As of September 20, Turlock’s Joe Debely Stadium is back in use and better than ever now that repairs on the field have come to a close.

Repairs were completed by Mondo, the same company who carried out recent renovations of the field, upgrading it to an all-weather track and synthetic field. The turf is under warranty until 2018, so its reparations were of an urgent matter.

However, Turlock wasn’t the only school district that was having problems with their turf. Another MondoTurf client, Windsor High, reported turf deterioration as well.

Joe Debely Stadium, which was constructed in 1977, and renovated in 2010 for a cost of 3.6 million, is shared by both Turlock High and Pitman High, as well as youth football programs. Since then, it has been a source of athletic entertainment as well as funding mainly because of the well-liked football games, or “Friday Night Lights.”

Just before the beginning of the preseason football games, Pitman and Turlock High School students and parents were notified that the Turlock’s own Joe Debely Stadium was unusable. The field’s turf did not meet the requirements for the compaction tests, creating shock and confusion among Turlockians as they questioned where the teams would play.

Teens took to social media to express their complaints, with some students even starting the Twitter trend, “#SaveJoeDebely” addressed to former Pitman football player and San Francisco 49ers Quarterback, Colin Kaepernick.

Fortunately, surrounding stadiums such as Livingston High, Gregori High, and Patterson High have graciously let both the Pride and the Bulldogs conduct games at their fields.

These commutes proved no problem for Pitman’s student section, the PitCrew. Each game played so far has had the vibrant support of the students, who have cheered on the football team through their undefeated season so far.

However, with Joe Debely being back in use, there’s no doubt that the student section will only grow in size, creating a more spirited and unified cheering section.

After weeks without their home stadium, the football team showed no sign of weakness. They currently sit 5-0 in CCC, and recently beat the Merced Bears on September 23 after an exciting game played at Golden Valley High School’s stadium.

The Pride’s first game at the newly repaired stadium will be against Atwater High School on October 7th at 7:00 PM. Be sure to come and support the Pride!