Aug 25, 2025
LEWISTOWN — Tish Maclay described the opening of Donald M. Chapman III Stadium at Mifflin County Excessive College on Friday evening as a dream come true.
Usually, the soccer season would have kicked off at venerable Mitchell Discipline for the Mifflin County Excessive College athletic director and different athletic division officers. This 12 months, with the completion of the $18.5 million Husky Multi-Sports activities Advanced, a complete new period in Mifflin County athletics was born.
“To see a lot neighborhood and pupil satisfaction all through the night was superb,” Maclay defined.
“Chapman Stadium offers a spot for individuals to return collectively in a optimistic method and luxuriate in all the nice power Mifflin County has to supply,” Maclay added.
College officers mentioned there have been lengthy strains on the gates once they opened at 5 p.m., two hours previous to kickoff.
“That’s what actually stood out to me, and in addition that lengthy strains on the two concession stands and the milkshake stand,” Mifflin County College District Superintendent of Colleges Vance Varner mentioned.
“The benches within the plaza space have been utterly full with individuals, stress-free, socializing, watching the sport, speaking to individuals going to and from the concession stands,” Varner added. “It was undoubtedly a community-minded occasion.”
Which is what the pitch for the brand new complicated has been all alongside. And, after all, there was a soccer sport because the Huskies opened their 2025 season in dominant vogue beating Central Mountain 42-0.
Mifflin County quarterback Chase Hartung scored the first-ever landing on the new Kish Financial institution Discipline with a one-yard plunge on the 9:58 mark of the second quarter.
“It was fairly particular to be on the market on that subject,” mentioned Hartung, a senior on the soccer group. “And see how that many individuals have been there to help us.”
Gamers and coaches alike have been appreciative of the massive crowd that stuffed the Huskies’ new den and the ambiance for the inaugural sport on the 4,300-seat stadium. College officers estimate there have been round 5,000 individuals on the sport.
“The atmosphere was actually cool,” mentioned Huskies head coach Shane Breon of the brand new facility. Breon’s father, Willie, coached at Indian Valley and the household spent many Friday nights below the lights at Mitchell Discipline.
“The house bleachers have been stuffed, and the opposite aspect was packed as Central Mountain introduced numerous followers,” Breon mentioned. “It was neat with the Husky Stroll to the stadium, and having the scholar part and the band and cheerleaders on the sphere forming a tunnel. The house followers have been proper there, too.
“It was an amazing atmosphere, with the brand new stadium with the mountains within the background,” Breon added.
Successful proved to be the icing on the cake.
“I’m undoubtedly glad to get a win within the first sport,” Breon mentioned. “It was an superior evening.”
Gamers, like Husky senior Nevin Farley, who performs each tight finish and security, might really feel the thrill created by the brand new stadium. He was grateful to lastly play on the Kish Financial institution Discipline turf after years on the soggy turf at Mitchell Discipline.
He hopes followers will come again each week to fill the stands and help Mifflin County soccer.
“It was simply superb,” Farley mentioned. “It introduced a brand new power to the group. We hope to place a very good product on the sphere, and have success going ahead.
“I’ve been anticipating it being open,” Farley added. “I’ve been watching it come collectively.”
He mentioned having so many individuals come out bonded the varsity and neighborhood. It was a surreal expertise taking part in in entrance of so many individuals.
“Even at away stadiums, I haven’t seen it that full,” Farley defined. “The neighborhood got here collectively on Friday and helped generate numerous pleasure for this system.”
Varner mentioned college officers welcomed the beginning of the soccer season and faculty 12 months with immense satisfaction and pleasure. This 12 months marks a really particular milestone as they debut the Husky Multi-Sports activities Advanced, which is what he known as “a testomony to the imaginative and prescient, dedication and teamwork of our total neighborhood. It displays the spirit and power of our faculty district.”
He added due to the tireless efforts of the district’s board of administrators, administration, college, workers and unbelievable generosity of so many neighborhood members and companies, this 12 months’s soccer season will probably be one for the historical past books.
“These new amenities will profit not solely our soccer program, however all of our outside sports activities packages in addition to the (marching) band,” Varner added. “We stay up for internet hosting a wide range of thrilling occasions, together with band competitions, district and state playoffs, invitationals and different main tournaments. The alternatives these amenities deliver are really limitless.”
With the opener out of the way in which, the Huskies can get again to work for its subsequent sport on Friday and athletic division officers can put together to host Northern York at Kish Financial institution Discipline at Donald M. Chapman Stadium III in week two.
It’s undoubtedly reassuring to have that opener below their belts. There’ll solely ever be one-first sport on the new facility.
“All the things went very well and everybody who helped to make the evening a actuality is to be counseled,” Maclay mentioned.
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