By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

HELENA—The Helena Huskies youth football teams took to the field for their first home game of the season on their new field on Sept. 9. The Huskies 2nd grade team took on Vestavia at 6 p.m. and the 4th grade team hosted Oak Mountain at 7:15 p.m.

“It’s just tremendous for us to have a dedicated field for our youth to play on,” Helena Mayor Mark Hall said.

The new field is complete with lighting, a press box, concession stand, bleacher seating and sidelines big enough for both home and away cheerleaders to set up in formation and cheer on their teams.

“We got a little creative,” Hall said about financing the new field. The city refinanced a bond on the Community Center, which generated the funds necessary for the construction of the new youth football field at the Helena Sports Complex.

Before the ribbon was cut on the new field on Aug. 9, the Helena Huskies youth football teams practiced and played in the outfield of the city’s baseball field, Helena Director of Parks and Recreation Jason Powers said.

The youth football field will host all home games for the city’s five football and cheerleading teams.

“The field is going to be a great asset for our whole parks and recreation program… All the games are going to be here,” Powers said, noting the youth football program is “definitely a feeder system for our middle school and high school teams.”

In addition, the field will also be home to the Helena Huskies youth soccer program in the spring.

“This is really going to help our program year-round, it’s a great addition,” Powers said. “We’ll be able to do a lot of things here.”

The Helena Huskies 5th grade team will play their first game on the new home field on Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m. as they take on Homewood.

“To be able to host the other teams from out of town on a dedicated field is big for us,” Hall said. “Lots of fun will be had here for years to come.”