By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Athletic programs at Del Rio High School are about to see some big changes this summer.
Three major projects are expected to be completed this summer at the high school in regards to athletics. Those projects include the installation of a brand new video scoreboard, the revitalization and creation of a new indoor/outside workout area, and the installation and redesign of a new playing service at Walter Levermann Ram Stadium.
The first project will be the replacement of the turf at Ram Stadium. Installed nearly 10 years ago, the field’s play life had reached its end and its replacement was something the district anticipated when it was first purchased and installed in Summer 2012.
“This replacement was planned. We knew the time was up to replace this turf,” San Felipe Del Rio CISD Athletic Director Frenchey McCrea Jr., said. “The turf’s look will be a little different than the current one. There will be more of a light and dark contrast in the green. There will also be a different logo in the middle of the field and the end zone will be different as well.”
McCrea added that the padding beneath the turf would also be replaced. He said that a new cooling plate would also be installed. “It is designed to take down the temperature of the turf about 20 degrees,” McCrea said.
The current turf will be repurposed, however, in a new indoor/outdoor workout facility located at the high school in what was formerly the vocational work area. Part of that area is currently being used as batting cages, but more is expected to come.
“That old turf will be placed inside the covered area where the batting cages are right now so we can turn that into an indoor/outdoor workout area,” McCrea said. “Indoor will feature weight room facilities and then outside we will have things like box jumps, sleds, mat drills and more.”
McCrea said work on both projects would begin after Friday’s commencement ceremonies at the stadium. Work on those projects is expected to be completed by the start of the 2022-23 school year.
The biggest upgrade at the stadium will be the installation of a new video scoreboard. While the board will be brand new, it’s a concept that has been a longtime coming.
“The is the same scoreboard that was begun under (former athletic director) Ric Smith. It just came back up. It wasn’t the right timing before hand. Originally it was going to be the sole effort of sponsorships, but now the school district is onboard. We still went out and got sponsorships, and some of the businesses that have come on will be displayed on the scoreboard,” McCrea explained. “It’s similar more to Laredo’s scoreboard, but has our own twist on it.”
According to the San Felipe Del Rio CISD, the scoreboard will measure 32 feet wide and 42 feet tall and will sit on 10-foot tall supports. It will be able to play live video, marketing videos such as advertisements and announcement, video playback for instant replays, and a new Sportsound 1500HD Sound System that allows for a broader coverage pattern and a higher decibel rating which increases the system’s and stadium’s performance.
The cost for replacing the current scoreboard is $760,061, but the district has already secured $440,000 in committed partnerships from local businesses including Texas Community Bank, Rudy’s Bar-B-Q, DLP Cleaning Services, AHIA Insurance, Buffalo Wings and Rings, Border Federal Credit Union, and the Val Verde County Hospital District. Those brands will be featured on the scoreboard’s panels in different places and sizes based on the sponsorship levels.
The district also said it has $160,000 in pending partnerships, so if an agreement on those are reached then the district’s cost would be just over $160,000.
One of the other big things to come out of the new scoreboard is a new curriculum for students interested in broadcasting. The scoreboard will also feature a new control center that will oversee three HD cameras and headsets for communication between the control center and camera operators.
“From what I understand, it’s a program where kids can learn hands on and add to what they’ve already learned in media tech. That new building will be located near where Gate 3 is right now,” McCrea said.
Like the replacement of the turf and the new indoor/outdoor training facility, the new scoreboard should be installed by the start of the new school year. “Pending any kinds of acts of God,” McCrea added.
As for the planned summer athletic camps at the school, McCrea said those would still take place but the plan is to use the baseball field and bottom fields for those camps.
For more information on scoreboard sponsorships or for summer athletic camps, contact the athletics office at 830-778-4350.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
