STAFF REPORT

After spending two months of the football season without a home, the Red Raiders made their first appearance on the fresh turf of a newly-renovated Roger’s Stadium last Friday night, taking home a victory over Bald Eagle with a 10-9 final score.

Although the $7 million project is not completely finished, that did not stop hundreds of Bellefonte fans from coming out to celebrate the night. The Band’s Booster club organized for  food trucks to be parked in the student parking lot. Forty-two porta potties lined the fence behind the bleachers to meet Centre County’s requirements. Several popup tents were placed around the field to house parent groups and provide shelter from the rain.

Senior defensive end Caleb Rockey felt like Friday night was a “once in a lifetime moment.”

“It was a surreal feeling. Seeing all of the fans and just knowing everyone is there supporting us is amazing,” he said.

In fact, the success of the football players is not just about their determination and the new stadium. It’s about the people.

“All of the fans that came out to support us really changed the atmosphere of that game,”  Caleb said.

Senior kicker Chris Persiko’s favorite part of the experience was coming out onto the field as a team for the first time.

“The best part about it was having the tremendous amount of fans screaming while we ran out onto the field,” he said.

But that wasn’t the only nice part of the evening.

“The turf makes the playing experience consistent. It doesn’t matter whether in rain or dry weather, the turf is going to stay the same,” Chris said.

The football team was not the only group celebrating their first night at Roger’s Stadium; the cheerleaders cheered from the unfinished track while the band and band front made themselves at home in new bleachers.

“It is such an amazing and beautiful field. It was an honor to march and perform the band’s show on it,” senior Cienna Lueth said.

Junior Olivia Reiter shared similar thoughts as she was cheering on the team with the rest of the cheerleading squad.

“It was an amazing atmosphere having the whole community and student section there to cheer the team on with us,” Olivia said.

One group of students that never goes unnoticed is Raider Nation. Now cheering from the Band’s left side, the students of Raider Nation plan to continue showing support to the athletic teams throughout the school year.

“The stadium turned out really great and the atmosphere is fantastic. I know everyone enjoyed being there and was happy about the outcome,” head of Raider Nation, senior Evan Nyquist said.

The support of the fans and Raider Nation was evident to the team all night.

“I’d like to say that the fan base was absolutely incredible. That was the most fun game I’ve ever played in,” Chris said.

While some fans may view the bleachers being on only one side of the stadium as a negative component, Caleb looks at it as his favorite feature about the new field.

“We don’t have to deal with any distractions during the game,” Caleb said.

As the renovations continue on Roger’s Stadium, the town of Bellefonte looks forward to seeing the finished track, concession stands, and restrooms.

“The stadium looks absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to see the finished product,” senior Preston Bradley said.