The Shadow
LOW MOOR, VA (VR) – After a lengthy conversation on the matter Monday evening, September 21st, the AHPS approved the motion to keep Alleghany High School baseball games at Casey Field & Boodie Albert Stadium in Covington, VA.
Recently, the athletic department at Alleghany High School has been considering what it would take to move baseball back to Alleghany High School for home games, something that hasn’t happened since before school consolidation several years ago. Proponents of the idea have stressed the benefit of having homefield advantage again, and the fact that students wouldn’t have to travel anywhere with any gear for home games or some practices but instead, could have a field more conveniently accessible on campus.
Alleghany High School Athletic Director Ty Dobbs mentioned how the field at the high school is still used “about 60% of the time for practice” so players are more familiar with the setting. Dobbs also said that extra staffing to handle an upgraded field wouldn’t be necessary, as the school athletic staff would be able cover the extra responsibility.
Compared to Casey field, the older field at Alleghany high is in rough shape according to Covington City Manager Allen Dressler. Highlighting the poor shape of the dugouts, and the dry-rotting bases, Dressler actually deemed the field overall unsafe for play. Dressler further stressed the high costs of capital improvements to the AHS baseball area, likely “well over a few hundred thousand dollars”, and the likely lengthy stretch of time it would take to make the old facility ADA compliant. Recalling the major renovations the city did to the 1962 Casey Field and Boodie Albert Stadium, Dressler pointed out the “new stadium seating, new scoreboards, improved parking lots, locker rooms, restroom facilities, and Title IV accommodations that have been made”.
While Dobbs stressed that moving baseball back to AHS should be looked at as a “multi-step” capital investment project, he also broke down the costs of each new step, which would still be a hefty price tag overall.
Ultimately, the board voted 4-3 to keep AHS Cougars baseball at Casey Field. Those in favor of retaining the current location at Casey for games were Jonathan Arritt, Nicole Clemmons, John Littleton, and Danielle Morgan. Those opposing the motion were Jon Lanford, Bob Umstead, and Jay Woodson.
