H.S. Sports Central

It's as strange as slowing down the infamous table-top greens on the historic golf course at Oakmont Country Club.

Or the Oaks Theater showing every film in the 3-D that's popular with the kids these days.

Or painting the Hulton Bridge — gulp — orange instead of lilac.

It's a temporary novelty that could become permanent, but some think night football in Oakmont is foolish.

Others believe it's a bright idea.

"Friday night games are my favorite," Riverview senior running back Julian Garner said. "Everyone gets psyched. We don't get to play them much, so we get excited about them."

On Friday night, the hometown Riverview Raiders will play their second night game in one season, the first time that's happened in school history.

Transient light

Portable lights will be brought in again Friday, lighting venerable Riverside Park, which has played host to Saturday afternoon football since 1961 when the park opened.

Riverview will host cross-river rival Springdale. The game, which will decide a WPIAL playoff spot in the Class A Eastern Conference, was moved from Saturday to Friday after requests filtered in for another night home game in Oakmont.

Friday also will be Riverview's Senior Night.

The district is discussing installing permanent lights, although the decision isn't as easy as flicking a switch. Riverside Park is owned by Oakmont Borough, not the high school, so the change must go through filters.

Riverview spends $9,000 a year to rent Riverside Park.

The proposal for lights likely must involve give-and-take from both sides.

"This area is ripe for night football," Riverview athletic director Bob Kariotis said. "You'd be surprised at how many people want this to become a permanent thing."

Oakmont Recreation President and council member Al Kennedy, a former principal at Oakmont, believes the idea has a chance.

"I think it would quadruple attendance," said Kennedy, 83. "I used to be a huge fan of Saturday games. I thought that was the thing to do. But now we maybe need to change with the times."

Old school

The tradition factor, the noon kickoffs on sun-splashed Saturday afternoons, with multi-colored trees as the backdrop, always has carried weight with the Riverview faithful.

Verona High School, which later merged with Oakmont to form Riverview, also used to play its games Saturday afternoons at Cribbs Field.

"I understand the tradition; I played here," Riverview football coach Todd Massack said. "But times have changed. We need to do what's right for the kids. There are so many advantages to night games and I am not just talking about football. I think our kids are losing out."

Massack said the pros strongly outweigh the cons when it comes to bringing in permanent lights.

"A lot more parents would be able to see their kids play soccer games, or 7th-8th grade football games," he said. "Right now, they can't get to a lot of games because they are after school. The parents have jobs and after a busy week, Saturday is their day to get things done."

Massack said businesses would benefit, too.

"Go to Springdale on a Friday night and the businesses and restaurants are packed," Massack said. "You can't get into some of those places."

Veteran Springdale coach Chuck Wagner, who coached at Riverview, also supports permanent lights.

"There aren't a lot of schools left that don't have them," Wagner said.

Left in the dark

Former Riverview football coach and athletic director Jake Cappa said permanent lights were a subject of debate in the early 1990s.

He said the district seriously approached the matter, even bringing it before the borough.

But it fell one vote short of approval, and day games continued.

"We had a plan," Cappa said of getting permanent lights. "We had donations from patrons. It was very affordable. We went to the borough and they said if the recreation commission approved it, it would most likely get done. We lost by one vote, and I was told the person who voted no moved out of the borough the next day."

Some argue that the 10 portable light standards, which the school acquires from Harmar Equipment Company, aren't bright enough for a football game.

Shadow of a doubt

Cappa said he supports the idea as a citizen of Oakmont, but he might oppose it if he were still coaching.

"It was a monster advantage playing on Saturdays," Cappa said. "I was able to see every team and scout them on Friday nights. We really got a good perspective of who we were playing."

Massack hopes more can be done soon to bring electricity to the ballpark.

"You go around town and you hear everyone talking about (lights) being a great idea," Massack said. "I just can't figure out why it hasn't happened yet. Just like we need showers (at Riverside Park). It needs to be done. But the tie-up is the borough owning the field. Things need to be done for the kids in the communities of Oakmont and Verona."

Undefeated

Riverview has had success in home night games.

"We want to keep our tradition being undefeated under the lights," Garner said.

Riverview is 4-0 in night home games since it began bringing in portable lights for one game in 2006. Earlier this season, the Raiders beat Wilkinsburg, 37-14, in a night game at Riverside Park.

"I like night games because I'm always cramping up on Saturday afternoons," Riverview junior quarterback Terrell Craighead said, with a laugh. "No, it brings out more students and there's a better atmosphere."

Craighead said he petitioned for a night game against Springdale.

"I asked our principal," he said. "I wanted to play our last game of the season under the lights, against Springdale."

• Most Read
• Most E-mailed
• Latest News