The Green Wave football team will run down the steps onto Memorial Field tonight despite damage to the field caused by vandals over the weekend.
Tire tracks remain visible across the grass playing surface, including the big white A at midfield. But the field remains playable and will be the site for tonight’s Round 1 playoff game against Wilmington.
“We are fortunate that the field has been in very good shape thanks to efforts of the DPW, youth groups and numerous volunteers over the past several years,” Athletic Director Peter Serino said.
“As a result the [Department of Public Works] will be able to repair the field to a point where there will be no impacts on the playability for the remainder of this season.”
Serino said the field will require some extra work during the spring growing season.
The football team’s coaches discovered the damage Sunday night. At some point over the weekend, a vehicle entered the Memorial Field complex, drove across the grass rear field and onto the venerable football playing surface, cutting doughnuts near the middle of the field, before departing. Tire tracks can be seen leading toward an opening in the fencing near the Beaver Brook Playground.
Neither Serino nor Abington Police Chief John Bonney provided any information about the type of vehicle involved, nor suspicions on who may have been at the wheel.
“If the investigation leads us to the person who committed this crime they will most certainly be charged,” Bonney said. “I don’t have anything to report on a suspect at this time, but I am supremely confident our team will have this resolved in short order.”
The lengthy dry spell meant the field surface was firm, limiting the amount of damage caused. If the ground was wet, the tires could have carved deep grooves or ruts into the playing surface, possibly making it unplayable.
With a significant rain storm scheduled to move in Friday, the playoff game was rescheduled to Thursday night.
Tonight’s game kicks off at 7 p.m.
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