New stadium debuts tonight

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The Mitchell High School football team will open its newly renovated home with today’s 7:30 p.m. game against Brookings. (Travis Mester/Republic Photo)

Talk about it

Mitchell Superintendent Joe Graves estimates that discussions regarding the renovation of Joe Quintal Field began 10 years ago.

Tonight, after three years of planning and $2.9 million worth of construction, the Mitchell High School football team will open its newly renovated home. The Kernels will host Brookings at 7:30 p.m.

“I think anytime you open up a new facility, it’s just a lot of fun,” Graves said Thursday. “There’s a lot of excitement and a little bit of nerves, because it’s been such a long time coming. But mostly, it’s all fun.”

The new-look facility, which includes new locker rooms, goal posts, visitors’ bleachers, a press box and entranceway, will be fully functioning at the time of kickoff this evening.

Mitchell Activities Director Geoff Gross said there will be administrative faculty and Mitchell High School Student Council members on hand at the new north-side entrance to assist fans in finding their way around the facility. All parking lots surrounding the stadium will be open, and fans sitting in the new visitors’ bleachers are encouraged to use the Mitchell Technical Institute’s parking lot south of the stadium.

“The sightlines are so much different than they’ve been in the past,” Gross said of the stadium.

“Upon first entrance, if you’ve watched a lot of events at Joe Quintal, that’s the first thing you’ll notice.”

Puetz Corporation, of Mitchell, managed the project. Puetz Corporation’s Doug McCune said that since destruction of the old stadium began in April, he and approximately 30-40 subcontractors have been at the stadium daily to prepare it for tonight.

“I think it finished up pretty close to the way everyone was hoping,” McCune said. “The view of the field is better, and I would say it’s going to draw quite a few more people because of those visitors’ bleachers. Those will be a big plus, not only for football games, but for track season, too.”

But tonight is all about football.

Mitchell coach Kent VanOverschelde said he is most concerned with making sure his team is ready to open Joe Quintal in style.

“With all the conversations that have taken place over the years in relation to the stadium, finally having the opportunity to see it open up is exciting,” VanOverschelde said. “With the newness and the excitement and the community support, we are ready to perform our best on Friday night.”

The hoopla is not lost on the Kernels that will be in uniform, either.

“You can pretty much hear in our locker room all week that we’re all pumped to open the new stadium,” Kernels senior Cole Johnson said. “It’s a big game, and it’s going to be pretty wild. I pretty much couldn’t ask for anything more for my senior year.”

Added senior Trevor Flemmer: “It will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

The new stadium dedication will take place on Sept. 10 when the Kernels host Huron.

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