Huskie Stadium Program by Portage Northern Light

HUSKIE STADIUM August 24th, 2018

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Leadership

CONTENTS

Mark Bielang Superintendent Jim French Principal Nate Ledlow Assistant Principal Kelly Hinga Assistant Principal Chris Riker Athletic Director

Construction

03 - Naming the Stadium 04 - Construction Timeline 06 - Football

By Liam Fagan and Komalpreet Kaur

Publication Program design by the 2018-2019 Portage Northern Light Staff

08 - Cheerleading

www.portagenorthernlight.com

10 - Homecoming 12 - Huskie Superfans 14 - Marching Band 16 - Track 18 - Lacrosse

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he new stadium will be a fixture at Northern for years to come, and finding the perfect name is a big part of its legacy. Because it was such an important task, it was one that involved as many stakeholders as possible. Principal Jim French says, “We developed a couple of surveys to capture ideas and thoughts to bring forward to our students and community. We shared the results with our Huskie Pack Committee and also our District Administration. After a finalizing of the ideas down to 3, we put it up for a vote of our students and community and the winner was Huskie Stadium.” Losing options were the Huskie-themed options Iditarod Stadium and The Tundra. The Huskie Pack is the group that has been meeting for a year to help organize the activities and the events of the grand opening of

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Huskie Field, Huskie Stadium, and will be working on the opening of the natatorium in the fall of 2020-2021. Members of the Huskie Pack are Kurt Droppers, Pete Schermerhorn, Chris Riker, Brenda Marsh, Kevin Marsh, Ruthie Connaughty, Carl Latora, Terri Novaria, Jim Novaria, Renee Kirkendall, Bruce Kirkendall, Connie Livingston, Jim French, Rusty Rathburn, Paul Sherfield and Josh Bartz. Huskie Stadium will host countless athletic contests, and athletic director Chris Riker is excited about that. He says, “I am looking forward to our teams, our students, and our Northern community having a place that we can call HOME... also… the new traditions that we can establish (ie. homecoming parade) and the sense of community we can have as a result of having our own stadium.”

Name options that didn’t make the cut: Iditarod Denali The Tundra The Iceberg Alpha Stadium Balto Stadium

two new stadiums for each high school, one of them being Huskie Stadium. Michelle Karpinski, the Portage Public School’s Community Relations Manager, states the “project’s $144 million building proposal was approved by voters in November 2015.”

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HUSKIE STADIUM: PROPOSAL TO OPENING

1. September 2015: Community members work together to discuss what should be included in the bond

By Sheila Mwanda and Brianna Neuhouser

n November 3, 2015, the Portage community passed the “Building the Future of Learning” bond which was proposed to update, change, and renovate the learning community of Portage Public Schools. While the bonds were officially passed in November of 2015, a lot of work was put in both before and after in order to make it possible. “The community overwhelmingly voted to put education first and these facilities would benefit both recreation and education of students and other parts of the community” explained President of Board of Education, Randy VanAntwerp. Before the bond was introduced, 40 volunteers from the community assessed the the areas that could be improved. Following the evaluation, two bonds were created. The first bond proposed replacing North and Central Middle Schools and updating West. Under Bond 1, new aquatic centers would be built at both high schools, and the aging buses and technology would be replaced throughout the district. Proposal 2 calls for the replacement of McCamley Field and building

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2. November 2015-May 2017: Community and administrators work together to sell bonds, hire architechs and contruction managers

3. March 2016: PPS administrators work to put the plans from the bond into execution, including releasing the offical timeline for the project 4. May 2017: The Portage community gathered together for the groundbreaking ceremony on Northern’s campus. 5. January 2017: Community input is sought in naming Northern’s new stadium. Eventually, the name “Huskie Stadium” was decided on. 6. November 2017: The stadium takes over the old band hill and set the perimeters of field to track to bleachers 7. March 2018: Photographer Scotty Melvin takes drone pictures of the progress of Huskie Stadium

8. April 2018: Another Scotty Melvin drone picture of the field with the turf now completed 9. May 2018: Construction continues for the August 24th opening game 10. Early Summer 2018: Construction crews from the company Owen Ames Kimball add finishing touches to the new stadium

Photos Cour tesy of : Brenda Marsh, Justin Olsen, ppsconstruction.blogspot.com, Scotty Bud Melvin Media

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The 2013 team prepares a play. Photo by Matthew J. Kerr

Huskie alumnus Joey Sarantos. Photo by the Legend Yearbook.

