The football and soccer field under construction at Heartland Farms Field in Amherst Monday, Aug. 12. (John Kemmeter photo)

Portage County Gazette

By John Kemmeter

With its football stadium still under construction, the Amherst High School football team will spend the first part of the 2019 season on the road.

As work continues on the athletic complex in Amherst that is part of the $4.2 million Falcon Pride Project, the football team had first two scheduled home games moved to neutral sites, starting with its season opener against Antigo shifted to Waupaca High School Friday, Aug. 23.

“It’s been an adjustment,” said Amherst football head coach Mark Lusic. “Right now we are practicing on a field that’s about 75 yards, that’s it, and we have no field goal posts, so we’ve been kicking at a soccer goal for our kickers.

“But when it’s all said and done, we’ll have a gorgeous facility,” he said. “Right now, we’re just trying to deal with some adversity and we’re trying to figure it all out.”

In December 2018, the Tomorrow River School District school board approved construction of Phase One of the Falcon Pride Project, and construction began in the spring of 2019.

The athletics complex and green space renovation includes a new stadium for football and soccer that features a new field turf surface, new stadium lights, a new press box and new home and visitor side bleachers that are expected to seat 1,000.

The renovation also includes a parking lot expansion and added practice field space for football and soccer, while northwest of the football stadium will be a separate eight-lane track, as well as an area for field events.

“Now we’ll have a stadium where people can actually sit in the stands, not just a few people, where everybody had to stand around the old track,” said Lusic. “We’re going to have a parking lot, people won’t have to park on the grass any more, and the brand new lights will be nice. In our old stadium, there were some pretty dark spots in the corners of the end zone, so now this will be lit up.

“And I think the biggest thing is, you can practice on the field turf consistently,” he said. “We don’t have to water it, we don’t have to fertilize it, the soccer team can play on it, and in the spring, the first thing that will melt will be that field turf, so they will even be able to use it for baseball and softball practice.

“It will touch a lot of different programs,” he said.

The new press box and home bleachers at Heartland Farms Field in Amherst. (John Kemmeter photo)

Fundraising continues for Phase Two of the project, which is to renovate the Amherst baseball and softball fields.

Meanwhile, the Amherst High School football team has spent the preseason practicing on the small field just north of its new stadium, while the junior high and youth football programs have been practicing on the baseball fields.

Along with the season opener against Antigo, the Falcons had their Sept. 6 game against Wittenberg-Birnamwood shifted to Community Stadium at Goerke Field in Stevens Point, while the Amherst football team is currently scheduled to debut at home in Week 5 of the season against Weyauwega-Fremont at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20.

“We’re looking forward to that moment,” said Lusic. “We wish it was this Friday night, it would’ve been a great way to start out the season, at home with a brand-new facility.

“But when that happens, I know everybody in the community will be excited,” he said. “A lot of people donated money, time and effort, and everybody did a tremendous job to get this all done.”