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 The Catamount football team practiced on the new turf Wednesday morning for the first time. |
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Oct. 1, 2008
Cullowhee, N.C. - The Western Carolina Catamount football team returned to the new turf at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field Wednesday morning as preparations continued for Saturday's Homecoming game against Samford. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 pm.
"It was great to be back on the turf here at Whitmire Stadium / Waters Field this morning," said head coach Dennis Wagner following the two-hour session on Wednesday. "This turf is really beautiful - Carolina Green did a great job, especially in the time frame in which they had to work. The players really liked the feel and the way it played today."
He added, "This turf again improves our facility. It is just another reason for recruits to come play football here at Western Carolina."
Carolina Green Corporation of Indian Trail, N.C., moved into Whitmire Stadium just hours following Western's home game against the nationally-ranked Liberty Flames back on Sept. 13. By sunrise the next morning, the old turf had been removed and the remnants of the old rubber and sand base were being excavated.
At approximately 7:30 am on Tuesday, Sept. 16, the first part of the turf - the purple end zone located closes to the Ramsey Center - was unfurled and rolled out, with the project reaching completion on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
The new surface includes sewn in hash marks, field numbering and yard lines, with the new WCU logo emblazoned with the Catamount head mark between the 45 yard lines with solid purple end zones on either bookending the surface.
The turf is a product of the European-based Desso Sports Systems. The actual product consists of a nylon-like woven base interlaced with synthetic "blades of grass" that are approximately two inches in length. The material is sewn together then glued to a base on the ground. Once the turf was in place, it was back-filled with a mixture of sand and rubber to serve as the "dirt" that helps provide stability to the turf.
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Western Carolina opens the home portion of its Southern Conference schedule this Saturday, Oct. 4 at it hosts conference newcomer, Samford. The Catamounts (2-3, 0-1 SoCon) will try and snap a 16-game league losing skid which dates back to 2005. Also on Saturday, WCU will crown its Homecoming Queen and King at halftime.
