Western Christian right at home (San Gabriel Valley Tribune)
Posted September 17th, 2008 in Athletics, High School Comments Off
By Steve Ramirez, Staff Writer
Article Taken from SGVTribune.com Launched: 09/16/2008 11:37:43 PM PDT
Western Christian High School’s football team has called a variety of different fields its home, but never its own.
All that changed last Saturday.
The Lancers, after years of yearning for an on-campus field, finally got their wish when they christened their new field with a 19-0 victory over Downey Calvary Chapel.
“It was a great experience,” said Western Christian athletic director Mark Gabbard, who has watched over the years as the school played “home” games at Citrus College and Charter Oak and San Dimas high schools. “The buzz on campus has never been better. It was a major experience that has created a real home-field advantage for us.
“That first game was phenomenal. There was such a huge buzz among the whole Western Christian community.”
The seeds were planted by Gabbard, who returned to the school four years ago as athletic director. But it was a great undertaking for a school that features basically one small patch of grass on its grounds.
“When I came back, the first thing I wanted to try and do was get a field on campus,” Gabbard said. “It was kind of a vision in stages. There was a tree we had to deal with, then last summer we found a way to dig it out. We removed a hill and we were able to move back a fence and created just enough room.”
The move to Saturday afternoons on its own campus is also good for Western Christian’s athletic budget. But Gabbard said that’s not the main reason for the move.
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“Paying a hefty rent to Citrus College, which has a phenomenal facility, will save us a lot of money,” Gabbard said. “But more important than that is the spirit that having an on-campus field brings to our campus.”
Western Christian’s schedule will feature four more home games. The Lancers will face Brethren Christian (Oct. 11 at noon), Riverside Christian (Oct. 18 at 11 a.m.), St. Margaret’s (Oct. 25 at 3:30 p.m.) and Aquinas (Nov. 1 at noon).
Spirit at the small school couldn’t be better.
“We’re 2-0 for the first time since 2001,” Gabbard said. “We have a new coach (Rob Castaneda), a new field, and a new attitude. Things are looking up at Western Christian.”
