Parkway football stadium to get $1.1 million turf field for 2022 high school season
For the first time in almost four decades Parkway’s Preston Crownover Stadium is receiving a new look beginning this week.
Built in 1984 at the site of the former high school on Panther Drive in South Bossier City, the stadium is slated to become the third Bossier Parish high school football stadium to receive an artificial surface, according to Bossier assistant superintendent Jason Rowland. Work by GEO Surfaces on the $1.168 million project is slated to begin Monday with a 90-day completion contract underway.
The Panthers are currently scheduled to open the 2022 season Sept. 2 (47 days) at home against Minden.
“There are incentives included to finish early,” Rowland said. “Parkway has made provisions to play at Bossier High or switch home games until we can get this finished. It is going to be a great project for Parkway High, South Bossier and Bossier Parish Schools.”
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Stadiums at Bossier High and Airline already have an artificial surface on the fields. Benton, Haughton and Plain Dealing still have natural turf. Parkway coach Coy Brotherton said having the new surface means a lot to his school and community.
“This year, we will only play one game on grass,” Brotherton said. “It’s exciting for football, but this now means our boys and girls soccer teams will have somewhere they can play home soccer games. Our community has a field that can be used for multiple sports, dance practices, band concerts, middle school events and youth events.”
Brotherton hopes the field will be completed by Week 3 of the football season.
“Right now, we plan on opening the season against Minden at Bossier High followed by a road game,” he said. “And a target opening date of week 3 at home on the new turf. Depending on weather and crew availability and materials, it could be sooner or later.
“As a coach, I’m excited about the time and money it will save our coaching staff from mowing, painting and maintaining a grass surface, especially during the season.”
GEO Surfaces will scrape the existing sod and begin the field prep Monday. Gone will be the crown in the center of the field that has allowed for better drainage on rainy days. The company will either install new drainage or connect to the existing drainage at the site. A concrete base will then be poured in phases. A GEO base is installed prior to the turf being glued down at the seams.
“GEO uses a sand mixed with other material to work into the turf,” Rowland said. “There are no more rubber granules that attract heat. The new turf is some 20 to 30 degrees cooler than the older installations.”
Airline’s M.D. Ray field had turf installed last summer for $1.2 million, while Bossier High’s was installed in 2018 at a cost of approximately $1 million.
Jimmy Watson covers Shreveport-Bossier area sports. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Parkway’s Preston Crownover Stadium to get turf field
