To move a game or not
Sept. 24, 2007 @ 3:03 p.m. by JoannaOne of the most highly anticipated football games in the area was last Friday’s Bishop Carroll vs. East game. The level of interest for that game extended beyond those two schools, which doesn’t happen too often in Wichita for football.
Basketball, yes. That’s why Southeast vs. East was played at Wichita State’s Koch Arena last season.
But City League athletic director Bill Faflick decided not to move the game from Heights Field (which seats 2,800) to South’s Carpenter Stadium (4,800).
Here’s his reasoning:
“We schedule those games so everyone has an opportunity to play at Carpenter Stadium. If Southeast and East and North and West had their druthers, they’d play all their games at Carpenter.
“It was just a matter of being fair to the kids on the teams at North and West. And they were looking forward to playing there.
“Football is a different situation (from basketball) because there are so few opportunities to play (at Carpenter). It would be fairly easy to move any basketball game because you still have the majority of their games at home.
“Already North and West are on the road. If we can do anything to help them feel that this is their home field, we try really hard to do that.
“It’s just a matter of being fair. The game between North and West was every bit as important for the kids involved, the coaches and the school community involved.”
It certainly would have been fan-friendly to move the game to Carpenter Stadium. About 100 people were turned away when the game sold out. But the district brought in 700 extra seats to Heights (for 3500 seats) and there was standing room available around the track.
While East athletic director Kevin Hartley didn’t have a total number of fans present — as of Monday — he said more than $12,000 in tickets were sold. Faflick said there were probably 4,500 at the game.
This issue does bring up why Wichita doesn’t have another stadium large enough to seat all the fans who want to be at the game. The City League’s only football stadiums are at South, Heights, Northwest and Bishop Carroll (only Carroll plays its games at its field). Kapaun pays beaucoup bucks to play at Wichita State’s Cessna Stadium.
Wichita needs another stadium, one with a nice track and artificial turf. Frankly, South needs artificial turf. But that’s an item for another day.
– Joanna Chadwick
September 28th, 2007 at 11:54 am
I agree…why not a stadium that can accommodate the big games? And use it! While I understand Faflick’s reasoning, I feel it makes no business sense and the BC-Heights was very uncomfortable for a lot of people…especially for the ladies with one bathroom and over 2,000 of ‘em!
September 28th, 2007 at 11:56 am
check that…BC-East game.
October 7th, 2007 at 11:18 am
This has been a problem for some time. This does not have to be a problem. Yes you have the teams that want to and should get to play at the so called home stadiums closest to their respective campuses.
However when you run into a problem like the BC- East game, it should be noted early on that games like this need to be moves to a bigger venue. A battle for the CL title as such it was. Other things you have the number six rated player in the nation playing in the game with his much ballyhoed brother and future top 10 prospect also playing. On the other hand what prospects these other achool may have give them the opportunity to be seen as well.
The disparity in seating only proved that it was under equipped. The $12,500 or so that was made in ticket reciepts could have been more with the same arrangement with moving the game to a bigger venue and given the dame that the more bleacher brought in and standing around the track. Alas it does take away in sort for the other schools. I attended and played for West during the our city league title runs of the mid 1990s and got to play at Carpenter as well as the other stadiums. Nothing is better than playing before a huge crowd.
With all the gate reciepts the money is there to construct a new stadium with all the necessary amenities i.e turf, track. I know that they have made great improvements which may not be seen by all with the last round of money. Out of that $300 million or so they could have constructed a new stadium.
With no football team playing at WSU and not knowing if they would make concessions of which they should to the GWAL. There needs to be more games played at Cessna not just Kapaun and their deep pockets but an agreement to end that would benefit both the CL and WSU. A long rant I understand that will be understood by some and just killed by others. Point being this, get a damn long awaited multi-purpose stadium built that will benefit all athletes of the CL and continue to get these kids seen and allow so that all fans that want to see a game see it.