Stevenson will play on turf next fall

When Stevenson High School's football teams hit the field for home games next season, they'll trot out on artificial turf, not grass.

Stevenson is set to become the fourth Lake County school to replace a natural field with a manmade surface. It should be ready for the start of the 2008-09 athletic season, school spokesman Jim Conrey said.

Because artificial turf withstands abuse better than grass, the football teams won't be the only squads benefiting from the new turf. Stevenson's soccer, lacrosse and girls field hockey teams could play on the new field, too, Conrey said.

Students participating in Stevenson's intramural programs might play on the new field, too, he said.

"We have a very large flag football league that historically has played its championship games in the stadium," Conrey said. "Now, perhaps, regular season games can be played on the turf with the concern about wear and tear diminished."

Stevenson's marching band should like the artificial playing surface, too. The band had to cancel a halftime performance this season after several days of heavy rains left the field in bad shape, Conrey said.

Lake Zurich High, Carmel Catholic High in Mundelein and Libertyville High are the only other Lake County high schools with artificial turf. At all three of those schools, the projects were funded by community donations.

That's not the case at Stevenson, where the school board included the project in its annual budget, Conrey said.

The turf is expected to cost between $730,000 and $800,000. The board is expected to approve an installation bid for the project Monday.

Work is set to begin in late May at the Lincolnshire campus, after the spring sports have wrapped up their seasons.

Proponents of artificial turf say the surface looks and feels like real grass but can better endure frequent use and harsh weather conditions.

Stevenson officials had hoped to have the field in place for the recently completed 2007 football season, but infrastructure improvements elsewhere on campus forced them to delay the project, Conrey said.