel the buzz around town. They’ll love to see a packed stadium, they’ll get a kick out of seeing their name on the video board. And they should be excited. They are part of something special.”
Tonight’s festivities begin with a tailgate party hosted by the Boardman Alumni Association beginning at 5 p.m. at the Boardman High School tennis courts.
At 6 p.m. a tribute to the old Boardman Spartan Stadium will be shown on the video board. The Boardman High Marching Band will take to the field for the first time at 6:45. A halftime ceremony will recognize major donors to the stadium project.
And yes, in between it all, a football game will take place featuring a pair of storied programs.
“Everyone knows the history of Boardman-Mooney, so it goes without saying that you’re going to have two football teams very hungry for a win,” Ignazio said. “The atmosphere will be electric. For the winner, a victory will put a huge exclamation point on a special night.”
All reserved seating for tonight’s game is sold out. In fact, the tickets were purchased within 90 minutes of going on sale. A limited amount of general admission tickets remain. Gorski anticipates a complete sellout by kickoff.