The 2016 team in action. Photo by Kaitlin Riker

Varsity football graduate Brad Tabor. Photo by the Legend Yearbook.

The 1997 huskies take the field. Photo by the Legend Yearbook.

2017 season - Photo by Lily Antor

NORTHERN’S VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAMS

I think the new stadium will be nice to have something to call our own. When I played we never had a home stadium. When we were ‘home’ it still felt like an away game. I’m excited for the next generation of superb student-athletes to have that difference of having an actual ‘home- field’ advantage.

How the Huskies played in the past & how they will play in the future at their own Huskie Stadium By Lexi Doll & Lily Antor

ortage Northern football has always shared a field with cross town rivals Portage Central, but 2018 marks the first ever year where Portage Northern will play a real home game. Despite the inconvenience of sharing a field, PN football was able to be extremely successful. In 2000, PN broke Portage Central’s 13 year win streak by winning by 30 points. Students rushed the field and even tore down the goal posts. Alumnus Tim Cashen remembers

going to the first ever PN vs. PC game when he was in 7th grade and he didn’t understand why his future school didn’t have their own home field. Four year varsity alumnus John Albertson said, “It always felt nice to win, but with no brown and white on the field it didn’t feel right.” Portage Northern football games have always had a great energy with loud parents and fans. The students and family made the field feel a lot more like home, despite

the fact that Portage Central High School was visible anywhere from the field. Huskie Stadium will bring a new confidence to all sports teams at Portage Northern and will create a major impact on the school. 2001 graduate, former PN football player and former University of Michigan football player Joey Sarantos said, “This new stadium will give the players, coaches and students something to be proud of and something to fight for.”

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- Joseph Droppers

Photo from the Portage Northern Football facebook page

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Portage Northern Football Alumnus

Bob Seekamp takes the field in 1994 Photo by the Legend Yearbook.

The Homecoming King and Queen of the 1987-98 school year, Jon Joffe and Karen Cotterill. Photo by the 1988 Legend Yearbook.

el Hatch, da Mackay, Rach an Am s, er ad pp tr itional Seniors Joey Droichael Blue participate in the hool year. sc M 1 d -1 Collin Teff, an sh competition in the 2010 nd Yearbook. car-pu 11 Lege Photo by the 20

Ben Bitterman an nominees of th d Sophie Sherwood, junior 2017-18 school e homecoming court in the year, pose for the classic Hom a photo under ecoming ar Photo by Lily An ch. tor.

Erik Rimmke, Holly Frasure, and Heidi Frasure dancing in the gym showing their Huskie Spirit. Photo by the 2002 Legend Yearbook.

G N I E S I K M E O C U OM H H have won n was excited toniors in the ga or M e ra nt Deo ng for the se Homecoming Ki 2017-18 school year. tor. Photo by Lily An

By Snigda Narisetty

ortage Northern has always had a somewhat traditional homecoming celebration with a homecoming court, games, spirit days and a post-game dance. The one thing that has always been missing from PN Homecoming is the parade. The fall of the 2018-2019 school year will be Portage Northernâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first ever homecoming parade. The parade will be very student led with student made floats. The homecoming parade will take place on the Friday of homecoming week around 5:30 pm. More details on the parade and homecoming week will be determined throughout the summer by this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Student Senate and will be announced in the fall. Along with the parade, Portage Northern will have their usual homecoming events: Dress up days, homecoming court, a pep-assembly and a dance. Though not much about the homecoming game is changing, the Huskies will be feeling a remarkable difference playing on their own field for the first time.

Juniors from th e 1989-9 the senior class0 school year show support to at the Hom Photo by the 19 ecoming peprally. 90 Legend Year book.

