While much of the public focus has been on the recent announcement of a new artificial surface and new track at Robert C. Byrd High School, Bridgeport High School Principal Mark DeFazio said that efforts at his school for a replacement turf and track should begin in earnest next month.

 

“We haven’t stopped on our effort, primarily for our effort to replace the turf, but for the most part that’s really at a standstill,” said DeFazio. “Other than the reserved red seats that we’ve sold for the last several years at football games there’s not a whole lot of serious effort at the moment.”

 

That doesn’t mean that planning isn’t taking place. DeFazio said that a small group tasked with raising funds for the new turf will also be tasked with raising funds for a new track to replace the existing six-lane course at Wayne Jamison Field.

 

“Our group hasn’t met for several months, but that we’ll be changing soon. I think what will help us really kick this off, at least in the community, is to make a splash right around the start of football season,” said DeFazio.

 

DeFazio said something else will take place prior to the start of the 2015 football season where funds for the field replacement and hopefully a new track will look to be raised. He said he thinks a formal presentation will be given to the Harrison County Board of Education to solicit help. According to DeFazio, he hopes the meeting will take place at the end of this month or in early August.

 

“I’m pretty sure we’re going to the board and ask for help in some type of manner. We’ll be asking for help with the field and we’ll be asking for help the track as well,” said DeFazio. “Before we do that, we need to meet to be able to give them a concrete number as to what we’re working with and what we need.”

 

DeFazio said if he had to take a guess, he would estimate that doing both projects – the replacement of the existing turf and replacing the existing track – could be done between $400,000 and $500,000. He said the funds that have been escrowed almost exclusively through the annual sales of reserved seating at football games are pushing $100,000.

 

“One thing I’m pretty sold on is that we’d still like  to use Field Turf. I don’t want to make a chance in that,” said DeFazio. “Whatever happens, I would like to see it done before I retire, I just don’t know for sure when that’s going to be. I just don’t want this to be a problem for the next administrator. The bad thing is we could have done the seats 10 years ago and really had funds put back.”

 

DeFazio added that the turf will see its 11^th year of use at the start of 2015-15. He said that both the track and the football surface will be safe to use for certain this coming year for those worried about potential impact.

 

“The track is still usable and we can easily get another year out of the turf, maybe even more,” said DeFazio. “Even with that, the tentative plan right now is to start both projects next summer.”

 

Currently, there is a Web site individuals can donate money to – www.turffortt.com. The Web site stands for “Turf for Title Town,” which was done with community input in naming the campaign to replace the turf.

 

“We haven’t gotten a lot of donations and that’s our fault because we haven’t really advertised it or pushed it,” said DeFazio. “As I’ve said, once football and soccer get going you’ll see that in high hear.”

 

DeFazio praised the community for stepping up in the past. He said both the football field and track – at a cost of nearly $1 million – was raised through the efforts of community members.

 

“The community has been extremely generous and we’re going to ask for their help once again. The good news is that the facility, particularly the track, is one of the most utilize community facilities in all of Bridgeport,” said DeFazio. “We plan on keeping it that way.”

 

DeFazio said football has long had a dominant program, even when the field was a natural surface and in the years leading up to its replacement will the surface was considered unplayable by some. However, he said the new track can almost directly be correlated to resurgence in the track programs.

 

“(BHS Boys) Coach (Jon) Griffith and (BHS Girls) Coach (Emilee) Stout have two of the top programs in West Virginia and they’ve been strong for years. That new track coupled with the dedication by the student-athletes and the coaches have made that possible,” said DeFazio.

 

Keeping the field and the track open for competition is also huge financially. While no sport draws more revenue than football, the new track has helped make track go from a heavily subsidized program to one that’s more than just self-sufficient.

 

“Track is now second, or no worse than third, when it comes to producing revenue,” said DeFazio. “A lot of that credit goes to Coach Griffith for organizing meets that just draw huge crowds. We need to make sure the opportunity continues to be there with a quality track and our track is in as bad as shape as it’s been in a number of years.”

 

DeFazio said it’s only feasible to try and do both projects at the same time. He said with the equipment coming in and the amount of items that would be tore up, interruptions created and other logistical concerns, doing it all in one shot makes the most sense.

 

Information on fundraising – as well as the future meeting with the BOE if and when it takes place – will be posted on Connect-Bridgeport. DeFazio pointed out the BHS Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Matt DeMotto chairs the fundraising committee. For those wanting to donate now, click on the link above.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows BHS Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Matt DeMotto looking over the field, while the second photo shows some of the wear of the existing track. In the middle picture, the school's outdoor sign shows the community where to donate, while BHS Principal Mark DeFazio is pictured below.