Coach Jason Nichols explains how backed up drains from the 2016 flood led to collapse of the school’s football field – Chris Lawrence, WVMetroNews.com
By: Chris Lawrence | Posted: April 19, 2018 | Source: WV MetroNews
CLAY, W.Va. — Two years after the massive West Virginia flood and the recovery goes on. The work to make repairs to the Clay County High School football field is expected to get started next month. Coach Jason Nichols said once that process is underway, it will be a race against the clock until August.
“In a lot of way the flood has been a bonding experience,” Nichols told MetroNews, “But in a lot of other ways it has been problematic and the field is at the top of that.”
Soon after the water receded in June 2016 the football field on the campus of Clay County High School did not appear to have been affected. There was no standing water on the playing surface, so Nichols, his staff, team and booster parents concentrated on the destroyed locker rooms and lost equipment.
However, the true damage to the field wasn’t revealed until after the first winter. The swollen river and flood water had backed up into the field’s drains and caused the base of the playing surface to wash out and parts of the field collapsed, leaving massive sink holes.
“Our playing surface is going to have to be completely renovated,” said Nichols following an assessment by an engineering firm. “Even down to the drainage and sprinklers and even new lighting on the field.”
Currently the firm hired to handle the repairs is in the process of receiving bids for the various work which will be required. The work cannot start however until the high school softball season is over since the field is shared by the Clay County High School softball team.
Nichols estimates the field will be clear for work around the second week of May and then the clock will be ticking to see if it is completed by football season. Nichols said although the contractor is fairly certain the work will be done in time, they’ve been urged to make contingency plans just in case.
“We don’t know how long it will take,” said Nicholas. “Whether it’s just the first week three weeks, half the season, or the whole season. We don’t know that time at this point.,”
So far, Nichols indicated they had not reached a decision on plan B. There is discussion about playing all of their games on the road, playing at a neutral site, or some other arrangement.
The field at the high school is the only football field in Clay County according to Nicholas and the high school, middle school, and local youth football teams all play there.
He said unless the work can be done in a timely manner this summer, it’s going to be a major headache for next fall’s football season. But for Nichols and the Clay County football program, major headaches have become the new normal since 2016.
Chris Lawrence is the anchor of the MetroNews Morning News, heard weekday mornings from 6-9 a.m. on MetroNews stations across West Virginia. Chris is also the host of the award-winning West Virginia Outdoors, heard Saturday mornings at 7 a.m. across the network. Chris has won numerous awards for coverage of hunting and fishing. Chris can be reached at clawrence@wvradio.com, @WVOutdoors on Twitter, Facebook.com/chris.lawrence.9822 or on Instagram.com/chris_lawrence_metronews.
