During the middle of the COVID pandemic in 2020, St. Pius X opened a wellness center, a two-story building with a weight room on the first floor.
What a perfect time to open a place where the Lancer community could gather to get strong and healthy. It seems to be paying off with the amount of state trophies the school’s sports teams have added since then.
Last year, the school opened a new baseball field on 3.63 acres of land south of Hwy. 61-67. Sapaugh Field was built and paid for mostly by volunteers. When it opened, St. Pius president Jim Lehn told the Leader if the school had hired a contractor for the baseball field, the price tag could have been $1 million.
On Friday night, St. Pius will open its newest addition to its sports facilities when it hosts Priory for a 7 p.m. football game in the new stadium. Unlike the baseball diamond, Jokerst Paving served as the primary contractor. Lehn said the cost was approximately $650,000. That doesn’t count the cost for an addition of a track in the future. Lehn said the football project took approximately four months, and the weather did not always cooperate.
“Over the past several years, St. Pius X Catholic High School has experienced an exciting period of growth and transformation,” Lehn said. “The addition of our new wellness center, the Sapaugh Field baseball complex, and now our new football field and track represent significant capital improvements to our campus. But these projects are about much more than buildings and athletic facilities—they are investments in our students and their future.
“None of this would be possible without the incredible generosity and commitment of our supporters. Our alumni, parents, grandparents, friends, and benefactors have continued to believe in St. Pius X and in the young men and women we serve. Their time, talent, and treasure have helped make these transformational projects a reality.”
As with the baseball field, Lehn said many volunteers contributed their time to help keep the cost down.
The project was originally planned as a football field only, with the track to be added the following year. Lehn said after many conversations with other school officials, a decision was made to complete the footprint and underground infrastructure for the track as part of this year’s project. He said the approach will minimize disruption when the track is completed next year.
Part of that completed work this year was the installation of underground drainage that’s necessary to accommodate both the football field and future track. The next phase will include the track itself, along with areas for high jump, long jump, triple jump, discus/shot put, pole vault and javelin. Not all schools in the county have a javelin throw area, so adding another could benefit other schools.
Lehn said the football project was funded through a combination of donations and operating income, adding the generosity of the school’s alumni, parents, families, supporters and community played an important role.
The new facility includes:
■ A 14’ x 30’ press box
■ New sound system
■ LED field lighting
■ Bermuda natural grass
■ New 24-foot scoreboard
■ Expanded spectator seating
The Tommy Surdyke Memorial at Father Dalton Stadium will be moved and located next to an extra-large American flag. The facility includes three sets of bleachers that can seat approximately 1,400 spectators.
The new football field means the St. Pius boys and girls soccer teams will take over Father Dalton and now have their own stadium and will be able to schedule any of their home games under the lights.
“It opens up a lot of things for our kids,” St. Pius activities director Tilden Watson said. “Now we can play a soccer and baseball game at the same time. Soccer now has lights because they’re on (Father Dalton), and they can start a decent time so their parents can get here.”
Ever since Herculaneum replaced its grass field with artificial turf in 2024, St. Pius had the only grass football field in the county. And it will stay that way because Watson said he’s seen enough studies over a long period of time that leads him to believe natural grass is a safer alternative.
“Ankle, knee and hip injuries have gone up 200 to 300 percent since the advent of artificial turf,” Watson said.
“I prefer real grass.”
Of course, it goes without saying that the Lancers are opening their new field on the 25th anniversary of 9/11. In an effort to support veterans, the school invited Warrior’s Wingman, which provides service and support dogs to veterans. Nick Figliolo is the founder of Warrior’s Wingman. Figliolo and Dudley, a fox red labrador, that he brought from Ireland as a 9-week old puppy, will be part of the celebration. Dudley practiced last week to retrieve the tee after kickoffs.
“It’s been going really well,” Figliolo said of the training. “We just finished up and he’s about 98 percent ready. I use goggles in hunting scenarios, and they have an American flag sticker, and he hates them, so we took them off, and he was 100 percent.”