Stadium project gives MCHS ‘home field advantage’
Stadium project gives MCHS ‘home field advantage’
Trending
LEWISTOWN -- Home field advantage is one of the most well-known concepts in sports.
Unfortunately, Mifflin County High School athletes can't say they have a home-field advantage with the current outdoor athletic facilities, according to school officials and community leaders who are spearheading the campaign to build a proposed $15.1 million Husky Stadium Project.
"In July 2021, (Mifflin County businessman) John Pannizzo (owner of the Downtown OIP and Grille in Lewistown and Birch Hill Event Center in Burnham) gave me a call to talk about Mifflin County's outdoor athletic facilities," said Joel Diamond, a radio personality and retired fundraiser at both Penn State and Juniata College. "They're not great to say the least. He wanted to go to the school board and administration and talk to them about putting in new athletic facilities."
At first, Pannizzo proposed turf fields for the facilities, but then the plan started to grow. To be specific, the two proposed modern facilities with turf fields. It was a far cry from Mitchell Field and the other current athletic fields used by Husky athletes.
In fact, 85 percent of Class 6-A schools in Pennsylvania have synthetic turf fields, Mifflin County is one of only 18 schools that play on natural grass.
With the Husky Stadium Project, those days might be numbered. The improvements the new facility provides will put Mifflin County athletes on an even playing field with fewer injuries, fewer cancellations and practices held on the same turf fields that other teams are using, school officials said.
And there are other important amenities, Diamond said. "It's important to have handicapped accessible restrooms, training rooms, fieldhouses and ticket booths."
The new complex, scheduled to be completed in 2024, includes a new 3,500-seat stadium, baseball and softball fields with turf infields, band concession building, field house and secondary field with an eight-lane track.
School officials stress there is no doubt that Husky Stadium will be a source of pride not only for athletes and students, but also for the community at-large.
"The track will be open for the community to use," Diamond said. "When there are special events in the community, there will be opportunities for them to use the fields.
"Our high school is 12- or 13-years old," he added. "But our current athletic facilities are a lot older. We have an opportunity with this project to go forward and build something that Mifflin County can be very proud of."
Mifflin County has a great tradition of community support when it comes to its athletic programs, and the new sports complex will serve as a focal point for fans.
The facility will also allow other extracurricular activities like the marching band to host competitions of their own, and the stadium should become the new gathering point for friends and family to annually honor high school graduates.
"Our administration and faculty work tirelessly to implement and deliver engaging and challenging academics in our classrooms," Mifflin County School District Superintendent of Schools Vance Varner said. "MCSD continues to evaluate and implement plans to strengthen our district academically so that our students may work toward their college and career goals successfully.
"In the course of these initiatives, our athletic facilities have fallen behind, but we now have the opportunity to transform our outdoor facilities. This is a generational and collaborative project that we have envisioned for years."
Thanks to a $3 million grant from the state, the school district, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through the Department for Community and Economic Development and local communities are working hand in hand to make this complex become a reality.
"I know as we partner together, we will have a profound impact on the lives of our students and community members," Varner added. "I am confident that with your help, we can build athletic facilities that will benefit our athletic programs, band and other extracurricular activities, as well as the community at-large."
Having a new stadium in Mifflin County will create a sense of community for all residents, stadium backers said.
The project will move Mifflin County's athletic programs into the 21st century with a multi-purpose state-of-the-art complex. Located on the high school campus, the 3,500-seat stadium will be the focal point of the construction.
It involves multiple fields with synthetic turf that will provide a playing surface that is not only pleasing to the eye, but more importantly much safer for athletes, school officials said.
Organizers said the Husky Stadium Project provides a new modern facility that will give athletes a true home-field advantage.