Springdale looks for new football field, coach for upcoming season

The Allegheny Valley School Board is hoping to answer two key unknowns about the district’s football program at its meeting Tuesday — where the team will play and who will be its coach.

The school directors will consider authorizing the administration to secure an off-site football field for the fall. They also will consider hiring a head football coach.

For years, the team has played at Veterans Memorial Field along Lincoln Avenue in Springdale. The football team is the only Springdale High School team that plays at Veterans Field.

Superintendent Pat Graczyk pointed to an Oct. 18, 2022, board meeting where members voted to terminate the lease with Springdale Borough for use of the field.

It expires at the end of this school year, according to district spokeswoman Jan Zastawniak.

“So as it stands, after there’s a vote taken, (athletic director Amanda Noel) will work on this along with (Principal Andrew Leviski) and … we’ll get a field for the 2024-25 season,” Graczyk said.

Tuesday’s agenda also includes a motion to hire a head football coach, Zastawniak said. Ryan Tempalski resigned from the post in December. Candidates’ names weren’t available Thursday.

If the school board approves an off-site football field, the district also would have to consider possible changes to the athletic department’s budget for the upcoming year, Graczyk said.

“We’ll have to bus our student-athletes to those games,” Graczyk said.

The team usually gets about 500 to 600 spectators at home games, Zastawniak said. Zastawniak did not say where the district is looking for possible venues for the upcoming season.

“If the board approves the recommendation on Tuesday, the district will work as quickly as possible to find a field to begin their 2024 season in August,” Zastawniak said.

When asked what the plan is beyond fall’s football season, Zastawniak said: “The district continues to hold discussions with Springdale Borough concerning Veterans Field.”

Springdale High’s boys and girls soccer teams play at a field across Butler Street from the high school. It has far less seating and no concession stands.

Band boosters’ concerns

The district would have to plan for security and supplemental staff for things such as ticket sales and concessions for its booster groups.

Susan Blanchflower, president of the Springdale Band Parents Association, said operating the concession stand is how the marching band raises the largest portion of its funding.

“If we’re going to another field, there’s so many different portions,” she said. “We’d like to know: Can we use their concession stands, can we sell our programs?”

Blanchflower also said the band is growing and working to get more involved in the district and the community.

“Last year, we really grew,” she said. “The year before, we had 19 (students) total, which includes our color guard. This year, we have 41 kids in our program — 31 band members and 10 guard — so we’re still trying to grow the program and make it larger.”

Pollino: Your opinion welcome

Board President Nino Pollino encouraged parents to express their concerns and questions to district administrators.

“These are all things we want to continue as much as possible. We’re trying to find another facility, and we’re going to ask those things, what we can and cannot do … that’s going to fall into the decision-making process,” Pollino said. “I don’t think there’s anyone on the board that wants to see any of that go away. It’s just: How we can handle it?”

The team playing at Veterans Field was in jeopardy last summer because of a slightly leaning wall behind the visitor bleachers. The district followed a recommendation by Senate Engineering, now LSSE, and closed off a section of the bleachers to spectators.

At that time, Senate reported no danger was apparent to the other parts of the wall.

“The district is waiting on a report from the engineer about the wall,” Zastawniak said.

Veterans Field was built in 1938. Dynamo football has played there ever since — except in 1946 and from 1973 to 1977, when it played at Dreshar Stadium in Tarentum during field renovations.