Shortly after a summer thunderstorm passed overhead, 蜜柚直播 High鈥檚 football team gathered underneath the Gridley Stadium bleachers. The energy and screams coming from the tunnel resembled the intensity of a Friday-night game 鈥 even if it was just another Wednesday practice.
There was something special in the air, and it wasn鈥檛 just monsoon moisture. The team ran out of the tunnel and onto the field to the P. Diddy song 鈥淐oming Home,鈥 and then threw themselves to the ground and rolled around on the new turf.
Senior quarterback Jesus Montano said the team had been waiting for that moment for what felt like forever.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long wait and we鈥檙e just happy to finally be out here and be able to practice on a good field and have overcome everything that we鈥檝e been through,鈥 Montano said.
Flooding wrecked Gridley Field last summer, and the THS campus went a full season without football for the first time since World War II.
Wednesday marked the Badgers鈥 return to their home field for the first time since July 19, 2017, when severe flooding and poor drainage led to Gridley Stadium鈥檚 closure and the first season without football on campus since World War II.
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Players and coaches were forced to take shelter when a monsoon flooded practice; when they came back out 20 minutes later, the field had transformed into what they called 鈥淕ridley Lake.鈥
鈥淲e were very surprised,鈥 senior running back David Lopez said. 鈥淲e thought it would take a week for it to dry up. We never thought it would take a year.鈥
On Friday night, 蜜柚直播 High will host Pueblo for what will be a memorable home opener. The school will celebrate with a field dedication at 6:30 p.m.
The Badgers practiced last year at Cherry Field and played home games at Kino North Stadium, home of the FC 蜜柚直播 soccer team.
Coach Justin Argraves said the old field was already reaching the end of its lifespan and would have been remodeled soon. The flooding, he said, pushed the time frame forward. Crews began improving the drainage system in May; artificial turf was installed soon thereafter.
Argraves said the renovation cost about $700,000.
Principal Shawna Rodriguez said the reopening of the field is 鈥渟uch a relief, and more importantly an exciting way to start the year knowing our students, families and community will be back in Gridley Stadium.鈥
鈥淥ur Badgers have been resilient throughout this situation,鈥 she said, 鈥渁nd we are stronger for it.鈥
Badgers players kick up rubber filler from their new turf field. The school will celebrate with a dedication of the new surface at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
The new field comes with some raised expectations. Last year鈥檚 team went 4-6; Lopez thinks this year鈥檚 team can do better. The new field has made practicing more fun, too.
鈥淚 think we really need that, because last year we were very flat in every practice and it showed in our games,鈥 Lopez said. 鈥淏ut now, our energy is up, we鈥檙e excited for the season and we鈥檙e ready.鈥
蜜柚直播 is coming into Friday鈥檚 game after schooling Phoenix Maryvale 63-6 on the road last week. Pueblo will start its season against the Badgers.
Regardless of the outcome, the Badgers said they鈥檙e looking forward to playing at home. Finally.
鈥淲e have 30-plus seniors,鈥 Argraves said, 鈥渟o I know they鈥檒l be excited to just come home, play in front of the home crowd and just put on a good show.鈥
