Aug 25, 2025
LEWISTOWN — Tish Maclay described the opening of Donald M. Chapman III Stadium at Mifflin County Excessive College on Friday night time as a dream come true.
Sometimes, the soccer season would have kicked off at venerable Mitchell Area for the Mifflin County Excessive College athletic director and different athletic division officers. This yr, with the completion of the $18.5 million Husky Multi-Sports activities Complicated, an entire new period in Mifflin County athletics was born.
“To see a lot neighborhood and scholar pleasure all through the night was wonderful,” Maclay defined.
“Chapman Stadium gives a spot for individuals to come back collectively in a optimistic method and luxuriate in all the good vitality Mifflin County has to supply,” Maclay added.
College officers stated there have been lengthy strains on the gates after they opened at 5 p.m., two hours previous to kickoff.
“That’s what actually stood out to me, and likewise that lengthy strains on the two concession stands and the milkshake stand,” Mifflin County College District Superintendent of Colleges Vance Varner stated.
“The benches within the plaza space had been fully full with individuals, stress-free, socializing, watching the sport, speaking to individuals going to and from the concession stands,” Varner added. “It was positively a community-minded occasion.”
Which is what the pitch for the brand new complicated has been all alongside. And, in fact, there was a soccer recreation 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 Area 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,” stated Hartung, a senior on the soccer workforce. “And see how that many individuals had been there to assist us.”
Gamers and coaches alike had been appreciative of the massive crowd that crammed the Huskies’ new den and the environment for the inaugural recreation on the 4,300-seat stadium. College officers estimate there have been round 5,000 individuals on the recreation.
“The surroundings was actually cool,” stated 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 Area.
“The house bleachers had been crammed, and the opposite aspect was packed as Central Mountain introduced plenty of followers,” Breon stated. “It was neat with the Husky Stroll to the stadium, and having the scholar part and the band and cheerleaders on the sector forming a tunnel. The house followers had been proper there, too.
“It was an ideal surroundings, with the brand new stadium with the mountains within the background,” Breon added.
Successful proved to be the icing on the cake.
“I’m positively glad to get a win within the first recreation,” Breon stated. “It was an superior night time.”
Gamers, like Husky senior Nevin Farley, who performs each tight finish and security, may really feel the thrill created by the brand new stadium. He was grateful to lastly play on the Kish Financial institution Area turf after years on the soggy turf at Mitchell Area.
He hopes followers will come again every week to fill the stands and assist Mifflin County soccer.
“It was simply wonderful,” Farley stated. “It introduced a brand new vitality to the workforce. We hope to place product on the sector, and have success going ahead.
“I’ve been anticipating it being open,” Farley added. “I’ve been watching it come collectively.”
He stated having so many individuals come out bonded the college and neighborhood. It was a surreal expertise enjoying 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 plenty of pleasure for this system.”
Varner stated faculty officers welcomed the beginning of the soccer season and faculty yr with immense pleasure and pleasure. This yr marks a really particular milestone as they debut the Husky Multi-Sports activities Complicated, which is what he referred to as “a testomony to the imaginative and prescient, dedication and teamwork of our whole neighborhood. It displays the spirit and energy of our faculty district.”
He added because of the tireless efforts of the district’s board of administrators, administration, school, employees and unimaginable generosity of so many neighborhood members and companies, this yr’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 out of doors sports activities packages in addition to the (marching) band,” Varner added. “We stay up for internet hosting quite a lot of thrilling occasions, together with band competitions, district and state playoffs, invitationals and different main tournaments. The alternatives these amenities carry are really limitless.”
With the opener out of the best way, the Huskies can get again to work for its subsequent recreation on Friday and athletic division officers can put together to host Northern York at Kish Financial institution Area at Donald M. Chapman Stadium III in week two.
It’s positively reassuring to have that opener below their belts. There’ll solely ever be one-first recreation on the new facility.
“The whole lot went rather well and everybody who helped to make the night time a actuality is to be counseled,” Maclay stated.
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