The Spencerport Rangers football team tried out the new turf for a scrimmage. "The grass has had two years to grow," coach Tony Lipani said. "The field is in great shape!"

A few weeks before school begins, the track team was also at the new stadium running laps on the new track. Photos by Walter Horylev.

Spencerport Rangers varsity football team to play on new field this season

There will be a lot of punting, passing and kicking - and hopefully scoring - going on this season at the Spencerport School District's new stadium.

"We're opening it for the first time this year," Athletic Director John Pelin said. "This will be an all purpose field which will be used for varsity teams." The stadium features an all weather track with an eight lane straight-away, there will be seating for 1,500 in the bleachers. The field is set into a bowl configuration, Pelin said. "The stadium is set below and there are additional seats on the hill that goes three quarters of the way around the field," he explained. "The stadium also features a press box with a public announcement system, telephones and internet capabilities.

A new scoreboard provided by a cooperative effort by the Spencerport Sports Booster Club, Rotary Club, Lions Club and the Kiwanis Club of Spencerport will have all the game statistics in view of all spectators.

In addition to the new state-of-the-art sports facility, spectators will be able to take advantage of the new concession booth that was built to house both concessions and admissions. There is a new storage facility on site that will be large enough to house equipment, including pole vault storage, and a meeting room. "Through the efforts of the Spencerport Rangers Football Club, the Spencerport Football Parents Club and the Sports Booster Club, we have this new facility," he said.

Grounds crews are busy putting the final touches on the field with grading, seeding and trimming before the season starts.

This stadium was a long time in the making," Pelin said. "We've had football for eight years and during that time we've played at a number of temporary sites. This is the first time we've ever had a permanent home."

The construction of the football stadium was included as part of a capital project undertaken by the Spencerport School District. Pelin said the project was 98 percent complete last year but that the football field wasn't ready for play last fall.

In addition to the football field construction, Pelin said there will be six new soccer fields opening this fall. "This is going to be an exciting year for sports at Spencerport," he said. "For the past two years we have had no facilities on campus and have had to shuttle students to various places for practices."

Pelin said that community members have already been taking advantage of using the composite all weather track. "It's not only the football community that's excited about this project; it's the whole community," he said.

The Rangers will play their first home game on September 11 with kick off against Webster Schroeder at 2 p.m. The game will be preceded by an opening dedication ceremony to the field that will take place at 1:45 p.m.