Huron's turf project will be finished by mid-July

HURON — The crew from Maumee Bay Turf Center was laser-grading the football field at Huron Memorial Stadium on Friday, preparing for the installation of new synthetic turf that will provide a visual bang for the $400,000 renovation project. "We have to get the base absolutely perfect," Maumee Bay owner Brad Morrison said. "The turf is easy; the grading is hyper critical. Putting synthetic turf over a poorly graded base is like a bad drywall job in a house. "If the grade under the turf is not perfect, you will see that error." The turf will be installed in the next couple of weeks as Huron High School football players work out on adjacent grass fields. The new synthetic surface is replacing turf that was installed in 2008. Most fields last about 10-12 years, so Huron was due for a replacement. Mucci Farms is picking up the $400,000 tab. The new surface will be renamed Mucci Field at Huron Memorial Stadium. "It was well maintained so we got the benefit of additional years out of it," Huron athletic director Steve Camella said. "It's kind of like a rebirth of the field. We're probably the first in the area to replace their turf." There are seven synthetic turf football fields in the area. Huron's first synthetic surface was installed the same year as Clyde's field. Ironically, Clyde's turf was the first such project for Maumee Bay, which also installed turf at Sandusky and Bellevue. Maumee Bay moves much faster that it did 12 years ago and improved technology makes for better outcomes, Morrison said. The Oregon, Ohio-based company has 10 projects in Ohio and Indiana this year, including Norwalk High School's new field. That will add to a portfolio that includes 14 NFL facilities and four fields on which Super Bowls have been played. The turf going in at Huron is a Turf Nation product called TN-42, which features 2-inch slit film fibers that are identical to ones used on NFL fields. It is "engineered to be the perfect balance between firm and fast," according to promotional material on Maumee Bay's website. "I have three boys that play football. I don't believe that my kids or any high school kid should play on a surface that's inferior to the NFL," Morrison said. "Why anyone would sell a lesser product is beyond me." Morrison said Huron's new field will be more level than the original surface, which was installed by a different company. There is no crown to the field and he said a good turf field with high-end drainage can handle 40 inches of rain per hour. The upgrade will be a welcomed development for players who were beginning to notice the field's age. "This turf is pretty old so there are parts where it's ripped up and there's divots in some corners," Huron rising senior Lucas Winnestaffer said earlier this month before a football workout. "I'm ready to get a new field, nice and soft. It'll be nice for my senior year." Maumee Bay is about a week into the project, which began with the extraction of the rubber pellets that fill in between the green fibers. Some of the old pellets will provide the top layer of rubber that will be applied after the turf is down and all features sewn into the product. Morrison said the turf will be attached to the backing system by special Singer sewing machines. "A lot of people glue everything," he said. "Adhesives in northern Ohio weather over a decade, good luck. Our guys are sewing all the seams because they're high-pressure points." The new turf was manufactured by Turf Nation in Dalton, Georgia. The coronavirus outbreak slowed the supply chain, but Huron's project was delayed by only a few weeks. The old turf was rolled up and given away. Morrison said his company tries to keep as much old turf out of landfills as possible. Some of Huron's turf is going to batting cages and even barn aisles at county fairs. The Maumee Bay crew cut sections of the turf and helped load the trucks that took them away. Members of the public — including some former Tigers — have stopped by to check out the progress. Some have even brought Morrison's crew lunch. "The people here are phenomenal," he said. After the field is installed, Maumee Bay will provide training on how to maintain the turf, which will be groomed prior to Friday football games. The surface also will be tested for shock attenuation, which measures the hardness of the surface. "We drop weights in 28 high-traffic spots to measure hardness," Morrison said. "If you don't have durable fiber they lay down and your field gets compacted and it's not safe." Morrison said Maumee Bay is not the cheapest turf company, but he takes pride in quality work, which in turn leads to more work. Replacement projects usually range from $350,000 to $450,000. A completely new field costs about $750,000. "If you don't take pride in your work nobody is going to vouch for you," he said. "The people we have now have been in this industry for decades. The customers really love our guys. When you get a painter or plumber at your home and he's miserable, you're probably not going to call them back. "Superintendents and athletic directors are really a fraternity — they talk. We want to build trust with our clients." ——— Area turf fields Synthetic turf football fields generally last about 10 years, but with good care can last longer. Huron's original turf was installed in 2008 and is being replaced. Here are the seven area schools that will play on synthetic turf this fall: School&emsp;&emsp;Year installed Clyde 2008 Sandusky 2011 Perkins 2012 Bellevue 2013 Port Clinton 2015 Huron 2020 Norwalk 2020 ——— Turf project steps 1. Remove rubber pellets. Pellets are pulled out of the old turf, cleaned and repurposed. About 50 percent of the pellets will be used for the top half-inch layer of the new layer of pellets. 2. Cut old turf into pieces measuring 5 yards by 25 yards. 3. Roll up the old turf. All of it was donated to members of the community. 4. Replace connective wood nailers on the perimeter of the field. The turf will be anchored to these treated strips of wood. 5. Laser grade the field. "It's gotta be perfect," Maumee Bay Turf Center owner Brad Morrison said. This takes three days. 6. Install turf. This step takes 2-3 weeks depending on the weather. Turf can't be installed in the rain. After turf is installed, hashmarks and other features are cut in. 7. Apply rubber pellets. The last step will take 4-5 days, including grooming of the field.