As we approach the 2010 school year, the St Mary’s Ryken sports teams are getting excited for the coming year with a new 1,000-seat outdoor stadium. As the project nears completion, Baynet Radio had the opportunity to tour the facility with Director of Facilities and Defensive Football coordinator, Mike Vosberg.
In May of 2009, Phase One of the school’s ‘master plan’ began with construction of a new 300 space parking area and new walkways for the students. The stadium was started at that time as well, and is complete except for the scoreboard, which will be added within the next few days, and the track surface which will be put down around the football field next week (weather permitting).
The stadium includes the only professional level turf field in the Tri-County area except for North Point High School in Waldorf. The stadium will be used for Football, Field Hockey, Boys and Girls Soccer. In Spring, it will be used for Track and Lacrosse.
Vosberg said that the new field has helped in recruiting as “kids are excited to actually see where they will be playing” and the football team has “added a number of new recruits with the addition of the new stadium.”
Vosberg also noted that weather should not be a problem on the new turf as the “field has amazing drainage and can handle up to 28 inches of rain at once” noting, “if we can’t play on this field due to rain, somebody better call Noah!”
Head football coach Bob Harmon said his players are “fired up and ready for the new home stadium and ready for Friday Night Lights!”
In an interview in SMR’s ‘Connections’ magazine, Principal Rick Wood stated “We have almost 700 students and average about 660 participants per year in sports; some play on more than one team. I know our students want that ‘home field’ advantage and can’t wait to cheer on their classmates.”
The first home football game for the Knights will be September 3rd at 7pm. Baynet Radio will be covering 20 regional games including a number of St Mary’s Ryken games this season.
