Heavy rains delay work at Burnet’s Bulldog Field
Moving and leveling dirt at Bulldog Field in Burnet is easier when it’s dry. The rain in May posed a challenge for construction crews as workers were forced to pump water out of the stadium before smoothing dirt to get the surface ready for laying down field turf. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
JENNIFER FIERRO • STAFF WRITER
BURNET — The wettest May on record in Texas has taken a toll on Bulldog Field.
Burnet High School athletic director Kurt Jones said the rain — totaling about 15 inches in Central Texas — put construction work behind schedule by about 10 days. Crews are installing artificial turf and a new track.
To catch up, crew members typically begin the workday at about 6:30 a.m. and work until 9 p.m.
Jones noted that on the morning of May 26, the day after Memorial Day, workers set up water pumps to remove water from the stadium.
“It’s been rain after rain after rain,” he said. “The soil has filled with water.”
The natural grass was removed weeks ago, so trucks and tractors have been flattening the dirt to get the area ready for field turf.
The same kind of work is being done in Llano Stadium, though Llano High School athletic director Craig Slaughter said the rain hasn’t delayed workers by two weeks.
“Those guys were making heavy progress,” he said.
Still, Slaughter said he spoke with crew leaders, who believe the stadium will be ready by the end of July or early August.
Both Burnet and Llano football teams will be on practice fields when fall training camps start Aug. 3.
Jones said there’s enough time for crews to get Bulldog Field ready by the first week of August. The Bulldogs will host Llano in the first scrimmage Aug. 14 and open the season at home against Marble Falls on Aug. 28.
Slaughter said Llano will welcome Sonora to a scrimmage Aug. 21, the only stadium event scheduled for that month. Llano welcomes Bangs for its home opener Sept. 4.
jfierro@thepicayune.com