By John Raffel
Ithaca fans will have more to look forward to this season than just watching their Yellowjackets go for their third straight state championship.
Football coach and athletic director Terry Hessbrook noted that a jumbotron screen has been placed on the visitors’ side, facing the home side. The large digital display screen will allow for live feeds and interviews to be displayed and will give the high school games a college- and NFL-like feel.
Hessbrook said the screen was paid for by private donations. “It will make ours a unique stadium,” he said.
An unofficial source listed the dimensions of Ithaca’s jumbrotron at 13 feet tall by 24 feet wide.Wikipedia reports that the largest one for a high school in the USA is located at Lassiter High School in Marietta, Georgia.
“I talked to one of the companies, and they said there was only one other one in Michigan at Novi, [Detroit] Catholic Central,” Hessbrook said. “It’s amazing what the screen can do. I believe that as many as six to eight people will be running it.”
The jumbotron, Hessbrook noted, will not replace the function of the scoreboard, which was set up in 2008.
The jumbotron will allow the school to have sideline interviews televised on the screen.
“It’s going to be quite a production to put on,” Hessbrook said, adding that the jumbotron adds to all of the other features at the field. “It’s really nicely done. It’s first class. It will be easy to watch a game.”
Quarterback Travis Smith said the Ithaca payers feel honored to have such a unique feature at their home field.
“It’s a great thing for the community to come together and do that for us. It shows the support we get the community,” said Smith.