George Guido: Freeport no stranger to christening H.S. football stadiums

By: George Guido
Saturday, August 27, 2022 | 8:23 PM

While Freeport opened its new stadium six years ago, the Yellowjackets will help christen another new stadium Friday.

Freeport will help South Allegheny open its new facility Friday at the school’s campus in Liberty Borough.

But Freeport being on hand to open a new stadium is nothing new.

Besides the opening of its new stadium in 2016, Freeport provided the opposition when Golden Rams Stadium at Highlands opened in 2002, a 14-7 Freeport victory.

On Sept. 7, 1974, Freeport helped Deer Lakes inaugurate Lancers Stadium with a 30-7 victory.

As for South Allegheny, its $7.4 million facility will feature synthetic turf, seating for 2,455 fans (1,947 on the home side, 508 on the visitors side), 132 special seats for the home band, a 483-square-foot press box and an electronic scoreboard with a video display.

It’s all part of a $10 million bond issue floated by the school district that includes repairs to the South Allegheny Elementary School.

Since 1950, the school district used Glassport Memorial Stadium when Glassport High School was in existence and when South Allegheny was formed in 1966. It has a distinct, concrete arch architecture.

Press box namings

On the heels of Greensburg Salem High School naming its Offutt Field press box after the late Huddie Kaufman, former Tribune-Review sports editor and high school sports historian, Mars might be naming its press box after an announcer with local ties.

Kent Shoemaker, the voice of the Mars Planets for 38 seasons and a Har-Brack High School graduate, retired in June.

Several weeks ago, Mars graduate Corey Utz approached the school board about naming the press box at Mars Athletic Complex after Shoemaker.

Utz proposed the lettering outside the press box as the “Kent Shoemaker Skybox — The Shoebox.” Private funds will be used to create the designation.

Shoemaker retired from teaching in 2007 and has worked with Quality EMS ambulance service. He was inducted into the Mars Area High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

Basilone White induction

Former Springdale High School soccer standout and Valley News Dispatch female Soccer Player of the Year Christina Basilone White will be inducted into the Saint Vincent College Sports Hall of Fame.

The ceremony will take place Sept. 10.

Basilone White played four seasons with the Bearcats from 2002-05, and the team qualified for the postseason each of those years.

As a junior, she was named NAIA All-American, the first in the Latrobe school’s female soccer history. Christina finished her career with 49 assists, the most in program history.

As a junior at Springdale, Christina was Valley News Dispatch Girls Soccer Player of the Year.

Christina is now a second-grade teacher in the Kiski Area School District. She and her husband, Brent, are active in the Freeport Area youth soccer program.

Tags: Freeport, Greensburg Salem, Highlands, Mars, South Allegheny, Springdale