Peter Awad participating in a bounce race in the 2014-15 homecoming. Photo by : Legend Yearbook 2015

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ANATOMY OF THE

By Kylie Clifton

mong Portage Northern’s 52 graduating classes has emerged a rare breed of Huskie: the Superfan. The identity of the super fan is ever changing, from student to student or decade to decade: no superfan is ever the same, but they all continue the legacy of Huskie spirit. Class of 1967 graduate Jon Woodrow is as close to an original Superfan as they come. Woodrow came over from

Portage Central after sophomore year to complete high school at the then newly built Portage Northern High School. Upon switching from Central to Northern, Woodrow said, “You know we were kind of isolated from two and a half other classes, but being able to vote for things like mascots or the colors really brought that fan base together.” Woodrow seemed to find himself a super fan on and off the field,

whether scoring Portage Northern’s first touchdown or showing off his Huskie pride. Class of 1989 Superfan Corey Driver recalls his experience very fondly. Driver played varsity soccer from freshman through senior year and claims, “I bled brown and orange.” Driver not only expressed his pride on the soccer field, but on game nights for the football team as a Superfan.

S U P E R FA M I LY “Living in Portage, going to Friday night football games was kind of just what you did, ” he said. “There was all kinds of pride from the fans, all wanting to just root for their team.” The Superfan leaders who will take the Dogpound into Huskie Field for the first time are seniors Sarah Headapohl and Linus Mallet. “A Huskie Superfan is someone that bleeds school pride and wants to support our school in ways that are more

Huskie Superfans showing off their Huskie pride. Photo by Lily Antor.

than just athletics,” explained Mallet. Headapohl expresses the excitement of a Northern Friday night: “Friday night football games may be crazy, but they are really great! It is always great to cheer on your classmates and just get everyone excited.” Both leaders believe the Superfan have truly come a long way, and are thrilled for what this year will bring. “The 2018-2019 super fans are a lot more organized. With the new stadium, we have to

make groups and go all out this year. We’re now doing tailgating, and we’re getting the other students involved through old and new traditions and chants. It’s going to be a big year,” said Mallet excitedly. Much like Portage Northern, the Huskie Superfan changes with time, but it seems one thing remains true: the love and pride for their school.

Steven McClure and Scott Lemons make their pride known. Photos from the 2003 Legend Yearbook.

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MARCHING

BAND

Photo by 1971 Legend Yearbook

Photo by 2000 Legend Yearbook

Photo by 2008 Legend Yearbook

Photo by 1996 Legend Yearbook

NOTABLE ALUMNI

Brandon Ridenour (2003): Professional Trumpet Player Eric Bowman (2007): Professional Trombone Player Josh Bartz (2000): Current PN Band Director

By Kylie Clifton, Cameron Myers, and Sheila Mwanda

rom new uniforms to new directors, the the Portage Northern Marching Band has certainly undergone many changes. Newest on the list is a school first: a home football field not just to perform the halftime show on, but to compete on. One major contributor of the band program is Dave Mumma, who served as director from 1985 to 1993. “While I had a number of successes and a few challenges, I think my most memorable moments were being a part of students’ experiences of creating and realizing their own aesthetic musical accomplishments for themselves and their audiences,” he said. Mumma has a hefty appreciation for McCamley field, where his band marched. “I don’t think I’d change my

experience, but I’m glad things are happening as they are,” he said. David Papenhagen is also one of the key contributors as to how far Northern’s band has come. Serving as director from 1994 to 2000 and again from 2002-2008, Papenhagen had many great memories here, such as all of the creative shows during his time as director. “We did a Gershin Show, Appalachian Spring, The Inferno, The Music of Ron Nelson, among others,” he said. One of his points of pride is how much the marching band grew during his time at Portage Northern, going from 80 members to 140. Jumping forward to the present, current band director Joshua Bartz has been at Northern from 2008 to now. “I have been honored to [have] been

in at every level from the strategy of the campaign all the way through the final details, and I feel like the stadium is going to be a huge asset to our community,” he said. The program has had a very successful competition history with Bartz in the last few years: At MCBA state finals, the band was 7th in 2013, 4th in 2014, 11th in 2016, 6th in 2017, and 5th in 2018. “We have big goals for 2018,” said Bartz. The new stadium will help them achieve those big goals. “The fact that it’s turf is going to make a huge impact,” said Bartz. Turf is the best surface for marching bands, as it is predictable. To this point, our students have achieved a lot of success, with less than ideal circumstances in terms of rehearsal and performance facilities.

