BGP QOTD: Whose name is on your stadium?

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

When I was a high schooler, with the exception of "Wooten Stadium" and "David Cecil Memorial Stadium", I wasn't aware of any of the other school's stadium names. Since then, I've learned quite a few around northern Kentucky. I'm still working on figuring out who the people are/were whose names appear on lots of them, so I figured I'd start a thread for anyone who would like to share about theirs. Feel free to add in anything about baseball/softball fields, and anything else similar.

 

 

 

Beechwood

Edgar McNabb Stadium. Ed McNabb was a Mt. Sterling High School graduate who attended Morehead State and lettered in all of their men's sports. He was head football coach at Raceland from 1931-1937, head coach at Bellevue from 38-43, and then took over at Beechwood in 1944 where he was head football coach through the 1958 season. He spent time as Beechwood's principal and superintendent, was the Kentucky representative on the NFHS rules committee for multiple years, and helped organize the KHSAA Hall Of Fame.

 

Bellevue

Leo F. Gilligan Field at Civic Stadium. The stadium was built in 1936 using city and WPA funds, thus the name "Civic Stadium", and Leo F. Gilligan was the school superintendent who organized the construction of the stadium - in addition to having been the 2nd head football coach for the Tigers in the 1922 and 1923 seasons.

 

Boone County

Irv Goode Field at Owen Hauck Stadium. Irv Goode is a 1958 grad of Boone County, went on to play football at UK and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1962 where he played as an OG until 1973 when he went to the Dolphins, won the Super Bowl with the Dolphins, and retired after the 1974 season. Owen Hauck was a Ludlow High School grad who started coaching 8-man football in 1953 at Burlington High School. The next year he left to become assistant at Highlands for 11-man football, and took over as head coach for Highlands in 1963. He coached Highlands to the 1964 AA title. He went to coach at UC for 1 season in 1967, then went back to high school coaching at Mt. Healthy in 1968. He took over as AD and football coach at Boone County in 1973, and retired from coaching and teaching after the 1997-98 school year.

 

Campbell County (Former high school stadium, now used by Campbell County Middle School)

Bob Miller Stadium. Bob was a football player, graduate in the class of 1937, and assistant coach for Bellevue High School, he coached at Newport High School from 1953-1959, then left to coach freshman football at UC. Miller took over as head coach at Campbell County in 1963 and was head coach until 1978. Miller was also the Executive Secretary for the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference from 1965-1992.

 

Conner

Fred Nevel Stadium. Fred was a longtime member of the Boone County Planning & Zoning Board, and was an Army Air Corps veteran of World War II.

 

Covington Catholic

Wooton Field at Griffin Stadium. Originally was Wooton Stadium, named for Pop & Olga Wooton, who sold Cov Cath the property (at a very generous price) to build the stadium. The stadium renovations and addition of lights were completed largely thanks to the help of donations from Dennis Griffin and his family, thus his name on the stadium. Cov Cath also has the Schott Sports Complex, named for Marge Schott who donated a large portion of the money to make the building happen, the Scott Knochelmann Alumni Building, which houses the football team and weight room. It was named after a the Cov Cath grad who taught and coached at Cov Cath. "Knucks" died in a car wreck. Then the baseball field Tom Berger Field, named for a graduate, former Booster president and longtime organizer of the alumni golf outing. Last is the Yung Family Tennis Complex, named for the donor family who had school alumni that played on the tennis team.

 

Dayton

O.W. Davis Field. Olin W. Davis came to Dayton in 1927 as the head football coach and teacher, and later became the school principal. He was voted to Dayton School Superintendent in 1930, and stayed in that role until 1950. In 1934 when the WPA completed construction of the new football stadium for Dayton High School, the students voted to name the stadium after him.

