UPPER LAKE >> Nearly a decade after the fundraising effort began, the Upper Lake High School football and soccer field is finally getting its lights.
The groundbreaking ceremony for Upper Lake High School’s lights took place Monday morning in a slight drizzle that didn’t come close to dampening the hearts and spirits of those in attendance. Ron Raetz, a retired Upper Lake High School teacher who has been heavily involved in fundraising efforts for nearly 10 years, had the honor of shoveling the first few mounds of dirt after Melanie Sneathen, president of the Upper Lake High School Boosters Club, introduced and thanked many of those in attendance for their part in making a lighted field possible.
Other speakers included Pat Iaccino, Upper Lake Union High School District Superintendent; Sherry Treppa, Chairperson of the Executive Council for the Habematolel Band of Pomo Indians, owners of Running Creek Casino; and Upper Lake High School athletic director and varsity football head coach Mike Smith.
The Lights of Love fundraiser, held annually since 2009, and other fundraisers generated more than $165,000 toward the cost of installing the lights, and the Habematolel Band of Pomo Indians/Running Creek Casino contributed another $130,000 to complete the fundraising efforts.
Since Middletown High School added lights for the 2001 season at what is now Bill Foltmer Field, Upper Lake has been the only school in the county without lights and the only football team to play its home games on Saturday afternoons when temperatures often hit the high 90s or even triple digits.
Friday night games traditionally generate more fans, more excitement and a bigger gate for the home team, according to Smith.
“As an AD and speaking for Upper Lake athletics, it’s a huge boost for making it (Friday night games) an event. Right now a lot of locals who have kids that they know won’t play on Saturday go away for the weekend. Now they can come and watch and still have their weekend free,” Smith said. “It’s also an opportunity to promote other programs at the school and to do fundraisers because we’ll have more people at the games.”
Speaking as the head of the Upper Lake football program, which has been a winner on the field since switching to an eight-man game under Smith’s direction in 2015, Smith said the opportunity to coach the first night game in the school’s history is quite an honor.
“It’s not only an honor for me, but the kids are chomping at the bit … they can’t wait,” Smith added.
The lights, which will be affixed atop four standards at the football/soccer field, are being installed by Modesto Executive Electric. They are expected to be ready to go before Upper Lake High School’s graduation on May 26 and well in advance of the Cougars’ first scheduled home game on Sept. 14 against Rincon Valley Christian. A formal lights dedication ceremony is planned for Upper Lake’s season-opening Red and White Scrimmage on Friday, Aug. 18, which is the first time the team will go under the lights.
“It’s more of a trial run than anything else because it won’t be that dark yet,” Smith said of the Red and White Scrimmage.
Besides the Rincon Valley Christian home opener, the Cougars host four straight game between late September and mid-October. They are home Sept. 21 against Round Valley, Sept. 28 or 29 against Roseland Collegiate Prep, Oct. 5 against Anderson Valley, and Oct. 12 against South Fork.
Upper Lake’s homecoming game, currently scheduled for Sept. 28, may actually be played on Saturday, Sept. 29 under the lights, according to Smith.
“I’m not sure if the rest of the community is ready to move it (homecoming) to Saturday night because we have a parade and the alumni has a big get-together that weekend,” Smith said. “It’s up in the air right now but it could happen.”
Smith said other improvements are in the works at the Upper Lake field, including a plan for new stadium seating and a new press box. The old press box and filming booth was torn down after the 2016 season because of structural concerns, according to Smith.
Of the many people who played a role in making the lighted field a reality, Smith said of Raetz, “Ron put in so many years on that, I’m really glad for him. Obviously I can’t thank Running Creek Casino enough. They basically matched every dollar that we raised to make this possible. They are a big supporter of everything we do here at the school.”
