Tennis Courts, Visitors' Stands Close to Schedule

Despite some weather delays during what has been one of the wettest months on record, 's two major capital projects are still close to their original construction schedules, Superintendent Kevin Kitchenman said Monday.

With a little over two weeks until the official start of fall sports, the new tennis courts are the closest to completion, with fences going up around the complex over the past several work days. Kitchenman said the final playing surface should be laid down soon, and the courts should be set for play before the school year begins.

“They still think they'll be done by next week,” he said.

Meanwhile, the old visitors' stands are now a chaotic jumble of rusted metal in a Dumpster alongside the football field, and new stands are on order, with what Kitchenman said is an iffy shot of the project being done in time for the opening of football season in a little more than three weeks.

Besides the lead time for the new stands to be built, the old concrete supports have to be cleared out and a new concrete pad built, and wet ground may hamper that somewhat, Kitchenman said.

“Our biggest concern would be the [Haddonfield game],” he said, referring to the rival Bulldawgs' arrival in West Deptford on Sept. 30.

That game typically draws one of, if not the biggest crowd of the season, and there are contingency plans already set in place, should the new visitors' stands not be installed by then, Kitchenman said, including using a portable set of stands at the bulldog field behind the high school.