It's often described as one person's leftovers can become another's prize.
That scenario played out othis past winter when Muncy's indoor dome collapsed for a third and final time. The weight of the accumulated snow proved to be too much, and much like the dome in Minnesota, the roof caved.
But that was just the beginning for the dome's turf surface, which was pulled up and offered to Loyalsock High School as an alternative to its grass football field.
Now, with a new and improved surface on its football field, Loyalsock hopes to secure a year-round revenue stream that will include hosting district soccer playoff games and concerts.
"We want this to be used year-round," Loyalsock athletic director Ron Insinger said. "We want it to be used for spring soccer. We're even thinking outside the box about hosting craft fairs or music concerts."
The new turf also gives Loyalsock a chance at hosting district and state playoffs games.
"We talked to the planners for district play and they love our facility. They love the parking, the bathrooms, the concession stands, so we have a lot of stuff going for us," Insinger said. "We are centrally located and we feel this could be a good venue for district games, as well as, inner-district games."
Besides hosting playoff games and special in-season matchups, the field offered a chance for students to come together and raise money for the new addition.
"This is all being funded by donations," Insinger said. "We feel the more people we can get directly involved and utilizing this facility the better chance we have at fulfilling our obligations to the people that have helped with donations."
While the football and girls soccer teams stuck to a more traditional route, the boys soccer team sold raffle tickets for a car, which was provided by Tyler Quigley's father, who owns part of the Fairfield Auto Group.
The players sold tickets for the raffle, which was held Tuesday as the team honored their senior class.
"Everyone has had to do a lot of fund-raising, the boys team has raffled off a car to help raise money," Insinger said. "Again, the team is thinking outside the box. They are doing things that will be able to go back into the program. They've really been working hard with this and are going to raise a lot of money."
"The parents and the kids did a lot of work," Loyalsock boys coach Andy Zimmerman said. "It's going to help in the offseason with getting the guys into indoor leagues and keeping them involved."
The field also gives student-athletes a chance to watch fellow students compete in soccer as the normal 4 p.m. start times can be pushed back to 7. And the difference in crowd size is noticeable.
In the first girls game under the lights, a league contest against Mount Carmel, the Lancers earned a 1-0 win with a throng of student supporters.
"There were times when we'd have 4:30 starts and the parents couldn't even get to the game," Insinger said. "Now the parents and, just as important, the players' peers can make it to the games. That's going to create more school spirit and bring out the best in all of us."
"It's just the beginning," Tyler Quigley said of the field. "We're just going to keep building on to this and keep going until it gets bigger."
The final advantage of having a turf field is playoff preparation, meaning the normal adjustment of learning the feel of fields like the one at the Balls Mills Soccer Club will be a thing of the past.
"Every little thing helps," Loyalsock girls coach Ben Comfort said. "It could be a disadvantage, though, if we go to Hughesville, which is a nice grass field, and everything is slow for us. It just goes back to the team being prepared."
CROSSLEY'S
TOP GIRLS CLUBS
1. Warrior Run: The Defenders proved last Thursday they can play from behind, notching a 2-1 overtime win over Danville. The girls trailed early, but received two goals, including the decisive goal from Jordyn Johnson with just 16 second left in the first overtime.
2. Montoursville: Why Montoursville is playing one the premier Class A teams and one of its biggest rivals on a Friday at the exact time as its football team is beyond me, but the Warriors responded with a win.
Montoursville has gotte past two difficult losses to Danville and should be heading into the postseason with a bunch of confidence.
3. Loyalsock: I've been concerned with Loyalsock's ability to score goals, but with a defense playing as well as it is, it might not be an issue. The talent is clearly on the roster with big names like Morgan Chambers, Allie Pagana and Alonna Soars.
4. South Williamsport (11-6): Just when it looked like the young Mounties were going to fold, dropping a key league match to Millville, 4-1, they responded with a, 4-3, overtime win against Shikellamy. What was really impressive about the Shikellamy win was the effort South Williamsport used to regroup after a tough loss. The Mounties went down 2-0 to open, but regained the lead when Melissa Flook, Laura Rook and Jen Jackson all scored. Shikellamy then forced overtime, but a Miranda Young tally proved to be the difference in the extra period. Once again South Williamsport spread the ball around and showed how many quality players are capable of leading the attack.
5. Hughesville (9-7-1):?The Spartans are reeling. They've dropped three consecutive contests, managing only three goals over the stretch while giving up eight. Hughesville's struggles started with two blown leads against Southern Columbia. A road loss to the Lancers followed with the Spartans second loss to Southern Columbia rounding out the fall.
Top field player: Miranda Young, South Williamsport: She gets the award because she came up with the game-winner for South Williamsport in a, 4-3, overtime victory against Shikellamy. The entire South Williamsport team seemed to contribute to the goals, but Young seems to be the one relied on for the decisive tallies in big moments.
CROSSLEY'S
TOP BOYS CLUBS
1. Warrior Run (16-0): Elias George scored a goal and the Defenders outshot Loyalsock 28-7 as they cruised to a 5-0 win. They continued to roll with a 2-0 win over Central Columbia. The boys have remained perfect through the season and will be a surefire favorite to claim the top spot in the District 4 Class AA tournament.
2. Lewisburg:?A 1-0 loss to Danville did little to dampen the Dragons spirits as they unloaded on their next three opponents, outscoring the opposition 8-3. Max Reed and Colton Keister have been contributors all season and will have to continue to produce against a crowded Class AA field.
3. Loyalsock:?The Lancers have separated from the field, exploding Tuesday night and hanging seven goals on league foe Jersey Shore. With the field being open, Loyalsock has certainly punched its ticket to the postseason and seems to be getting the type of offensive production that could make it an interesting postseason opponent.
4. Muncy (8-9):?The Indians have muscled through a difficult stretch in their schedule and should be ready to enter the Class A postseason field. Ammar Sabanovic has been a consistent offensive weapon and will be needed if the this team hopes to make a run.
5. South Williamsport (8-9): The three-way mix of Montoursville, Sullivan County and Muncy leveled itself out, but nobody expected South Williamsport to be the reason why. What started as a three-team race fizzled as two of the teams failed to find consistency. Enter South Williamsport, which at one point was sporting a 1-5 record.
Top field player: Jim McMahon, Montoursville: It's not that Jim McMahon, but what this one did was something noteworthy. Montoursville, with its season on the brink, received three goals and an assist from McMahon as it defeated Mount Carmel, 6-0.
Top keeper: Jason McWilliams, Warrior Run: McWilliams stopped three shots against Central Columbia in a 2-0 win.
Crossley covers soccer for the Sun-Gazette and may be reached at bcrossley@sungazette.com
