By David DeKunder
Staff Writer

Steele High School football fans know the Knights kick off their season Friday. The question is … where?

Problems with the newly installed synthetic turf at SCUCISD Stadium had district officials scrambling to get the field ready for Friday’s 7:30 p.m. season opener between the Knights and the visiting East Central Hornets.

As of late Tuesday afternoon, district officials were holding a closed-door meeting with representatives from Pro Grass, who flew in from the company’s headquarters in Pittsburgh to try and correct problems with the turf.

District officials said when the new synthetic turf was installed earlier this month, wrinkles started to develop — especially a noticeable patch between the 20-and-30-yard lines near the south end zone — that could have been caused by a liner that was placed on the field before the turf was laid.

As of Tuesday, SCUC ISD Athletic Director Robert Lehnhoff said Steele’s game against East Central was still scheduled to be played at SCUC’s stadium, as well as today’s Clemens junior varsity game against Eagle Pass, which kicks off at 6 p.m.

“We are hoping to get it ready to go by Friday night,” Lehnhoff said.

Lehnhoff said if the turf problems are not resolved by Friday, the district will let Steele fans know the status of the East Central game – when and where it will be played — via the district’s athletic Web site, www.scuc.txed.net/ SCUCAthletics/.

Pro Grass has hired subcontractors to do the turf installation work at the stadium and Steele High School’s stadium, which is also experiencing the same problems with workmanship.

The district began readying both stadiums for the turf installations in May. Besides the wrinkles in the turf at SCUC Stadium, the district has had to deal with other problems related to the turf. The first shipment of the turf that arrived was too short for the field and had to be sent back. Lettering for the end zones, one for Clemens and one for Steele, took a long time getting to the district stadium, as did other important materials.

SCUC Director of Facilities and Construction Wade Hawkins told district trustees Aug. 21 that the liner at Steele was not installed properly and does not drain well. Materials, which included the shipment of the turf, were delayed in getting to Steele.

District officials had planned to have the turf installed and completed at SCUC ISD Stadium by early August and Steele completed by the start of football season.

Both the Steele and Clemens varsity football teams play their home games at SCUC ISD Stadium, which is located on the Clemens campus. The stadium, which was built in 1968, seats about 7,000 people.

Steele stadium, which holds 1,500, hosts the school’s freshmen and junior varsity football and boys and girls soccer teams.

The district is paying just over $2 million — out of the district’s general fund — to install the turf at both stadiums, including the drainage, electrical upgrades and new goalposts.