A-Turf Helps Liverpool Warriors Shine at Home

Liverpool, NY — For Liverpool High School football captain Dan Corlett tonight’s game against Baldwinsville will be surreal.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment, it seems like, my whole life,” said Corlett, a senior. “We finally have a place to call home.”

Liverpool Warriors have not had a home game on their own turf in almost three years. The district closed the stadium in December 2007. Since then, Liverpool’s teams played “home” games at other facilities across Central New York.

“I’m really excited about playing under the lights in Liverpool for the first time in forever,” said Kyle Gordon, a senior.

A dedication ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. today with an introduction of the fall sports teams and at 6:50 p.m. there were be speeches by Superintendent Richard N. Johns and Sen. John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse. Liverpool’s varsity football team will take on Baldwinsville at 7 p.m.

The players and the students are extremely excited about the way the new stadium turned out, Johns said.

“They haven’t even touched the grass yet because they are floating on air,” Johns said.

The stadium project, which began last September, included the installation of a new turf field, all-weather track and bleachers. The old artificial turf surface was installed in 1998, and problems began in 2006. The soil beneath the track and field was unstable, and the surface was unsafe, school officials said at the time. The project faced opposition from residents in 2008 and was voted down twice, but was approved in February 2009.

The district has spent $4,767,170 on the stadium project, which is under the $5.8 million that was slated for the project, Johns said. Johns said there will be another phase in the future, including new lights and adding more facilities.

Quarterback Luigi Barletta, a senior, said he’s been waiting for this moment for a while and he’s extremely excited to play on the new turf.

“It’s beautiful,” Barletta said. “I say it’s one of the nicest fields in section III right now. The stands are nice and this field is amazing.”