The William Byrd High School football team will open practice today, with the first practice on the new artificial turf field scheduled for Tuesday.
The Terriers will practice today, Friday and Monday from 4-7 pm on the field behind the middle school. After today’s practice there will be a mandatory parents’ meeting at the high school at 7 pm.
Beginning Tuesday the team will begin practicing on the new turf field at Patterson Stadium. Byrd’s former practice field, on the lower field behind the stadium scoreboard, is currently all dirt as it is also being renovated. It will eventually be a Bermuda grass field with an irrigation and drainage system.
Byrd coach Jeff Highfill is hoping the temperature cools off somewhat next week. The thermometer has been reading in the mid to high 90s this week and the artificial turf makes it feel a good 10 to 15 degrees higher on a hot, sunny day.
“We’ll just have to wait and see what the weather is like,” said Highfill. “We might have to practice a little later if it gets too hot. It will definitely be hotter on the turf.”
The Terriers will have two scrimmages, both on the road, at Franklin County on August 11 and at Jefferson Forest on August 18. The first game on the turf will be the season opener on August 25 against Cave Spring.
The volleyball team will scrimmage James River at home on Thursday, August 10, and at E.C. Glass on August 15. The Terriers open with a home match against Cave Spring on August 22.
The golf team will open with two Blue Ridge District “mini-matches” next week. The Terriers are at the Botetourt Golf and Swim Club on Wednesday, August 2nd, and home at Blue Hills on Thursday, August 3rd.
The cross country team is the last fall team to open. The harriers will first take the gun at Franklin County on August 26.
