(Seguin) –“Impressive!” “Extraordinary” “Wow, just wow!” Those were some of the words used to describe the look and feel of the brand-new Seguin High School Matador Stadium. District officials along with members of the Seguin ISD Board of Trustees and members of the Bond Oversight Committee gathered Monday night for their first peek at the voter approved bond project.
More than a year in the making, the stadium will finally open its ticket booths for this Friday night’s football game against Cedar Creek. The home opener will be the public’s first glimpse of the voter approved football stadium. In May 2019, voters approved the stadium at a cost of $17.3 million. Today, that ending price tag falls under budget at $13.6 million.
Thanking the voters for rebuilding Matador Stadium at its original site is Board President Cinde Thomas-Jimenez. Jimenez says after what she has seen, she guarantees the public will not be disappointed.
“It is the first time that I have stepped foot in this stadium, and I am just blown away. It’s just beautiful. It really is. I think the students, they just got to be so proud especially those football players and band students, just the communities. They are going to be overwhelmed when they come in,” said Jimenez.
Trustee Denise Crettenden spent part of her tour leaning on the railings — overlooking the completely new and labeled Jack Taylor Field. Crettenden says she too thanks the voters for the well-deserved upgrade in facilities and can’t wait for the kids to create their own new memories.
“As a Seguin High School alumna, I was in the Gold Battalion here. I ran on this track. I spent so much time here and I am so excited that our students for this year and our future students are going to have these calibers of facilities because they deserve them,” said Crettenden.
Trustee Alejandro Guerra says the design of the stadium bleachers is one key component that can’t be overlooked.
“One of the things that caught my eye was the ease of going up and down the steps. I didn’t realize it. I’ve been to some stadiums in San Antonio also and you still kind of have to struggle as you go up and down. This one, I guess they shortened the distance of the steps. Also, upstairs, the view from upstairs is just amazing. You get some amazing views from upstairs,” said Guerra.
Trustee Glenda Moreno says she too has waited a long time for this new stadium. Moreno, says the stadium is history in the making — a history that will be launching the Seguin community well into the future.
“The takeaway from tonight – oh gosh! We have waited for so long for this day to come and now it’s going to be here on Friday night. I think our community is going to be so pleased with the investment that they made with this bond election and it’s all for our kids and our kids by far deserve the best and this is the best that anyone could imagine. Friday night lights here is just going to be very moving, especially this first Friday. So bring your Kleenex because I can assure you we are all going to shed a tear or two when we see our fighting Matadors run through that tunnel on Friday night,” said Moreno.
Feeling nostalgic yet ready for the next chapter at Seguin High School is Trustee Linda Duncan. Duncan says you can’t help but be impressed by how the project has turned out.
“I tell you what my little dedicated Matador fan heart is so full today. I’ve waited quite frankly most of my life to be standing in a newly renovated Matador Stadium. I graduated from Seguin High School and fortunate enough to be elected to serve on the board of trustees and worked tirelessly to see that this bond passed and I am just so thankful to the voters that they came out and voted for this bond package and this is such a beautiful facility but what is even more beautiful is just the fact that we came together in unity and that we trusted leadership enough to make this happen, that we came in a little under budget and it’s just a testament to the leadership that we can trust and to know that we are going to make things happen and it’s just the tip of the iceberg of what we can do when we work together in unity to get it done,” said Duncan.
Eddie Davila Jr., a member of the bond oversight committee, also took part in the tour and says the group’s vision is finally a reality.
“You have to come to the game to really get a good feel for what they’ve done with this stadium. It really is impressive. I’m looking forward to seeing the crowds out here. I’m looking forward to Seguin coming out here and really seeing what the school district has done especially for these and I think it’s going to have an impact on our attitude here in Seguin. I think it’s going to make a difference – it’s okay to win and I think by having a stadium this nice, we are going to tell people, ‘hey guys, it’s okay to win in Seguin’ and they found a winning formula with this stadium,” said Davila.
Accompanying Davila on his tour of the stadium was his daughter Audrey. Audrey, a Seguin High School cheerleader, says the new stadium is definitely what the kids are talking about.
“I am really excited for it. Everybody seems to like it. Everybody is excited for it. Everybody is just ready to get on it and get started with it,” said Audrey.
The original stadium was built in 1955 having served the community for 65 years. Some district officials say the new stadium is really about a 17 year project in the making with many of those years spent looking for ways to temporarily rehab the aging and deteriorating facility.
The new stadium, today, features a seating capacity of 8,210. That includes 2,802 seats on the visitor’s side and 5,408 on the home side. Although the total is a decrease from the original number of 9,200, the home side will see an additional 1,400 seats. Designers say the number of seats is a little less than the original capacity so that seating can be leveled to better serve fans on both sides.
The stadium will also now meet all ADA requirements for occupancy. This includes an elevator for the press box, ramps and special bleacher seating. The field, itself, also now meets official track size and field size for soccer. In addition to a much larger and convenient concession stand, the stadium will also uniquely feature a total of 123 restrooms – 54 women and 28 men on the home side and 27 women and 14 men on the visitor’s side. The restrooms will be split throughout the stadium. The number of restrooms was a requirement in the construction for the facility. 
While a large percentage of the stadium is ready to go, district officials say there are still areas that need to be outfitted. They include the installation of the old clock tower near the entrance of the front gate plus technology installation for the scoreboard.
Due to social distancing rules in accordance with UIL guidelines and Governor Greg Abbott’s executive order, this Friday’s home opener will be limited to 50 percent capacity. Game tickets, which are currently available, will go on sale each week from 9 a.m. Tuesday until noon on game day or until they are sold out. All remaining tickets not sold by noon will be sold at the gate.
