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Football to share playing field05/09/05By Louis Gagliardi, Recently, the Seton Hill University (SHU) Griffins football program, in co-operation with the city of Greensburg and Greensburg-Salem School District (GS), have begun the transition from having no football field to playing at Offutt Field. Offutt is the home of the Greensburg-Salem Golden Lions varsity, junior varsity, middle school and ninth grade football, as well as occasional PAC-6 midget football and the varsity and junior varsity men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball games. The move from just GS playing at the field, to SHU and GS playing at Offutt, requires a lot of changes. First, the field has to be made to be able to withstand the sudden increase in events. Offutt Field hosts many of the football team’s regular season and play off games as well as the soccer games. “The reason for the switch is practicality,” says Thomas M. Yarabinetz, superintendent of the Greensburg-Salem School District, “The number of events is increasing from around 35-40 to 70 events a year now. That includes Seton Hill University football, Greensburg-Salem football, soccer, and volleyball now, and includes a recent addition to GS, girl’s field hockey. We also do other community events, such as a cow patty toss, bingo, and carnivals. So it was definitely a practicality issue. Weather is also a huge factor.” GS will not have to pay for all the constuction costs. “The “Offutt Field Project” is much more than just the actual playing surface that is being renovated. The project also will involve locker rooms, bleachers, concession stands, gates, and press box work. “All practice for both soccer and football will take place on SHU’s new fields which will be ready by late summer,” said Boyle. To view all articles by this writer Click here. Posted by Setonian Online at May 9, 2005 08:59 AM |
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