Here is a look before turf was being put in place and after most of it was down.

JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF) – “Looks great! Doesn’t it? I love that blue,” said Campbell Director of Athletics and Associate Head Football Coach Matt Price. The coach was watching the Kalmia crew lay and sew the new turf on the hill at Campbell High’s football field on Saturday afternoon in their second day on campus. See Charlie Hutson’s photo gallery HERE.

Saturday’s goal was to get to the 50-yard line. However, the crew was rained out not long after returning from a short lunch break and picked back up on Sunday. The big puffs of wind on The Hill were challenges at times, too.

The blue west end zone was put in place early on Saturday morning. Lettering and yard line numbers that will bring the field to life are coming.

Warren Coppedge is the veteran leader of the crew installing the Cougars new turf. He’s been doing this for going on 20-years, and his stops include MetLife Stadium along with the stadiums at Clemson, Alabama and Georgia. This same crew has also done most of the high school football fields in the area. Coppedge and the crew taking care of Campbell’s field finished up the new field for the UAB Blazers last week at Birmingham.

It was all hands on deck for this big tug on the new rug.

“We’re working to have the whole field covered by Monday afternoon (weather permitting), sidelines and all,” added Coppedge. He bragged on the turf the Cougars are getting. “I really like this turf. It’s manufactured by Controlled Products,” he said. Coppedge went on to say that PLAYRITE of Knoxville has the contract on the Cougars field while KNN is the general contractor. Coppedge and Kalmia are based out of Dalton, Georgia.

Here is a photo play-by-play of sorts as Josh Allen, the tailor, (right) sews one of the 20, five-yard sections of turf.

This is the thread on the underside of the new field that connects each five-yard segment.

Projects like the one at Campbell are generally a two-week process according to Coppedge. He explains that the turf is placed directly on top of the gravel. The sand and crumbs of rubber (ground up tires) will be added last. That will be swept across the turf with a street sweeper type of machinery, and the sand and rubber will filter through the porous base of the turf.

Cougar Field is summersault tested.

The Cougars will christen the new field on Friday, August 27, when the Heritage Mountaineers visit for a 7:30pm kick-off. The WLAF – Doyle’s Tire Sports Network will have the live telecast and radio broadcast. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 07/12/2021-6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF WLAF’S CHARLIE HUTSON)