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57 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, September 19, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 31, 2004 Pop Warner squads to play at best stadiums The Rogue Valley Pop Warner championship games will be played at Spiegelberg Stadium, and the winners will move and play at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. The move caps a joint fund-raising effort between Rogue Valley Pop Warner Commissioner Greg Reeser and Willamette Valley Pop Warner Commissioner Fred Banks. It will cost $6,000 to use Autzen Stadium for the first-ever Oregon state championships, says Reeser. "It's a big reward for all the effort," said Reeser, who's spearheaded RVPW's expansion from four teams in 1996 to 30 this season. "It's kind of the crown jewel. After this, what are you going to do?" The Rogue Valley Pee Wee and Junior Pee Wee championship games will be played Nov. 13 and the state championships are scheduled for Nov. 21. At Autzen, players will have access to the locker rooms and RVPW will have access to the jumbotron and scoreboard. Advertisement The move represents a huge upgrade in postseason venues. Last season, league champions from Oregon advanced to regionals, which were played at rundown high school facilities in the Bay Area. "We started talking about an improved venue right after the regionals, and we decided that a state championship at a nice stadium would be a much better reward for our champions," Reeser said. Spiegelberg, resurfaced with FieldTurf, was discussed as an option from the beginning, as was another high-quality high school facility at Cottage Grove. That wasn't true of Autzen, however. "Autzen was a dream," Reeser said. "It was perceived to be unattainable, so we didn't think about it right away." The RVPW season kicks off at 10 a.m., Sept. 11 with games all across the Rogue Valley. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities