Friday night lights.
That’s what I remember about Boca Raton Community High School in the ’90s.
Friday night football games, the cross-town rivalries, the cheerleaders, marching band and amazing community support. My older brother attended Boca High in the early ’90s and was a placekicker and punter on the team (he went on to become the 1994 Lou Groza Award High School Place-Kicker of the Year).
I remember standing outside the locker room with my parents post-game, joyful on the nights of the wins and heads held not-so-high on the nights the Bobcats lost. It was an old locker room by the concession stand at that time. Years later, a beautiful new football field was built. But the teams since then have not had a fieldhouse to go along with it. Football players have had to dress for practice and games in the gym, walk over to the field for the game and then head back to the gym post-game.
For 21 years (you read that right…21 years!) a new fieldhouse has been in the works and under construction. School officials explain that budgeting issues, code problems and other roadblocks halted the project.
This past weekend the Boca High community finally opened its doors to the brand new fieldhouse, complete with boys and girls sides, coaches offices, showers, storage areas, laundry facilities and a training room. A grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony was held Saturday with players, coaches, families, cheerleaders and alumni in attendance.
“Thankfully with the help of the half-penny sales tax that the voters agreed to, we’re able to now have a completed fieldhouse for our outstanding athletes,” said Boca Raton Community High School Principal Dr. Suzanne King.
Support is still needed to put the finishing touches on Boca High’s fieldhouse. King and the Athletic Department team are hoping to raise up to $30,000 to replace the fieldhouse water fountains with bottle-filling stations, purchase stools for the athletes to sit on as they’re watching film, smartboards to view the film on, as well as team branding and motivational signs that are located in locker rooms across the country.
For anyone looking to contribute and help the Bobcats ‘play like a champion,’ contact Athletic Director Michael Grillo. Every donation or Legacy Walk plaque purchase brings Boca High closer to completing this long-awaited project and ensuring that Boca High’s athletic legacy remains as strong as ever.
Nothing like Friday night lights on the field and lights now on in the fieldhouse.
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