After 2008 graduation at Orland High, the track and football field were given a complete overhaul! But the full completion of the project took time, leaving the Trojans without without stadium lights for the 2008 season, and a lot of afternoon & Saturday games, to little or no fanfare.
But the stadium is now complete and it's already changing the outlook at Orland on the gridiron.
With new turf, bleachers, and lights that were installed in May, friday night football is once again a topic of discussion at Orland High School.
Orland High School Principal Jeff Scheele says, "the premier facility between Sacramento and Oregon in my opinion and we're excited to have this and we're going to respect it, our students deserve it, and our community deserves it."
This past Friday, the Trojans christened their brand new stadium in grand fashion with a 42-21 victory over Durham, a win that has brought confidence back to the program.
Orland Offensive Lineman Josh Miccio says, "it made us feel like we were playing for something like we were playing on this field for the first time so let's make a statement, beat a team and let's just execute and make our team look good for the whole section, you know make a name for ourselves for the first time in a long time."
As a matter of fact, the Trojans and their faithful have been hungry for a Northern Section Championship since 1991, when they beat Corning for the 3A championship. That was the only section crown in school history and with the new facilities, it seems like anything is now possible.
Orland Running Back Jose Huerta saysm "it's a lot of fun man, we have some good players on our team, a lot of good seniors and it's just a fun year with our new jerseys, new football field, and it's just a great group of kids that I'm playing with."
Orland Head Coach Mike McDonald says, "I think it all boils down to that the kids came out here and played and they were the spotlight and I think they felt great about it."
With the new lights directly shining on the Orland program, the Trojans are once again a confident bunch on the field and the team's performance should yield more excitement in the future.
