Features Editor

July 19, 2000 10 PM

For too long now, the Pike County High School junior varsity football team has felt a bit on the outside of the athletic program. The varsity football team had a locker room. The physical education classes had a locker room, but the JV team had to take their belongings to a classroom and suit up there for the game.

"We felt like if the JV team had a place to call their own, it would lift their spirits and give them a more positive attitude," said Head Football Coach Wayne Grant. "The old field house at Bulldog Stadium was standing but that was about all. The other coaches and I decided to renovate it for the JV team."

Grant knew it would be cost prohibitive to hire the work done, so he and his coaching staff and football players rolled up their sleeves and got the job done."

First, they had to clean out years of clutter. Then, they had to gut the building before they could start to put it back together again.

The work crew put in new wiring, lighting and plumbing, put on a new roof, built lockers, added a restroom, a storage room and a laundry room, installed a heating and air conditioning system, put down a new floor and painted the building inside and out.

The cost of the project was limited to the materials and the total cost was $17,000.

"If the work had been done by a contractor, it would have cost us about $67,000," Grant said. "We’ve got a bargain in this building."

With a new look building, Grant is hoping for a new attitude among his JV players.

"I think they’ll come in here charged up and ready to go," he said. "Having a place of their own will make a difference. The building is designed to do more than get the team hyped up, though. It’s designed to build character and develop moral behavior."

Grant pointed out that the lockers are open cubbyholes.

"Each player’s equipment and personal items will be visible," he said. "We don’t allow stealing. It won’t happen in here. Those lessons are part of our program. We expect the players to respect the property of others and to take care of this new facility. If we hadn’t been sure they will

responded in a positive way, we never would have worked so long and hard to give them a place of their own."

Grant said not all of the $17,000 has been raised and he, the other coaches and players would be very appreciative of any donations to reduce the debt.

Anyone who would like to make a donation may do so through the Pike County High School SportsBoosters or the school office.