Lancers dedicate new football field

While dignitaries came to officially dedicate the new Granger football field on Sept. 2, it was the football team that gave it a proper dedication with a 52-14 win against their home town rivals Cyprus.

This was the first home game played on the new football field, and the Lancers remain undefeated as of Sept. 2.

The football field seems to be the appropriate first installment of the new athletic facilities being constructed. The bleachers where packed with the students, facility, parents and community members overflowing with school pride.

“Football is the money engine,” Assistant Principal Dave Gatti said. “All of the money that comes in from packed stadium like tonight goes straight to all the athletic programs for the school.”

The field was dedicated during half time. Granger Principal Jerry Haslam was the announcer for the ceremony. West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder, Vice President of the Board of Education for the Granite School District Terry Bawden, and Granger Alumni Association President Brent Newton all spoke at the dedication.

Winder referred to the new Granger football field, upcoming athletic facilities and new school as part of a West Valley City renaissance. He explained that it is a great time of growth for West Valley City with a new mall, new roads and new hotels also being built.

“On this field Granger teammates come together. We come together as a united team to give back to this school and to our community and to our children,” Granger Alumni Association President Brent Newton said. “When we give back and share what we have, Lancers of the past unite with Lancers of today. Together we move forward and we prepare a better day for the Lancers of tomorrow.”

Granger Principal Jerry Haslam also announced that this is the first year the students of Granger have achieved adequate yearly progress under the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.

The football field is the first of many new athletic facilities for Granger. The baseball field will be the next dedication. It is supposed to be competed in time for the 2012 baseball season this coming spring. The next installments and dedications will be a new softball field, soccer field and tennis courts. Most of the projects will be competed in the next year.

The new Granger High School is scheduled to be competed for the 2013-14 school year. The building is being built to hold grades nine through 12. It will also have air conditioning and other new amenities to aid in a healthy learning environment.