Friday night lights

When you get a big, fancy, new scoreboard, you might as well check it out right away, to make sure it works correctly, right?

This is how Huntley High School’s Red Raider football team reacted to the sight of the huge new scoreboard on the south end of their field as they prepared to play Elgin in their home opener on Sept. 5. The team decided to find out quickly how all those red and yellow numbers would react to an enthusiastic offensive performance on the field.

HHS officials say new scoreboard will help increase school revenue. (Photo by Dwight Esau/Sun Day)

Well, the stars aligned, at least temporarily, for Red Raiderland on this night. The football team lit up that new scoreboard as if it was an out-of-control missile, the rain disappeared for the evening, and fans enjoyed a 63-8 victory over the Maroons. To top it all off, the scoreboard was formally welcomed into Red Raider history with a dedication ceremony at halftime.

The scoreboard, more than 40 feet high and 20 feet wide, completes a two-year project to upgrade the high school’s Harmony Road campus. The Red Raiders have a new field turf surface in their stadium, new bleachers and press box, along with upgraded nearby softball and baseball fields. Still underway is construction on an addition to the high school building that includes a new main entrance, re-configured parking lots and access roads, expanded classroom and library space, a new cafeteria, and other new academic facilities.

Huntley High School was built in the late 90s for a few hundred students. Today, it is being expanded to accommodate up to 3,000 students in the next few years.

The scoreboard is a sponsored project supported by 15 Huntley-area firms, including the high school’s Booster Club, that have provided initial financing along with School District 158. The scoreboard will also generate significant advertising revenue in coming years. At the Sept. 5 dedication, representatives of all the sponsoring organizations were presented gifts from District 158 officials.

“We are very fortunate and grateful to be surrounded by such a supportive community,” said HHS Principal Scott Rowe. “HHS will benefit for years to come with the upgrades made possible by our sponsors and athletic boosters. Huntley High School is a great place to be, and I can confidently say that I represent our students and faculty in expressing our gratitude to those that offer their continued support of our programming.”

Sponsors include First Choice Physical Therapy, Centegra Health System, Century 21 New Heritage, Century Dental, CJ Drilling, Heartland Bank, Hoffman Orthodontics, Huntley Heating and Air Conditioning, Huntley High School Boosters, Lamp Inc., McHenry County College, Ryland Homes, Springbrook Community Church, Wolschlager Chiropractic, and Young’s Gourmet Frozen Yogurt. Each sponsor’s name is permanently displayed on the top half of the scoreboard.

The fund-raising was coordinated by Side Effects Inc., of Dayton, Ohio. This firm’s spokesperson, Hollie Burge, said, “About a year ago, school officials decided to do this, and we got involved six months ago. This has been a successful project from the beginning.”

On the field, Huntley’s footballers were also impressive. On the game’s second play, a Red Raider picked off a Maroon pass and returned it for a touchdown to set the tone for a romp. Elgin responded immediately with a touchdown pass to go ahead 8-7, but the Red Raiders (2-0 in this young season) scored on their next three possessions to take a 28-8 first quarter lead. It was 56-8 by halftime as the Red Raiders went up and down the field at will, scoring on the ground and in the air.

Stressing a family unity theme this fall, all Raider players displayed the word “Legacy” on the backs of their uniforms, instead of their individual names. “This year, it’s about family and team, not individuals,” one fan said.

The scoreboard operator kept up with the rapid fire touchdowns quite well, so it appears to be a keeper.

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