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Prep Notebook Grizz trio lend aid to aging stadium By GREG STILES Three Ashland High seniors have something in mind that might be as enduring as the state football championship the Grizzlies won last month. Josh Brown, Austin Mason and Roger Walsh are helping renovate the visitors' seating on the south side of Walter A. Phillips Field for their senior project. Although the main grandstand was overhauled in 1997, the project is the first expansion of the 60-plus-year-old stadium since concrete seating was poured in the west end zone in the 1950s. When the enterprise is completed, the capacity of Phillips Field will be increased by 300-400 more seats, including a covered reserved section. The lower bleacher rows have been useless for viewing anything but the trainer applying ice bags. But that's about to change. Bob Mayers of Adroit Construction headed up the previous renovation project and is serving as a mentor for Brown, Mason and Walsh. "I'll take them down and show them how to apply for permits," says Mayers, whose company will donate time and equipment for the project. "Once we get started with construction with our crews, we'll put hammers in their hands and that type of thing." There's been no rush to begin work because of wet, wintry weather. While the physical aspect lies ahead, the trio's initial efforts were to raise funds for the $40,000-plus endeavor. Although the threesome proposed their project prior to the season, they couldn't have picked a better year. Community football interest grew exponentially as the Grizzlies won 14 straight games en route to their first state championship since 1991. "People kind of take the playoffs for granted, but this year we weren't supposed to do anything and we won state," says Walsh. "It helps when you're successful and winning the championship brought the community back behind the program." During the season, the boys put together a flier that was inserted in football programs. They've secured the help of engineer Phil McColloch, a 1961 Ashland graduate, to draw up the plans. This week, they are mailing letters to businesses hoping to drum up donations and volunteers for the project. "We've opened up an account for donations and held a 50-50 ticket raffle," says Brown, who moved to Ashland from Hawaii when he was in the eighth grade. One of the major fund-raisers is an alumni game scheduled July 2. An alumni contest two years ago raised $7,000 towards the football team's exchange trip to Japan. Even before the summer contest, the bleachers will be removed, a concrete foundation poured and a 5-foot block wall built. The interior will be filled with gravel, a slab poured on top and the bleachers will be bolted to the concrete. "The foundation walls will be set up so we can add to the structure," Mayers says. "Even if we don't cover the whole thing now, it can be done at a later date." Athletic director and football coach Jim Nagel supports such an upgrade. "The need to expand our reserved seating has been confronting us for sometime," Nagel says. With the portable bleachers we can seat maybe 5,000. Our problem is that maybe 1,500 to 2,000 of the seats are fairly good and the other 3,000 aren't very good. If we add 3-400 more quality seats, we'll be in good shape. "It's one of those things that when you're successful more and more people want to come. People move in to town and call up asking for season tickets to Grizzly games. When I explain they have to go on a waiting list, they're surprised." So Nagel, who would love to have a press box for video crews and scouts thrown in the equation, didn't hesitate when his players asked if he knew of a worthy project. "They decided to tackle it," Nagel says. "I dropped it in their lap and they're going with it." Walsh says he originally considered coaching a YMCA team for his senior project before opting for the stadium effort. "I decided this was more community oriented," Walsh says. "Football is a community oriented activity." As part of their project obligations, the boys must complete 15 hours of fund-raising and physical labor by March 1 and write a paper related to the subject. Then comes the hard part, says Walsh, the presentation. "You need visuals before, in the middle and after. We won't have the after, but we'll have drawings and schedules," Walsh says. "We'll have plenty to talk about, but fielding questions will be a little difficult." Even if the boys get an A for their efforts, they may well lend a hand after graduation. The work is scheduled to be finished before next season. If not? "In theory," says Walsh, "someone else would take it over for their senior project next year." Project donations may be sent to: Football Bleacher Improvements, P.O. Box 3524, Ashland, OR, 97520 or delivered to Valley of the Rogue Bank and deposited in account No. 130452373. (Greg Stiles is a Mail Tribune sports writer. He can be reached at 776-4483.) Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford,