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ATHLETICS Ready and waiting Phillips Field renovation complete, to be put to use Monday Comment By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@Joe_Zavala99 DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@Joe_Zavala99 Posted Aug. 4, 2016 at 7:54 PM By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@Joe_Zavala99 Posted Aug. 4, 2016 at 7:54 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Hummel touts Ashland support • Phillips Field renovation should be finished by July 15 • Phillips Field to get its facelift • New Turf Ground Breaking » Social News Ashland High School football coach Charlie Hall’s office is only a few steps away from a door that opens up to one of the best views on campus, and that view just got a little better with the completion of the $1.56 million renovation of Walter A. Phillips Field. “I think, aesthetically, it’s a beautiful field,” Hall said. It would be hard to disagree. The costly project, funded almost entirely by donations, replaced one of the oldest grass football fields on the West Coast with a state-of-the-art synthetic turf featuring the first all-natural infill in Oregon. Hellas Construction broke ground in April and finished lining the new field for both soccer and football about two weeks ago. The geo-plus infill, touted by Hellas as 100 percent “environmentally friendly" and “at least” 40 degrees cooler than standard crumb rubber fields in hot weather, is made of coconut fiber and cork. The infill was added only days ago and has been “raked in” with a machine that’s towed behind a golf-cart like vehicle. The 120-yard-by-65-yard field is expected to be ready for use today, although it likely won’t be broken in until the Ashland High football team begins its preseason camp Monday. The renovation also included a new drainage and sprinkler system, new LED stadium lights and a Limonta shock drain pad for softer landings and improved drainage. A representative from Hellas Construction walked the field with Ashland High athletic director Karl Kemper Thursday morning as part of its final inspection. The natural infill feature, the project’s 11th-hour add-on, was only possible after a 10-day fundraising blitz that yielded another $95,000, and according to early reviews its impact on the field’s playability will be substantial. Kemper said the field temperature was taken before the infill was added and it measured a whopping 150 degrees. Now that the infill is in place, Hall said, the field feels much cooler. As for the feel of the turf, Hall and Kemper give it two thumbs up. “It does feel like a grass field,” Kemper said. “They have created fake dirt, essentially. I’ve been on a lot of turf fields with crumb rubber and this definitely has a different feel to it. And the heat factor’s huge.” Hall agreed. “It feels like being on a golf course,” he said. “It’s firm, but I would say realistic in terms of a real good grass playing field. “The carpet’s been down for a while, and over the course of the last two or three weeks I have been on it off and on in this very, very hot weather. And before they put any of the sand and the infill in they had measurements of 150 degrees on the turf. Just having the sand and the geo fill, it was incredibly cooler. It was normal. Sometimes you’re on those turf fields and you can actually see the heat radiating off the surface. It wasn’t like that at all. It just felt like you were on a hot grass field, so I think that’s their big selling point — that it’s a lot cooler — and I felt that it was a major difference.” The first official event on the new field will be a boys varsity soccer game scheduled for Sept. 2 between Ashland and Mountain View. Afterward, and prior to a varsity football game between Ashland and Klamath Union scheduled for that night, the school will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Primary donor Jeremy Guthrie, an Ashland High alum who pitched in the Major Leagues from 2004 to 2015, is planning to attend, Kemper said. Originally, the district had planned to have the Ashland High logo, a grizzly paw, stitched into the center of the field, but that permanent touch ended up getting scrapped in order to make the budget. Instead, Kemper said, the logo will probably be painted on the field prior to home games. Kemper said the field will be well-used. Prep football and soccer games will be played there, he said. Off the top of his head, Kemper said it may also host middle school football, Pop Warner football, adult league soccer and P.E. activities. “This is a community facility with the priority being school-aged kids,” he said. “I’m excited that the community stepped up and made the extra push. There was a point where we had enough for the crumb rubber infill and the community really stepped up and put their money where their mouth is, as they always seem to. It’s just been a handful of people that have been able to use this field the past few years and now countless people will be able to use the field.” Though maintenance is minimal compared to a natural grass field, there is still some work that must be done in order to keep the field in top condition. According to Hellas regional vice president Jeff Bergevin, the field should be watered about twice a month during the hottest part of the summer (in the winter, he added, the field will “absorb ambient moisture” and thus will not need to be watered. The field will have to be groomed regularly as well. “We’re providing them also with grooming equipment,” Bergevin said, “so they’ll need to once a month or so go out and clean the field, brush the field, groom the field.” The field has an eight-year warranty, although Bergevin said it could last 10 to 12 years if properly maintained. Also, he said Hellas recommends replenishing the infill “every couple years.” Bergevin touted the lights, which he said may be the first LED stadium lights in Oregon. “They’re brighter, they’re clearer, crisper,” he said. “They use a lot less energy and they last way, way, way longer.” Joe Zavala is a reporter for the Ashland Daily Tidings. Reach him at 541-821-0829 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @Joe_Zavala99. By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@Joe_Zavala99 DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@Joe_Zavala99 Posted Aug. 4, 2016 at 7:54 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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