 

Dixie Heights

Rice Mountjoy Stadium. Rice Mountjoy was a track standout at Centre College, and also coached the Frankfort High School basketball team in 1924-25 season - his senior year in college. After graduating, he went back to his alma mater, Kavanaugh High School in Anderson County, where he coached basketball in addition to taking over as head track coach at Centre. In 1928 he took over at Danville as football coach, basketball coach, track coach and athletic director. Mountjoy left Danville to take over as Murray State's basketball coach for the 1941-42 season. After one year at Murray State, he moved on to Tilghman High School where he was the football coach for the 1942-1944 seasons. In 1946 he came to Dixie Heights where he was the head football coach and athletic director until 1953. After leaving Dixie, he was the head football coach and athletic director at Boone County high school from 1954-1959, at which point he retired.

 

Highlands

David Cecil Memorial Stadium. David Cecil was a 16 year old Highlands football player. In Highlands' game against Campbell County on November 9, 1951. Cecil was a backup center, and had been in the game for a handful of plays when there was a pile-up at the line of scrimmage. Cecil removed himself from the game after taking too hard a hit to the head. The next day he complained about a severe headache and was taken to Christ Hospital in Cincinnati. Doctors operated twice on Saturday to remove a clot from his brain, after which he slipped into a coma and died the following Monday.

 

Holmes

Tom Ellis Field. Tom Ellis was a 1928 graduate of Western Kentucky University, where he was a 4-year starter at tackle. He began his career in coaching as the head coach at Bardstown High School in 1929, and coached there through the 1943 season. He left to become an assistant coach at Holmes under coach Dave Evans in 1944, and Ellis took over as head football coach at Holmes in 1947 where he coached until 1966. Ellis won a mythical state championship in his first season as head coach, going unbeaten and un-tied, and being voted the coach of the year by the Courier-Journal in their poll of Kentucky state high school coaches and sports writers.

 

Ryle

Clifford R. Borland, Sr. Stadium. Clifford Borland was the longtime president of Newport Steel, and then the CEO of the reformed/renamed corporation NS Group. The Borland Family Fund donated $750,000 to Ryle in 2008 when Ryle was in the midst of fundraising to pay for a new turf system for their stadium.

 

Simon Kenton

Chlorine B. Menefee Stadium. Named for a long-time Kenton County School Board member. Menefee was also an Army veteran of the Korean War.

[Tigerpride94]

St. Xavier: Brother Thomas More Page Stadium. He was 16th school principal and also was athletic director. He was instrumental in moving school to its current campus on Poplar Level Rd. He also had impact on success of St.X athletic programs.

[Jumper_Dad]

Somerset

William M. Clark Field is named for a former graduate and coach. Coach Clark coached for over 20 years, coaching both football and basketball, later becoming a long term athletic director. Coach Clark took three years off from coaching, to serve during WWII. In the early 70's he was still very active and taught PE at all three elementary schools.

[DevilMayCare]

Russell

Henry R. Evans Stadium was named after Russell's third superintendent, who held his position throughout the 50's and 60's. His tenure oversaw a great deal of growth within the school district. The stadium was built, I believe, in the late 60's, a few years before Mr. Evans retired. The press box is named after Logan Perry, who succeeded Evans as super, and the field is named after Coach McGlone, who guided Russell to 300+ wins and two state titles during his nearly four decade career.

[Getslow]

Trinity

Stadium: Named for R.W. Marshall, who despite not being an alumnus, was a long-time St. Matthews resident and a great supporter of Trinity both during his lifetime and apparently in his estate plan.

 

Field: Fr. Harry Jansing. A faculty member for nearly 40 years and the Athletic Director for 20 years.

[DevilMayCare]

Trinity

Stadium: Named for R.W. Marshall, who despite not being an alumnus, was a long-time St. Matthews resident and a great supporter of Trinity both during his lifetime and apparently in his estate plan.

 

Field: Fr. Harry Jansing. A faculty member for nearly 40 years and the Athletic Director for 20 years.

 

How old is Marshall Stadium? Any time I see pictures or video from that venue, it always appears well maintained.

[Getslow]

How old is Marshall Stadium? Any time I see pictures or video from that venue, it always appears well maintained.

 

I don't know for sure but it was built sometime in the neighborhood of 15 years ago.

 

On the home side they basically tore down a smaller version of the same stand and built a slightly bigger but much nicer stand. The visitors side used to be movable bleachers to open up the whole thing into a baseball field but baseball was relocated and the away stand was made permanent.