Dayton dream field on hold

For three years Dayton football coach Rick Walker has quietly planned the transformation from a beat-up grass football field to a synthetic surface that gives the program the same turf that everyone from professional franchises to Virginia City plays on.

But while the blades of fake grass glimmer in the afternoon sun, the scene is only in the background for the Dust Devils as they have been forced to remain on the practice field in the back of the school.

"It's tough to see it laying there and we can't be on it, so that's pretty tough," Walker said. "But we'll deal with it. Just move on.

"I wasn't out there enough to tell you the details, (but) just some of the seams weren't done as well as they should have been and some of that kind of stuff."

The team was supposed to begin practicing on the field Monday after an early-morning inspection, but won't take the field for up to another two weeks.

The setbacks have caused Dayton to have to reschedule what should have been a home scrimmage Saturday against Wooster, to a road contest at Joe Sellers Field. But so far, the change in venue has only been a headache to Walker.

"It's going to be awesome," quarterback Connor Conroy said. "I like these fields. It's way better than the patch like (our practice field) we were playing on."

A two-week push back, though, is worth the wait for something Walker started three years ago. After researching the project for about two years, Walker approached an excavation company about a bid last year. He presented the bid to members of the Lyon County School District and was initially told it was impossible because of the current economy. Several months later, though, the district found money left over from a school bond meant for upgrades to infrastructure, Walker said. He added that the cost of the project was between $500,000-$600,000.

"I can't take credit for it all," Walker said. "Keith Savage, who is our associate superintendent, he's the one who kind of spearheaded everything and put it all together. He's done a ton of work."

The field upgrade, which will also be used by the boys and girls soccer teams, is the latest in renovations for the Dayton High School. The school is also in the midst of revamping its parking lot and installed a synthetic track surface last year.

Synthetic turf fields have been the latest craze in the area. Aside from Virginia City, schools such as Douglas, McQueen and most recently Fernley have upgraded to the turf, which is supposed to last at least 10 years. The surface also eliminates the cost of watering, which according to the Synthetic Turf Council, could save up to 50,000 gallons of water a year.

While the Dust Devils have been forced to hold off playing on the field, they did get a chance to play on a similar field when they participated in a 7-on-7 passing tournament in Fernley.

Senior wide receiver Nik McJunkin, though, couldn't wait to get on the field.

"It looks great," he said. "I ran on it with some friends and it feels amazing. Your cleats just get in there and you've got the grip. There's no dirt patches. It's just great."