By Josh Beavers
Lakeside High held a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday night to celebrate the official opening of the school’s new state-of-the-art artificial turf football field.
As follows is the dedication read over the loudspeaker for the event:
“On hand tonight is Mr. Johnny Rowland, our superintendent of schools, and longtime teacher, principal, superintendent, and current school board member Mr. Jerry Lott.
They are with us this evening for a special event. They will cut the ribbon to officially open our new state-of-the art artificial grass football field. Even though we have played a junior high game on the turf as well as hosted the annual Pineland Jamboree, this will be the first time our Warriors are taking the field here when the games really count.
The turf field is the latest step Lakeside has taken on the athletic field and in the classroom to give students the greatest school experience possible.
The field, like the school, has seen many recent renovations. Joining Mr. Lott and Mr. Rowland is Principal Denny Finley and Athletic Director Gary Cooper. Coach Cooper and Mr. Rowland helped literally lay the groundwork of the old field. They put the sprinkler system in themselves and did so much other work by hand just so those first Lakeside teams would have a great field to play on come Friday nights.
Now, two decades later, they stand and marvel at how the seeds they planted have grown into the school we have today.
So thank you Coach Cooper, Mr. Rowland, Mr. Lott – for sharing our vision, and to the late Mr. Richard Noles and Mr. Butch Williams. Special thanks also to Sibley mayor Mr. Jimmy Williams. Without all of you, as well Mr. Finley and so many others, Lakeside would not be what it is today.
So Mr. Lott and Mr. Rowland, please do the honors.”
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