Bennie Edens would quite likely be delighted to see the new football field at Point Loma High School. The field, which bears Edens’ name, is looking like a million bucks these days, and that’s pretty close to what the colorful new expanse will cost. Work is progressing quickly on the Pointers’ new field and it appears the long-awaited Sept. 1 “Kick-Off” event will come off exactly as planned by event organizers. And PLHS athletic director John Murphy said he couldn’t be happier. “We view our football field as another classroom,” Murphy said. “Our P.E. classes and many other groups use it every day because of our space restrictions. The old field had become a safety hazard for students.” The new field is made of the same material (called “Field Turf Revolution”) used in college and professional stadiums, according to school district officials, and will cost an estimated $1.4 million. The carpet carries an eight-year warranty, but with proper maintenance, the actual life is expected to be closer to 10 to 12 years. Murphy has spent time at the field every day this month because he must sign off on the work completed each day. “I am so happy with the quality of work and effort the contractor’s (Byrom-Davey, Inc.) crews are putting into our project,” Murphy said. “They have been working so hard to make sure our field is going to look the best and be ready for us on time.” And there’s a lot more work that goes into the finished product than might meet the eye. The rolls of turf are manufactured and shipped with only the white lines that cross the field every five yards. These rolls are then put into place across the entire field. Blank rolls cover the remainder of the field. Workers then go over the field and cut out where the large sideline numbers are to go and stitch each one into place. Then, the sideline yard markers and hash lines, that is, 160 on each side, are put in the same way. Later, the crew began cutting out spaces in the large end zones to stitch in the huge “POINT LOMA” letters in the west end zone and “POINTERS” in the east. And, of course, there’s the defiant “Angry Dog” school mascot that was stitched into the turf at center field. Currently, the non-white lines for other sports are being cut from the green turf and stitched in. Some, like soccer, require circular lines, so the Byrom-Davey crew must be accurate when making cuts. As of last week, piles of silica sand, along with massive containers of cryogenic rubber, sat on nearby tennis courts awaiting addition to the field. The Field Turf company notes athletes actually play on this “infill” mixture, which weighs nine pounds per square foot, or more than 720,000 pounds for the Pointer field. Some expected damage was done to the running track at Pete Ross Stadium where installation of water lines had to be cut into it. That damage will be repaired as part of the field project, Murphy said, before a new coat of sealant is placed on the track surface. Byrom-Davey, Inc., with its main office in San Diego, specializes in construction of synthetic surface athletic fields and all-weather tracks.
