Field of Dreams develops closer to reality

Antonio Maffei ’20

As seen from a drone, the Mayer Family Field is nearing completion.

Steven Rissotto '20, Editor-In-Chief
October 22, 2019

The long-awaited Mayer Family Field is making monstrous improvements and is nearing completion. The once fairy tale is quickly turning into a reality that individuals forever connected to Riordan have long been waiting for.

The first real realization that completion was near was when the school closed down the parking lot for the month of October. The construction team was in need of more space, which meant the faculty and staff had to relocate their vehicles to the Balboa Reservoir, owned by City College of San Francisco.

The results of the parking lot shutdown were immediate. Once the field was leveled, pebbles and the rolls of turf were placed for storage inside the lot. Just over 20 rolls of turf were visible for all to see, and a clear sign that the field was nearing completion. Once the pebbles were placed, workers began to roll out the turf.

Director of Development John Ring said, “This is going to be a real sense of pride for everyone whose gone and supported Riordan. It’s 20 percent of our campus, and it’s going to make people feel good. It’s going to help drive enrollment.”

The track is also getting a makeover. When the field is complete, the track will be painted over in order to blend the design together, as opposed to having an old track mixed with a new field.

The Crusader football team has been widely affected as a result of the construction. Even though they started off at a respectable 2-5 clip, none of their action has taken place anywhere near Archbishop Riordan High School.

The target date for the first home game still remains Nov. 2 against St. Francis, which would mark the first home football game on campus since 2014. As of now, their home games have been played at Jefferson High School in Daly City and practices at Gellert Field.

Football player Jordan Renteria ’21 said, “Traveling every day to Gellert is a grind because it’s something new for us, but it’s what we do to get our work in. It’s a hassle, but we have no excuses.”

Nov. 9 is on the calendar as the eld community opening, and more information will be released in the coming weeks. The last major event held on the premises was the groundbreaking ceremony on May 14. That marks nearly seven months of construction, which many around the school won’t miss.

Jarrell Taylor ’20 reflected, “Just being able to play the first ever football game on it is going to be something special to me and my teammates. It’ll be something I’ll never forget in my lifetime.”

With construction wrapping up, the dream of Riordan having a new field is about to come true.