ARCHBOLD WEATHER

Weather Wasn’t Right For Spengler Field Grass




A less than optimal spring and summer for growing grass delayed activity at Spengler Field this fall.

Aaron Rex, Archbold School District superintendent, said the old grass was killed, and new grass was planted.

“But we didn’t have great weather. Looking back, we should have started last fall,” he said.

However, Rex is optimistic that AHS soccer and middle school football will play on Spengler Field, on new turf, yet this fall.

“At some point, we’re going to be back on it. It will not be a whole year,” he said.

Decision

Rex said in February, he met with Allan Gladieux, AHS athletic director, to talk about reseeding Spengler Field.

The goal, Rex said, was to have a better field for the AHS soccer teams, with a type of grass that can better withstand 20 soccer matches and 17 junior high football games each season.

Twin Cities Lawn & Landscaping, rural Archbold, was brought in to do the project. But the grass didn’t grow the way everyone had hoped.

“I’m not pleased with the way the grass has turned out, and the company is not pleased with the way the grass turned out,” Rex said.

“They (Twin Cities offi- cials) have been very responsible. They feel bad it has not turned out the way it was supposed to. They’ve been in communication with us almost weekly.

“They’re working really hard to make it right.”

The company has reseeded in places and done some spraying as recently as last week to move the project along.

“Now we feel we have it under control. As soon as we can make a decision we’ll move (soccer and middle school football) back.”

Moving

To allow more time to get the grass established, AHS soccer games have been moved to Woodland Park fields and the high school football stadium.

“Saturday, we played at the football field. It’s a night game, and the one where we have the biggest crowd. We played Pettisville,” he said.

A middle school football team won’t play its first home game until Thursday, Sept. 7, when the eighth grade team plays Port Clinton. The game will be moved to the high school stadium.

Rex said the goal of the project is to provide a safe, enjoyable place where students can play, and to have a facility the community can be proud of.

The district has invested in Spengler Field. New bleachers, a new sound system, and an irrigation system installed in cooperation with the Archbold Park Board have been added.

In addition, Spengler Field, former home of AHS football, is a historical link to Archbold history.

“And it’s a great place to watch a game,” Rex said.



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