Sports

‘Senior pride weekend’ under lights at SWR

BILL LANDON FILE PHOTO | Shoreham-Wading River receiver Isreal Squires makes a leaping grab in the Wildcats’ home night game last year against Port Jefferson.

The lights will be shining on Shoreham-Wading River all weekend.

After hosting its first evening football game in 10 years last year, powered by portable lights, Shoreham upped the ante this year by scheduling a weekend worth of games under the lights.

This weekend has been dubbed “Senior pride weekend,” not to be confused with the school’s typical homecoming festivities, which are scheduled for Oct. 19.

The weekend kicks off Friday with a 6 p.m. football game against The Stony Brook School. Saturday will feature a soccer doubleheader, beginning with the girls team facing East Hampton at 5:30 p.m. The boys will then play Amityville at 7:30 p.m.

The field at Shoreham has received a recent face-lift, thanks in large part to a grassroots effort from a group of parents who started a three-phase “Field of Dreams” renovation project. A new press box is in place this fall, part of the first phase of the renovation. Other cosmetic improvements have been new banners and an updated scoreboard. A new track was also built over the summer, funded from a $1.6 million track and technology proposition.

“We’re trying to build pride in the community,” said Shoreham parent Jeff McAuley, whose son Zach plays on both the soccer and football teams. “All the football parents are cooking for the soccer parents. All the soccer parents are cooking for the football parents. We have a huge raffle that all the kids have been participating in.”

The hope, he said, is to turn this into an annual event.

A goal in the renovation project is to put in permanent lights at Shoreham.

For more information, contact Jeff McAuley at 631-807-3663.

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