Northwest football field ready for play

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Alex Hider

[email protected]

After a full season on the road, Northwest will finally get to return home in 2015.

The Mohawks played all 10 of their football games away from home in 2014 after it was deemed the grass field at their home stadium was unsafe for play. After extensive offseason work to re-crown and re-sod the field, Northwest is finally ready to host athletic events this coming fall.

“Sounds like we should be ready to roll this year,” Northwest athletic direct Dave Frantz said.

Issues with Nortwest’s field began last summer, when the school elected to renovate its football stadium. After re-surfacing the track, Northwest officials noticed the football field had begun to lose its crown — a slight incline through the middle of the field that allows water to drain to the sidelines. Without the crown, water began to pool in the middle of the field and kill the grass.

A broken water pump and poor soil further complicated issues.

“(The grass)…it didn’t take,” Frantz said.

This summer, Northwest elected to remove the top layers of grass and soil and start from scratch. A new layer of sod as since been laid, and the Mohawks also added a new watering and irrigation system to the field.

“If everything goes as planned it should last a lot better,” Frantz said.

Last season, the Mohawks played four of their five home games at Portsmouth High School’s Trojan Coliseum on their way to a 5-5 season and an SOC I co-championship. They also played an Oct. 3 home game against Notre Dame at Spartan Municipal Stadium.

“We’re very grateful to Portsmouth for letting us play there last year. They really got us out of a bind,” Frantz said.

After earning their first conference championship in school history in 2014, the Mohawks are ready to defend their title on their home turf.

“That’s the goal,” Frantz said.

Reach Alex Hider at 740-353-3101 ext. 1931 or on Twitter @PDTSportsWriter

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