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Each year we have to “over design” our props to handle the added stressors of performing on a very poor surface at McCamley as well as the added travel. We have to spend rehearsal time teaching students about the differences of performing there - and often having frustrating performances due to the lack of quality. With the addition of this stadium, we are going to rehearsal, every day, on a surface exactly like those we compete on. No matter what the conditions, the playing field will be the same for our home football game performances. We will have a venue in which our home audience can see and hear the quality work being done, and will be able to see the week to week growth in our production.” The new stadium

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even comes equipped with a video infrastructure that will allow band staff to film a section of practice from the pressbox and play the video back at track level to help guide instruction and rehearsal. Current and former band members are excited for the new opportunities that a stadium will provide as well. “I’m thrilled to be able to watch the band’s performance in the near future of being on their own home field for the very first time, plus all of their new opportunities,””, said Class of 2017 graduate and band member Ezer Gill, who was a member of the french horn and drumline sections before becoming drum major during his senior year. Senior band member Rebecca Netz, who plays the flute,

is also excited for the new stadium. “I’m very glad to be able to march on our home turf for once instead of marching on McCamley field, plus being able to host our first invitational this season,” she said. In the late evening of October 6th, Portage Northern will be hosting their first ever “Huskies Marching Invitational,” where about 10 other bands in Southwest Michigan will come to compete on the new field in the Michigan Competing Bands Association format. “Our goal with this event is to make this turn into the premiere marching event in Southwest Michigan annually,” said Bartz. The community is invited to come and watch this historic event, which begins at 5:00 pm.

THEN AND NOW

TRACK COACHES AND ATHLETES:

COACHES

ATHLETES

The new high jump, long jump, and pole vault areas are large enough to allow two pits to compete at the same time. Nearly every event can be viewed from the stadium. There are 3 rings for both shot and discus.

Coach Bill Fries (1977-2009)

Coach Ahren Kaylor (2009-present)

By Malcolm Gaynor and Sarah Maniscalco In 2013, legendary Portage Northern track coach Bill Fries recieved the Kermit Ambrose award, the highest honor any track or cross country coach can recieve. Fries is also in the MITCA (Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association) hall of fame. Fries also co-created the Portage Invitational, a large cross county race hosted at Portage West Middle School. Fries (right) is pictured with fellow Portage Invitational co-founder Dan Wytko of Portage Central. Photo uncredited on dyestat.com

In 10 years as head coach, Ahren Kaylor boasts a combined 88-14 SMAC divisional dual meet record. Kaylor is optimistic about how Huskie Stadium will help improve the track program and build on its history of success. “We are very excited to get our PACKSTRONG mentality and our tradition of excellence back,” Kaylor said. The new home stadium will help bring the team energy back to track. “Goal number one is to reunite the team,” Kaylor explained. While it may seem to be based on individual events, track is a team sport. Kaylor (right) is pictured with 2017 state chamipion discus athlete Randy Price. Photo courtesy of Ahren Kaylor.

“The team will glow with pride next spring. Finally having a ‘real’ stadium will bring a buzz with excitement and pride. But, having a stadium this magnificent, will bring an awe-inspiring and exciting spring in 2019. “

Adriel Morgan (1996-2000)

Peyton Witt (2015-present)

Adriel Morgan was a state champion and Portage Northern record-breaking long jumper during his four years as an athlete, and also returned to the PN track team in 2008 as an assistant coach. Morgan was a team capitain during his senior year to help win PN’s first Men’s state championship. “Winning the first ever men’s Team state championship in 2000 is my biggest memory,” Morgan says. Also, Morgan not only broke the school long jump record in 1999, but coached an athlete to break the same record in 2010. Morgan is pictured competing in long jump. Photo courtesy of Adriel Morgan.

Last season, Peyton Witt was Portage Northern’s only qualifying athlete in the 1600 and 3200 meter events. In the state meet, Witt finished with two personal best times, finishing 5th in the 3200 and 10th in the 1600. Witt, who has qualifyed for the State Final Meet in all three of her seasons, looks to build on her success as a senior on the new Huskie field track. “I hope to get the school record in the 1600 and 3200,” Witt says. She also hopes that the new track will bring the team together as a whole. This year, the team will finally be able to train and practice together. In the photo, Witt is in first place during a 3200 race in 2016. Photo courtesy of mlive.com and Ahren Kaylor.

“I’ve been waiting for Northern to to get their own stadium for as long as I can remember.” -Joey Sarantos, 1997-2001, shot put and discus record holder.

- Ahren Kaylor, current track coach.

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The new stadium has F.A.T. timing to ensure absolutely accurate times. The facility will have brand new hurdles and also new pits for the jumping events. Long jump is near the start line to improve meet efficiency for sprinters. The surface is the "Cadillac" of tracks and is well-suited for both training and racing. The 9-lane track allows meets to be quicker and more efficient. It also allows 9 athletes to advance to finals, which improves sprint race quality.

By Anai Freeman and Keegan Tenney

he Portage Northern Cheer team is based on the foundation of tradition, adhering to the motto that “tradition never graduates.” Even though teammates graduate, the pieces they leave behind do not, and are now apart of the tradition to carry on into the next season. That tradition will now include Huskie Stadium. From years 2011-2015, PNHS alum Morgan Vinstra participated in the cheer program, both sideline and competitive. During her time as a cheerleader, the team accumulated four SMAC championships, which helped to make the decision of cheering in college a lot easier. “At the time, we didn’t know anything else besides McCamley,” Vinstra states. “But I think it will be awesome for PN to have a field they can finally call home.” She will be going onto her fourth year attending Michigan State University majoring in Early Childhood Development.

Above: Senior Danielle Johnson (left), sophomore Kaitlin Tang (center), and sophomore Katie Lorenz and junior Sheena Tang lead their classmates in school spirit. That year, the cheerleaders were coached by Lisa Singleton and Matt Zebor. Photos by the 2002 Legend Yearbook.

FIRST FLIP ON NEW GROUNDS

New Stadium gives cheerleaders their own territory for the first time By Anai Freeman and Keegan Tenney

"It will be awesome for PN to have a field they can finally call home."

Above: The 2016-2017 Junior Varsity team joins Varsity for the third quarter as they welcome the players back after halftime at the Homecoming game. It was a defeating three point loss, but the cheerleaders never stopped cheering the boys on. At right, Class of 2018 cheerleaders Lexi Kava, Morgan Cavanaugh and Catie Bartholomew say goodbye to McCamley after cheering their last home game in the stadium and the teams last game at the field in which they could be both “home” as well as the “visitors.”

Class of 2015 cheerleader Morgan Vinstra At second from left, Class of 2018 seniors Emily Bainbridge and Hannah Smith lead a cheer as a part of the senior pyramid. At third left, the freshman cheerleaders of 2008 show their strength in an elevator stunt and a shoulder sit as they cheer the Huskies to victory. Above, the 2017 cheer team lifts junior Ver’Nyshia Blackwell.

Photos by the Huskie Cheerleading Facebook Page.

Class of 2019 graduate and cheer team member Halle Escher was a part of the program for only two years, but her passion for the program made it feel like a lot longer. She participated in both seasons of cheer as well as makes time for the track season, leading the pole vault team as well as assuming leadership positions on the cheer team. Escher states, “Not having a stadium was difficult driving for football games as well as track; it got stressful.” She continues, “I am looking forward to the new stadium because it is finally all ours.” The teams are currently led by coaches Heather Prentice, Amanda Gerstner and Rachel Prowse, all former cheerleaders. Both Prowse and Gerstner cheered with Prentice as their coach, and this shows their motto to be true. At long last, their enduring traditions can finally be carried on in a place they can truly call home.

