First look: Check out Chapin High School’s new 5-story press box at football stadium

Ryan Cole can’t miss it when he walks out of his office.

A five-story press box with the giant neon Chapin Eagle logo is in the first-year head coach’s view when he leaves his office in the end zone of Cecil Woolbright Stadium.

The new press box was on display Friday night when Chapin hosted AC Flora and has been more than a decade in the making. Chapin defeated the Falcons, 62-21.

“I am just in awe. I have been fortunate enough to be here when we were 2A, 3A, 4A and now 5A,” Cole said Wednesday as The State was given a tour of the facility. “To be able to have something for our players and enhance things for our community.

“It just enhances our experience on a Friday night and enhances Chapin. It is a great place and makes it that much more special to have this and our community, school and district to be a part of it and be able to use it.”

Former Chapin Eagle Booster Club president James Burns said he initially began thinking about a press box upgrade a little more than a decade ago. Burns knew with the growth of the school and area that enhancements were in order.

Burns and other Chapin officials toured other schools such as Greenwood and River Bluff to get ideas over the last few years.

The cost of the 12,000-square foot structure and other stadium upgrades were at $8.5 million and funded by Lexington-Richland 5. Local construction company EdCon was in charge of the building and seating expansion on the visitor side, which happened last year.

The press box had hoped to be done earlier this year but the original construction date was pushed back. With construction going on last year, seating capacity was reduced on the home side and its annual jamboree was moved to Fairfield Central.

The school held a ribbon-cutting ceremony before the Chapin Classic on Aug. 16. Final touches inside the building were still going on Wednesday for Friday’s home opener.

“Todd Sease did a phenomenal job. Josh Edwards of EdCon did a great job building it. And it was a great collaboration with the school district and everyone involved,” Burns said. “Dr Ross (superintendent) gave us the runway to be able to work together the last several months and years.”

The completion of the press box and a 1,600-seat expansion give Cecil Woolbright Field the look of a Class 5A facility. Seating capacity for the stadium now stands around 5,400.

The seating expansion allows it to host home playoff games if they make it into the third or fourth round. According to South Carolina High School League rules, minimum seating requirements to host a third- or fourth round playoff game is 5,000 seats.

Chapin had to bring in portable bleachers to help host the Class 4A Lower State championship game against Hartsville in 2016.

The centerpiece of the new building is 2,500-square foot room on the third floor, which is called “The Nest.” The room will house the members of the Eagle Club on game nights and features couches, tables, food and plans for flat-screen TVs to be mounted to show broadcasts of the football game.

There are 316 blue chair-back seats located just outside the front of The Nest reserved for top level Eagle Club donors. Each member gets four seats to be used for all athletic events at the stadium and the seats are sold out for the year, according to Eagle Club Membership Chair Kristen Lominack.

The room will be used year-round. On non-game nights, the room will be used as a meeting room for teachers, classes, dinners and banquets.

“This puts us firmly into 5A. We can host playoff games now and opens up things for our band. We can host competitions here,” Chapin principal Ed Davis said. “When you think about the volunteer work that our Eagle Club does with fundraising for our sports programs, it is another revenue stream for us. It helps us in all areas.

“I can see this place bringing people together and bringing life to our school. That is what I am most excited about.”

Other features of the structure include a spirit store on the first floor where fans can buy Chapin merchandise. An expanded concession area and new restrooms also are located on the first floor.

The fourth floor is a traditional press box with different rooms to house media, school dignitaries, home coaches box (visiting coaches will be on the top), game operations and a room for Chapin broadcasters.

All Eagle athletic events are streamed on Chapin Sports Network and feature multi-camera angles complete with replays that are shown on the broadcast and scoreboard. Cameras and production are done by Chapin students.

There is a second room dedicated in the press box for broadcast operations and 10 to 12 students will be in it helping with the broadcasts, according to CSPN volunteer coordinator Jared Dawsey. There will be a room next to the production room that will likely be used in the future for CSPN.

“This was built and designed for CSPN as an instructional space to teach all the behind the scenes look,” Dawsey said. “We have a good space for these kids to work in and learn in. It is going to be a great thing.”

The press box and expansion are part one and two of upgrades. Possible future additions might include upgrades to visitors locker room, weight room, the concourse and seating on the grass hill in one of the endzones.