More than 6,000 fans expected for Friday's football opener
By Craig Dunn
Daily News Sports Editor

LOGAN — T-minus seven days to liftoff… er, kickoff.

Plans are coming together for next Friday’s highly-anticipated season football opener at brand-new Logan Chieftain Stadium between the Chiefs and Lancaster Golden Gales.

A big portion of the new Logan High School campus, located on state Route 328 just off U.S. Route 33, is still a construction zone, and the Ohio Department of Transportation is working to expand 328.

However, ODOT personnel will be on hand to make traffic two-way during the busiest time of the evening.

Ron Janey, LHS activities director, said 400 parking spaces have been reserved for season ticket holders and workers in front of the stadium. Approximately 200 more spaces will be available in that lot, in addition to 200 in front of the new school and room for around 300 in a private field located across from the entrance.

The field is owned by Mick McCort, who has given the Logan-Hocking School District permission to use it for overflow parking.

Logan and Lancaster football fans can park at the Gabriel Logan parking lot off E. Front Street, where five shuttle buses will be available to run between there and the stadium starting at 5 p.m. The buses will load and unload at the main gate of the LHS campus.

Anyone wanting to leave the game early can catch a bus back to the Gabriel Logan lot starting at the outset of the fourth quarter.

The football team and LHS band will be escorted to the stadium via bus and will be parked near the main gate and locker room.

Gates open at 5 p.m. Fans are urged to arrive early to help keep traffic congestion to a minimum.

“Please be patient,” Janey said. “We know there will be a lot of parking and traffic headaches. We ask everyone to understand we’re doing our best to make the best of a difficult situation.”

Janey noted 12 policemen and 10 members of Hocking College security will be on hand to help with traffic and parking. As mentioned, ODOT will also station workers to help with the 328 construction zone and will also guide traffic out of the stadium toward Logan onto the newly-graveled portion of the roadway.

The Chieftains and Golden Gales kick off at 7:30 p.m. in Logan’s first home game not played at Bill Sauer Field on the Hilltop since 1924. A huge crowd — 6,000 to 6,500 people — is expected.

Dr. Dan Ross, a commissioner with the Ohio High School Athletic Association, will be in attendance and will flip the pre-game coin to determine which team has the ball first.

Team Fastrax, a professional and international, award-winning skydiving team, will parachute-jump and deliver the game ball into the stadium. One team member will jump with a giant American flag and the remaining jumpers will trail red, white, and blue smoke.

Team Fastrax performs all over the United States at professional football and baseball games, NCAA football games, NASCAR, IHRL, major air shows and symphony events.

In addition, representatives from Lancaster High School plan to present a plaque to Logan officials commemorating the historic occasion.

The football Chieftains, who have been practicing on the fields behind the former Rich Wholesale Building — now owned by the school district — held their first official practice on the new stadium turf Wednesday. The Chiefs travel to Sheridan for a scrimmage tonight before getting ready for next Friday’s game with the Gales.

The Lady Chiefs varsity and reserve soccer teams play the first official games in the stadium next Thursday when they host Jackson in Southeastern Ohio Athletic League matches. The JV match begins at 5 p.m., with the varsity to follow around 6:30.

    One thing that won’t be ready by next Friday is the track that encircles the football field. While the track area has been blacktopped in preparation for laying the rubber running track on top, actually putting the track in place has been delayed until the following week.

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