Photos by the 2008 Legend Yearbook and the Huskie Cheerleading Facebook page

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COMING HOME:

Lacrosse and the Matt Thrasher Memorial Challenge

One of the highlights of the new stadium for the Lacrosse program is that the Matt Thrasher Memorial Challenge will finally be moving home.

By the Staff

hen the men’s lacrosse program started in Portage in 2003, athletes from Portage Central and Portage Northern played on the same team. Northern fielded its first selffunded Varsity team in 2005, and the organization has been growing and evolving ever since, experiencing great success in recent years. The teams in 2015, 2016, and 2018 all had success in the MHSAA state playoffs, reaching the quarterfinals, and the 2015 and 2018 teams ranked in the top 50 in the state out of all divisions. In 2018, the program had its first All-American selection in senior Camden Kalleward. The team has also been an all-state academic team for the last four years in a row. Despite their varsity status, the men’s team still had less than ideal facilities, practicing on the uneven ground behind North Middle and playing their home games on the football practice field. “The football field was a lot better because our parents and fans had stands they could sit in, but it was still probably one of the worst fields compared to the other schools we played against,” said class of 2007 graduate and lacrosse team defenseman Andrew Novaria. “We played a lot of games in the Grand Rapids area, where their facilities are much nicer than ours.” That era ended with the addition of Huskie Field in 2017, which gave the team a brand new home field for both practices and games. This had a positive impact on the women’s team, which has continued to grow since its establishment by scoring wins over rival Mattawan and making it to their first regional final last season, losing to eventual state champion Rockford.

“We have played a majority of our games at PC over the last 5 years... we’ve already had more interest [in the team] in just the handful of games we played this spring at Northern, ” said Mike Zeluff, a longtime member of the Portage lacrosse community. This season, playing in Huskie Stadium will benefit the program even more. “Having the ability to host those [Grand Rapids] teams in a brand new facility will not only help our teams play the best competition at home, but also spread the word that the facilities at PNHS are second to none,” said Novaria. One of the highlights of the new stadium for the Lacrosse program is that the Matt Thrasher Memorial Challenge will finally be moving home. This year marks the 15th annual event, which has traditionally been held at McCamley Field. The all-day lacrosse tournament honors PNHS freshman Matt Thrasher, who played goalie for the PN-PC Boys JV Lacrosse team during the 2004 season before tragically losing his life in a boating accident the following summer. The very next year, the Portage community established the first Matt Thrasher Memorial Game. “I had the opportunity to play in the inaugural Matt Thrasher Memorial Challenge,” said Novaria. “Matt had passed away the summer before I started playing, but his presence was definitely always a part of our team. My teammates spoke very highly of the teammate and friend that he was, and being able to host that event at PNHS will be memorable.” The tournament has grown to be an all day event with over 10 teams competing. This year’s event will be on

Saturday, May 4th. Middle school play starts in the afternoon, and the event culminates in the evening with a crosstown face off between the Portage Northern and Portage Central varsity teams. “[Huskie Stadium] is significant because with the potential to have not just one but two facilities, we have the potential to invite more teams to the event.” Growing the event doesn’t just honor Matt’s memory, it cements his legacy by benefitting generations of lacrosse players: the event helps fund four scholarships for the Portage Northern, Portage Central, and Portage Women’s lacrosse programs. Huskie Stadium will also be home to another major event in the coming season, as PNHS was selected by the Southwest Michigan High School Lacrosse League to host the 2019 league championship on May 11, 2019. Both the men’s and women’s teams are welcoming new members. “As an inexpensive sport, we encourage kids to give lacrosse a try,” said varsity coach JD Kalleward.

"The facilities at PNHS are second to none." - Class of 2007 Lacrosse team member Andrew Novaria Photos courtesy of the Legend Yearbook and JD Kalleward.

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BE A PART OF HISTORY Join us at Huskie Stadium for the 2018-2019 athletic season Varsity Football Loy Norrix High School