PICKERINGTON, Ohio — High school football is starting to play out, and one school is getting ready for what may be their last season on their home turf of nearly 50 years.

What You Need To Know

  • Pickerington High School Central is replacing their home football stadium of 50 years

  • The new stadium will have turf instead of grass

  • Fans have mixed feelings about the new stadium

  • A spokesperson for the school district said the Tigers are expected to play at the new stadium next season

A new Tigers stadium for Pickerington High School Central is under construction.

The stadium is replacing their current home stadium since the 1960s — often associated with their impressive legacy when they won state both in 2017 and 2019.

Some, like Coach Jeff Lomonico, are sad about the move.

"We love our stadium now just because we've been here for so long and we've had pretty, pretty good success there,” Lomonico said.

But he said it’s time for a new one.

"Every one of our sports plays on that one field, I mean, junior high through high school,” said Lomonico. “So that's why there's a new stadium needed."

The new stadium is being built without the need of any additional bonds.

The big difference between the two stadiums: the new one has turf.

"We've waited 20, 21 years for new turf,” said Lomonico.

He said he’s excited about the team practicing and playing on new turf.

"I think the guaranteed surface is a great thing,” said Lomonico. “You can have a monsoon and still be able to play when it might get a little soggy."

But it’s a concern for others, especially Theo Burskey, who has two sons on the team.

"Obviously, the turf, I'm not a big fan of,” said Burskey. “My son's coming off an ACL, so I would rather him play on grass."

But other Tigers fans think the pros outweigh the cons.

"I think, especially for the upcoming players, this is something that I believe previous players are really sold into, and it's exciting to see that this is something that's going to be part of our community," Tigers fan Christina Walls said.

A spokesperson for the school district said the Tigers are expected to play at the new stadium next season.

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