The grass is looking greener for Saugus Middle-High School as the completion of the complex’s new athletic field draws near.
Situated on the same plot of land as the now-demolished former high school, representatives from PMA Consultants — the firm tasked with the Middle High School’s construction — said the site is finally ready to be finished by December.
“This field is a major upgrade,” said PMA Consultants Senior Associate Joe DeSantis. “I think all the old school really had was a practice field, so this is fantastic.”
Just some of the site’s upgrades include a full-sized football field with traditional 10-yard markings, an eight-lane track, a 750-seat set of bleachers with ample storage room underneath, team rooms, a concession stand, a press box, and stadium lights.
To make sure the field fit the needs of all students, DeSantis said its initial plans were created with heavy input from students, coaches, and other officials.
In 2018, the town officially voted to approve the project — which DeSantis added he felt demonstrated Saugus’ commitment to its youth.
“We were overwhelmed that 72 percent of people in town voted to support this project,” he said. “What it shows to me is that there’s an investment in the younger generation.”
Saugus Middle-High School athletic director Terri Pillsbury was also excited about the prospect of the field’s completion.
“It’s a beautiful facility. We’re super excited about it, and the process has just been absolutely amazing to watch,” Pillsbury said as she looked at the site from her second floor office. “It’s just massive. The site is very large, and it’s going to be state-of-the-art.”
In particular, Pillsbury said her coaches and athletes look forward to playing night games with the help of field lights — a notable first for the town.
“We have no lighted field surfaces in town,” she said. “Coaches are excited for the prospect of lights and potential night games, and obviously having turf technology opens up the availability of outdoor space for spring sports. Whereas before we had to have them inside or outside on muddy grass, now we’re hoping to be able to utilize the new field for spring sports, like baseball and softball.”
Varsity girls soccer coach Chris Coviello also noted the addition of stadium lights as an exciting feature.
“We have no lights, and that’s the way we’ve had it for years,” Coviello said. “What we would do for senior games is we would have to bring in light towers and we would light the fields for one night so that they could have a senior game night, so this will be really nice.”
At the end of the day, however, Coviello said all Saugus athletes want to be able to do is put the new space to use.
“I’m excited, but the girls are really excited,” he said. “They just want to get out and play.”