SCBOE receives report on Sports Facilities from SCHS Principal, Stadium Field in bad shape

Stephens County High School Principal Michael Keown came before the Stephens County Board of Education on Tuesday to provide an update on all sports facilities.

Keown says Stephens County High School’s football field needs the most work, especially because of how many teams use the field.

He explained that no major repairs have been made to the football field in 50 years, when the stadium and football field were originally built.

“We feel like, at this point, that our most urgent need is going to be the stadium game field and track. I made some phone calls today to figure out the exact age of that facility and how much work has been done on it in the past. That athletic facility, that track and that field get more use from our athletic program at the high school, middle school, and recreation department than any other field in our system. It’s really a community field. There’s a lot of play on that track and field. The last time that facility had any major work done was in the 70s,” he said.

Keown says anytime there is rain or bad weather it really damages the field.

“The stadium gets used in the fall by the varsity football team, the JV football team, the middle school football team, and five or six different rec. ball teams on Saturdays. And all that traffic combined with bad weather is really detrimental for that field. Schedules in the spring, with soccer teams going, track teams going. We try our best to keep that natural grass in the best playing shape we can. But right now that’s our biggest challenge at the high school,” he said.

Keown says another challenge is the lack of practice spaces for many of the teams.

No action was taken following Keown’s presentation.

WNEG News will continue to follow this story and bring you updates as they become available.