Last Friday, as the flood lights flickered on and the initial notes of the marching band echoed through the stands, something extraordinary happened. After years of debates, delays, and difficult decisions, Mifflin County spectators finally took their seats for the historic Husky home opener at Chapman Stadium.

There’s no need to rehash the details of how we got to Aug. 22. At the end of the day, for reasons of safety, maintenance, and equity, we took on a task as monumental as the century-old stadium we set out to replace.

Friday’s achievement never could have happened without a remarkable coalition. Two dedicated community leaders, a core group of tireless stakeholders, a state legislator who secured critical grant funding, and the generosity of local businesses and industry partners who believed in the project’s promise all worked together to achieve what had long felt impossible: give our kids their Field of Dreams without making our taxpayers singlehandedly shoulder the burden. We never could have done so without their persistence and passion leading us every step of the way.

When the first whistle blew on Friday night, it was more than an official’s call, it was a collective exhale of celebration that was perhaps still blanketed in a bit of disbelief. The facility we unveiled was not just adequate, it was exceptional. State-of-the-art materials, thoughtful design, and full integration with the school campus made a clear statement: this complex was not a meager fix, it was a generational investment.

Sitting in the bleachers, I was strangely struck by how natural it felt, as though the stadium had always belonged there. I wondered, “How does this feel so right, so comfortable when it is all so brand new?” Perhaps it’s because this chapter in our MCSD narrative isn’t just about a football field, it’s about healing history.

Most of us remember when a spirited rivalry defined our district. It fueled our Friday Night Lights and cultivated our community. Then came the Great Recession. The decision to merge our local high schools was made out of desperation, not desire, and the logistics of the compromise forever changed the landscape of our county. For thirteen years, we’ve carried the weight of that history–two proud legacies folded together, yet perhaps never fully reconciled.

Our new stadium heals our old wounds. It carries no prior allegiances, no lingering feelings of loss, no reminder of the hardships we were forced to overcome. It is not one school’s inheritance over the other’s, it belongs equally to all of us. On Friday, you could feel the new era dawning. The Huskies finally have a home all their own.

The MCSD athletic complex isn’t just a tribute to our past or a gift to today’s students. It is a statement about our future.

Last month, Governor Shapiro visited Mifflin County to present a Main Street Matters grant, signaling Pennsylvania’s belief in our town’s potential. That investment wasn’t only symbolic; it was tangible proof that our community matters on a state level. Our new facilities mirror that message. When we commit local resources to bold, innovative ideas, we declare to our young people — and to ourselves — an essential truth: Mifflin County is worth

believing in.

The story of our hometown includes footnotes of challenges and uncertainty. But projects like the athletic complex help us to write a narrative that celebrates success over struggle. They remind us that the future is promising if we dare to invest in it. They prove that when we combine determination, creativity, and collective spirit, Mifflin County can accomplish incredible things.

Of course, a football stadium alone cannot solve every challenge we face. But symbols matter. Spaces matter. When a student steps onto that field to perform… to compete… to graduate, they will feel the support of a community that fought for them to have the best. When families gather in the stands, they will feel a shared ownership that transcends divisions. And when visitors come to Mifflin County, they won’t see a district just trying to get by, but one proud enough to take risks, seek solutions, and champion its people.

Friday night was only the beginning. No doubt, the seasons ahead will bring wins and losses, cheers and disappointments- that’s the nature of competition. But whatever happens on the scoreboard, we all deserve to revel in the victory that has already been won. Our community proved to itself that against the odds, we are capable of great things so long as we tackle them together.

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Ashlie Crosson is a resident of Reedsville, teacher at Mifflin County High School, and a 2007 graduate of MCSD. She currently serves as the 2025 National Teacher of the Year.