The new Panther Stadium will be dedicated during the first official senior high football game on Friday night.
The Panthers will play a non-conference game against Rogers starting at 7 p.m. The dedication ceremony will be held at halftime, according to district athletic director Kevin Downing.
A grand opening and open house was held last March during the first soccer game held at the stadium, and the high school football team played a scrimmage game in the stadium last week. But Friday will mark the first official senior high school football game, he explained.
"We are expecting a huge crowd," said Jody Wiggins, assistant superintendent. "We would love to fill the stadium for the first game."
The new $5.8 million facility, which seats a crowd of 4,000 people, was completed in February, Wiggins said. A total of $1.7 million toward the cost of the facility was raised by local businesses, industries and families, he said.
All of the donors will be honored in some way during the program, Wiggins said. About 18 of the advertising level of donors will be called out onto the field during the ceremony for recognition, Downing said.
"We're calling it a dedication but we're really wanting to thank the people who contributed," Wiggins said.
The stadium was built around the practice field at the Siloam Springs High School and includes grandstands, locker rooms for home and away teams, a press box, a concession stand, an entrance with ticket booths and a wall of honor thanking donors.
"There was a lot of buy-in for the project," Wiggins said. "I think the community will be happy the way it's turned out and I'm excited to start playing there."
The school has already received a lot of positive feedback from visiting teams, Downing said.
"We're proud of it, the school district is proud of it and we're looking forward to many years in the new stadium," he said.
General News on 09/02/2015