TURF FIELDS: Orangeburg County School District laying new ground for student-athletes

NEESES, SC (WOLO) — Thanks in part to a new $190 million bond referendum voted on by the Orangeburg community, the county’s school district will be replacing six high school’s football fields.

The project will cost a total of more than $5 million but will replace current grass fields with turf ones.

Tuesday morning, work broke ground at Hunter-Kinard-Tyler School’s new field. Construction began earlier this summer at Edisto High School. Edisto will also undergo renovation to its stadium’s bleachers, scoreboards, weigh room and track. 

“This is a platform for students to discover who they are and practice who they are,” said Hayward Jean, Orangeburg County School District director of student services. 

For student athletes at Hunter-Kinnard-Tyler School, football practice is something they look forward to. 

“That’s the best part about it. I get to practice with my boys. Come out here and have some fun,” said HKT Trojans football player Raquan Porter. 

The grass at HTK’s football stadium will be replaced with a turf field installed by GeoSurfaces. 

“The combination of sand and rubber gives us the optimal shock absorbency and playing characteristics that equate to top performance and safety,” said Todd Penley of GeoSurfaces. “You should never see a puddle on these fields and have a rainout.”

The project expects to take around eight weeks to complete. 

“Four weeks of base work and four weeks of turf installation,” Penley said. “As soon as we step off the field, it’s ready to play.”

“I’m ready to see it and play on it. It’s a dream,” said football player Jayshawn Smalls. 

“I got to get some new cleats,” added Porter. 

The football players hope the turf field will be ready by their first home game but are excited for the start of the new season either way. 

It’s not just HTK and Edisto High Schools that will be receiving the new turf fields. Orangeburg County School District Superintendent Dr. Shawn Foster says four other schools will be getting new fields once this year’s football season is over.

“It’s a lot bigger than a Friday night. It’s an opportunity to change families, one student athlete at a time,” said the Orangeburg County superintendent. “It’s time to show our community and those young men that we believe in their abilities.”

The other four high schools set to receive new fields are Branchville, Lake Marion, Bethune-Bownman and Orangeburg-Wilkinson.