FORKS — The potential benefits of the new Spartans Stadium FieldTurf surface will not be wholly enjoyed by Forks students and citizens.
North Olympic Peninsula neighbors are all welcome to utilize the field, according to Quillayute Valley School District Superintendent Diana Reaume.
“Absolutely, and our fees are minimal,” Reaume said.
“We are really looking at what increased usage of this facility will bring to the community. If people are visiting the community for sporting events, it can add to the success of our city’s merchants.”
Reaume said she has reached out to Peninsula College to gauge interest in hosting a men’s and women’s soccer doubleheader or practice on the new field.
Peninsula College has an extension site in Forks just blocks away from the stadium.
The most likely scenario for usage is “home” high school football playoff games for a team like Neah Bay.
The Red Devils are a football powerhouse, winning three of the past five Class 1B eight-man state championships.
Those title runs have started by hosting playoff games at the nearest available artificial turf fields — North Kitsap’s stadium in Poulsbo and Silverdale Stadium in Bremerton.
Neah Bay head coach Tony McCaulley said he and the Red Devils Athletic Director Michael Brunstad already have investigated the prospect of hosting games in Forks.
“We are in a battle for that right now,” McCaulley said recently.
“We are fighting for it.”
The reasons behind a potential turf war are a geographic and administrative confluence.
Forks is located inside the boundaries of the Washington State Interscholastic Activities Association’s West Central District 3, but the Spartans’ athletic teams are members of Southwest District 4.
WIAA rules dictate that all playoff games be played on district-approved artificial turf surfaces to make things fair for all parties. Grass fields are often worn down, swampy messes come playoff time in November.
The Forks field may still be allowed to host playoff games for West Central District schools.
“The WCD Football committee is responsible for approving home playoff sites for first and second round state playoff games involving WCD teams,” said committee chair Dave Lutes, the director of Athletics, Activities and Facility Use for the Kent School District.
“There are multiple criteria we look at as the sites are being selected. I do not think that just because Forks is a District 4 member school that District 3 member schools could not use the Forks facility as a home site.
“The football committee and District 3 Director, Joe Keller, would make a decision that would be fair to the schools involved.”
Keller agreed.
“I think Dave’s analysis is correct,” Keller said.
“It is not out of the question, but would need to be approved by the WCD Board.”
After logging thousands of miles sitting on school bus bench seats in route to and from playoff games, McCaulley has formed a pretty strong opinion.
“If we earn home playoff games and they don’t give it to us [in Forks] that would be pretty chicken. It’s so close to us, I’m going to do all I can to keep us closer to home.”
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
