FALLOWFIELD TOWNSHIP — When the Charleroi Cougars open their home football campaign Sept. 9 against Brownsville, the plan is for the team to run out on to a new artificial surface in a new stadium.

Well, that is the plan.

"It's going to be tight. We're keeping our fingers crossed," said Charleroi School Board President Ken Wiltz. "The turf is down and the lights are up. They are putting in the seating this week.

"I'm not so sure we will have the auxiliary gymnasium completed by then. We are hoping to play that game at home. I can't say for sure that we will. But if we have to play a game on the road and push the opening back, that's what we will do."

Wiltz said he has been pleased with the work so far on the stadium and auxiliary gymnasium, two projects with a combined price tag of approximately $7 million.

The stadium carried the larger price tag at $4 million.

"What I see, I like," Wiltz said of the stadium that was patterned exclusively after the new stadium that was built by the California Area School District.

"We even used the same architect and engineer," Wiltz said. "Our seating capacity will be 2,500."

The district opted to build a new stadium on the high school/middle school campus after it was deemed that the old Charleroi Stadium was too antiquated and would be too costly to renovate.

And the district opted not to construct the new facility at the site of the old stadium because that structure is located in a flood plain.

"We just couldn't take the chance of a flood and what it could do to the field," Wiltz said. "We're not sure what we are going to do with the stadium yet for that reason. Doing any kind of large construction on a flood plain is kind of frowned upon."

The old stadium hosted its final game after 73 years on Oct. 22, 2010, when Charleroi played Freedom.

The new facility will include a press box and an alumni room and concession stand, along with the auxiliary gym.

The auxiliary gym will include dressing rooms for the teams as well as a small gymnasium that will be used for school activities, such as wrestling and some after-school programs.

Wiltz said he hopes to at least have the seating and press box done by Sept. 9 -- the second week of the season -- when Brownsville is coming to town.

"We're hoping the press box and the alumni room will be done for that first game," he said.

Wiltz said the district is planning to have some sort of grand opening celebration for the first home game, possibly honoring some former coaches or players who helped bring fame and success to Charleroi over the years.

If the stadium is not completed by Sept. 9, Charleroi's next scheduled home game is during the fourth week of the season, Sept. 23 against East Allegheny.

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