By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

It may have been July, but it may as well have been December in Matt Furino’s eyes.

When his football team sprinted out onto the new field turf at Kenneth Lohr Stadium on the final day of installation, all he could think about was Christmas.

It takes a lot to get a teenager to let down their emotional guard, but it certainly happened on that day.

A day Furino won’t ever forget. 

“There were kids tip-toeing around just to get a feel for the turf, some were jumping up and down on it, others were sprinting and cutting and playing catch,” Furino said. “All of them, though, had this look in their eyes. You could tell just how thankful they were to have something like this. To be honest, it made me emotional. It almost made me cry.”

It was a moment that Furino admitted that he never thought that he would see during his coaching career, but remained patient, knowing the expense and size of the project.

For the district, it was a matter of lining up the proper funding at the proper time.

The project cost an estimated $1.35 million and was funded from the district’s permanent-improvement funds, which were generated through the renewal level that was placed on the ballot in November 2023 at five years and 1 mill. It was part of a combined levy, Issue 21, which also included a renewal of a five-year, 10.75-mill operating-expense renewal that passed by voters 3,510 to 3,051.

“The idea of putting in turf is part of a conversation that has been talked about for a long time,” Field Superintendent David Heflinger said back in January. “The private funding for a project of this size never materialized in that way.”

The permanent-improvement funds are set for school districts to use in a very specific way. They can only be used toward the improvement of any property or asset with an estimated life or usefulness of five years or more.

Heflinger, who is in his 11th year leading the district, said the field-turf installation is the continuation of nine years dedicated toward making improvements to the campus and football stadium.

It is the first major renovation to the stadium since was built in 1974 and then dedicated in Lohr’s name on Aug. 29, 1980.

“When you walk out here and look at everything, I think the first thing that really comes to mind is that they did everything right. The district did not cut any corners on this,” Furino said. “From the field, to the materials, to the design, to the new LED lights and new sound system, to the new play clocks in the end zones and everything else. The administration and school board did a great job. As a program, and the kids especially, we are so grateful for an opportunity to have a stadium like this.

“The community blessed us with something amazing, and there is not a single coach or player that is taking that for granted,” Furino said.

Furino admits that he has heard some of the chatter from detractors, and also admits that he understands some of the concerns, but has a thoughtful message that he has been able to watch firsthand as a longtime math teacher at the high school.

“Our administration has shown that they are going to keep doing the right things,” Furino said. “This is an exciting time to be part of this district. Eventually, we are going to have everything and the future at Field is that we do things the right way. The school has already done so much, both in upgrading the classrooms and campus that they are not satisfied with just putting band-aids on things to cover them up, they are improving and building things the right way. Our kids are worth it and the district recognizes that.”

The Falcons will open their 2024 campaign at home on their new field turf on Aug. 23, 2024, against the Mogadore Wildcats.