Officials: Building a stadium would help create sense of identity for Central High School

When Scott Horrell played high school football at Cape Girardeau Central High School in the 1980s, the team played at Houck Stadium at Southeast Missouri State University. His father also played there and so does his son, who is a sophomore.

"You would think somewhere along the way we could have had our own stadium," he said.

When the high school opened in 2002, budget cuts left out several construction projects, including a performing arts venue and sports complex.

The current Cape Central track location is where a stadium was proposed to be constructed years ago. (Kit Doyle)

"There is a sense of ownership and identity [that] comes with having your own stadium," said high school principal Dr. Mike Cowan. "Central doesn't have that."

After hosting three forums to get a sense of public opinion, school officials are going to the drawing board to create a new facilities plan to outline construction and renovation projects for the district.

A steering committee composed of parents, business leaders, teachers and administrators is working on the plan, which school officials said will address overcrowding issues and unfinished projects at the high school.

Horrell, a member of the committee, started working on stadium plans in the fall of 2007 when he rallied parents and coaches for support.

"Everyone was receptive to what we were talking about," he said. "Our initial focus was to try to get this done with private funding."

Their efforts, which included architectural drawings and cost estimates, have been incorporated into districtwide facilities planning. Preliminary estimates in 2007 put the project at $4 million, including a building for concessions, locker rooms and restrooms. The facilities plan is still in the beginning stages and Horrell said that figure could change depending on the scope of the project.

From the beginning, he said, everyone involved in the project envisioned a complex to hold track meets and band competitions. The track team holds meets at the Junior High School.

The district pays Southeast about $10,000 a year to rent the stadium for football games. The contract will be renegotiated in 2011, said athletic director Lance Tollison.

Because the school plays at Southeast, the majority of their home games are on Thursday night, creating challenges for teachers, students and coaches, said football coach Rich Payne.

Tollison said it makes it harder to negotiate scheduling contracts.

"It is a difficult task to convince someone to play us knowing we could be bumped to Thursday night," he said.

Students do not have a Friday night football tradition or home field advantage, he said.

"When you walk out there and you're a Central Tiger and there's a Redhawk on the field, you know it's not yours," Tollison said.

Payne said playing Thursday nights at Southeast creates several disadvantages for the athletes.

"The kids don't practice in that stadium," he said. "They don't have the ability to get acclimated to that stadium after weeks and weeks."

Attendance suffers and other coaches get a chance to preview the team, he said.

"It gives every coach in the region an opportunity to come scout you on Thursday night," Payne said.

Dr. Mike Cowan said students stay out later on a school night, the day before tests, quizzes and papers are often due.

"Those Thursday night games are not good," Cowan said. "They're not academically responsible."

School officials said they will host a second round of forums after the facilities plan is drafted. They said they hope to have a no-tax-increase bond issue on the ballot next April. As they work to draft the plan, the space to accommodate the projects is available.

The land on the east end of the high school is reserved for a performing arts facility. There is also land set aside on the north side for an events complex, Tollison said.

"The layout's really there, it's just providing the structures around the practice field," he said.

abusch@semissourian.com

388-3627

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