State police are investigating an incident in which vandals did an estimated $20,000 damage to the Yough High School stadium Tuesday morning.
The vandals apparently also stole the Yough mascot.
The mascot, a life-sized aluminum silhouette of a cougar, was found later hanging from a tree on the campus of Belle Vernon High School, Yough's arch-rival.
Police said the damage to the stadium included obscenities painted on the football field and on several out-buildings. Yough's football field has an artificial surface called Sofsport, which the district installed at a cost of $609,000 several years ago, according to Superintendent Larry Nemec.
"It was pretty much in the center of the field," Nemec said. "You can't really see it if you are looking at the field, you have to be out on the field to see it."
"It's like spilling paint on your carpet at home; you spill paint and it is hard to get out," he said, adding that some of the green, yellow and black paint was poster paint that is water-soluble and easy to remove, but some was spray paint, which is harder to remove.
He said he did not think any of the synthetic turf would have to be replaced.
Nemec said two bronze plaques at the stadium, one about 3 feet by 5 feet, also were painted and would have to be cleaned along with the large rocks in which they are embedded.
Nemec said the cougar silhouette was bolted into a rock with half-inch bolts that required a wrench to remove.
It is the second incident of vandalism at the field in three months. Nemec said a similar incident occurred in November at the stadium, but district employees were able to clean up the paint and the damage was not as extensive.
Nemec said there was no proof that the damage was caused by someone from Belle Vernon schools, which has green and yellow as its school colors.
"No, but it sure looks that way," he said. "Their high school principal has been working really closely with our high school principal because neither school wants this kind of thing to happen. I can't say enough about the cooperation between the administrations of both schools. Neither school wants (vandalism).
"Our principal met with our kids today to tell them not to retaliate, let the police handle it. Our kids were pretty upset but they handled it pretty well."
