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New Faith Academy football field should be ready for season opener Aug. 31

Hellas Construction workers continue to clear and flatten land in preparation for artificial turf on the new football field and an eight-lane track surrounding it. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

Hellas Construction workers continue to clear and flatten land in preparation for artificial turf on the new football field and an eight-lane track surrounding it. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

STAFF WRITER JENNIFER FIERRO

MARBLE FALLS — As Hellas Construction workers continue to flatten and move dirt on the new Faith Academy of Marble Falls football field and track, Flames athletics director Jeremy Wentrcek said he’s confident the field will be ready for the 2018 season.

The season starts Friday, Aug. 31, as the Flames host Castle Hills Christian School with kickoff at 7:30 p.m.

“As far as the time schedule, they’re telling us, ‘We should be done,’” he said.

If the field is ready in time, Wentrcek, who is also the head football coach, contacted Marble Falls Independent School District officials about using Marble Falls Middle School Pony Stadium for the season opener.

Though Faith is returning to six-man football for the first time since 2011, Wentrcek said it can play on an 11-man field. In fact, six-man championship games are conducted on 11-man fields each year, he added.

Six-man teams play on 80-yard fields.

Wentrcek added Aaron Powell to his staff as defensive coordinator. Powell was the junior high team’s defensive coordinator last season.

“I think he’ll do a great job,” Wentrcek said.

The athletic department has moved into the student life center, and the old athletic office building will turn into a dressing room for visiting teams and officials.

The search continues for a new girls head basketball coach and a softball coach. Wentrcek said he has interviewed several candidates for girls head basketball coach.

In the meantime, he promoted boys head basketball coach Zakk Revelle to basketball operations coordinator.

Revelle will lead the boys and girls programs in strength and conditioning and drills for all basketball teams, including elementary and junior high. Once the season starts, he’ll also be responsible for finding officials, scorekeepers, and announcers.

Revelle said these duties aren’t unusual for him. He did many of the same roles last year under former athletics director and interim girls head basketball coach Randy Denton.

“I want to continue to help,” Revelle said. “I’m fully prepared and more than happy to get the girls going.”

Head cross-country and track-and-field coach Steve McCannon is the new lifetime sports coordinator for his current sports as well as golf and tennis. Like Revelle, McCannon is responsible for many of the same duties specific to those sports.

“It’s good to have a point person to take care of those sports,” Wentrcek said.

jfierro@thepicayune.com