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  • Blacklick Valley’s Johnny Sheesley looks for running room against Berlin last season. The Vikings will play their home games on Friday nights this year. file photo

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August 16, 2012

Blacklick to play Friday night home games

Mike Mastovich mmastovich@tribdem.com

JOHNSTOWN — The Valley of the Vikings will turn on the lights this football season.

At least that’s the plan, according to Blacklick Valley football coach Bill Zamboni, who credited the efforts of three Blacklick graduates as well as the support of the district’s school board, Nanty Glo Borough, the local business community and a rural electric association for making the much-anticipated project a reality.

Zamboni said four light poles are scheduled to be installed on Wednesday at the field, which is owned by Nanty Glo Borough. Electrical work and installation of the 44 lights is set to follow, he said.

The veteran Vikings coach noted the team’s first home game – a Week 2 contest against WestPAC opponent Rockwood – already has been moved to 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 7 from the traditional 1 p.m. start on Saturday, Sept. 8.

“We’re going this year. We’re going to play on Friday nights,” Zamboni said during a break in training camp workouts on Thursday afternoon.

“They’re installing the poles next week. I don’t know if we’ll have lights for our scrimmage next Friday night, but we’ll definitely play Rockwood under the lights during the second date of the season. We’ve already switched our referee crews and have talked to Rockwood.”

Over the years, there have been discussions about installing lights at the field, which is located across town from the high school.

Interest inadvertently was rekindled by the successful 2010 installation of lights on the Blacklick Valley Youth Baseball League’s field.

Former Vikings standout athlete Garry Wurm was a point man on both projects. The football field endeavor included considerable input and work by Blacklick graduates Denny Palko and Mike Shultz.

“Two years ago, we put the Youth League lights up,” said Wurm, an assistant football coach and head basketball coach at the school. “When we bought those lights, we had to buy 60 lights instead of the 12 we actually needed. We had 48 extra lights. Denny Palko and I were talking, and we said we either have to sell those extra lights or put them up. We talked to Mike Shultz, who is an electrician.

“We looked into the costs for poles and items like that. We talked to people in the community and there were still some funds available from when they tried this a few years back.”

The light switch figuratively was turned on for the Nanty Glo project.

Shultz is a supervisor for Johnstown-based Enmacon Service Corporation. He said his employer joined the grass roots effort.

“We were able to donate some material and get a good price on other material it would take to bring this project to a reality,” Shultz said.

“It saved a significant amount of money as compared to the last time they tried this project. We were able to put a budget together and stay underneath the budget.

“REA (Rural Electric Association) put forth a big effort helping us out and we couldn’t do it without them,” Shultz added. “We all wanted to do something for the kids of this community. It’s an honor to be a part of it.”

Wurm said a Gridiron Club has been formed to raise funds to maintain the field and perhaps take on additional projects.

“Maybe down the road we’ll be able to add locker rooms or an expanded press box,” Wurm said.

“We could improve the bleachers or the field’s entrance. We could work on beautification of the field.”

Once the lights are on during Blacklick Valley football games, only four area teams will still play their home games on Saturday afternoon: Conemaugh Valley, Ferndale, Rockwood and Westmont Hilltop.

“This community is so supportive of athletics,” Zamboni said.

“If we can be successful on Friday nights, I can’t even imagine how good it will be for the community, the businesses and everyone involved.”

 

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