First of 13 Metro Nashville high school football turf fields debuts Friday: 'I'm not going to miss the grass'
Donovan Higgins and Ja'Quis Williams spent the past few weeks paying close attention to the Pearl-Cohn football field turf project. The Firebird football duo often worked out across from the stadium, where they could see the field being transformed.
It started when heavy machinery equipment arrived to tear up the Metro Nashville Public School's stadium grass to begin the process of installing artificial turf. The Firebirds are the first MNPS to get turf. Whites Creek and East Nashville will follow in the first year of installation.
"I've watched the progression over the days since they started," Williams said. "It's a new chapter. I'm not going to miss the grass. Honestly, I'm just ready to play on turf."
The undefeated Firebirds — ranked No. 1 in Class 4A in the Associated Press' statewide rankings — will play on the brand-new artificial turf field at 7 p.m. Friday against PURE Academy, a Memphis homeschool team that is not part of the TSSAA. The green field has white numbers and lines. A gorgeous red Firebird logo at midfield catches everyone's eye. In one end zone, the red turf has "Pearl-Cohn" in white lettering. The other end zone reads "Firebirds."
"During the summer when I came to school for practice I'd watch the turf field every day," Higgins said. "We are ready to have a turf field. It's crazy."
MNPS athletic facilities improvement plan announced in November
It's a sign of significant progress in a special MNPS project that was announced in November. All 15 Metro Nashville public schools are receiving $1 million to upgrade their athletic facilities. The 13 schools that have football programs are using that money to install artificial turf fields on the football stadium and will be used for other sports. Hume-Fogg and M.L. King, which do not offer football, are getting turf for soccer fields.
The cost of the $15 million project was split in thirds. One third of the project is being funded by Metro Nashville via upcoming capital spending plans. The Tennessee Titans are donating $5 million during the course of five years. An additional $5 million is being raised by The Fan Inc. in a private fundraising effort.
It is not yet clear how many years it will take to complete, and will depend on how quickly the funding can be raised.
Whites Creek's project is in the final stages of completion. The Cobras are tentatively set to play their first home game on Sept. 22 against Montgomery Central.
East Nashville got a late start because of permit issues. That stadium is set to be completed by the Eagles' Oct. 20 game with RePublic, weather permitting.
"I'm excited for the playoffs, because that's when we are going to be playing on it," East Nashville senior Elijah Usher said. The Eagles have played in the past two TSSAA Class 3A championship games in December at Chattanooga's Finley Stadium, which also has an artificial turf field. "We had good memories with the original grass and the advantages we had.
"Now we get to show what we can do on turf."
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That can't come soon enough considering East Nashville's field becomes rutted and muddy as the season progresses. The school also has no practice field. So as the game field is being transformed, the team has had to travel to a practice location this season.
Some of these fields are simply worn out.
"It's just a blessing," Whites Creek senior De'Antay Nolan said. "The rain, the potholes (on the field). We are just very grateful and blessed to be getting (turf). A lot of schools don't have it."
Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TSSAA football: First Metro Nashville high school turf field debuts
