Staff of Dublin’s CCS Hospice gathered at the front of Stephenville’s new Art Briles Stadium Tuesday, July 8 as a longtime Yellowjacket fan and patient got a special tour of the facility.
Bruce Boardman admired the 5,500-seat home stands on Stephenville’s new stadium and asked athletic director head football coach Sterling Doty where the announcer would sit. Doty pointed at one of the windows in the press box on the 90 foot tall structure.
“That’s where Boots will be?,” Boardman asked in reference to KSTV’s Robert “Boots” Elliott.
Boardman said he had been listening to Elliott for decades as he followed Yellowjacket football.
“I remember listening during the years they won four state titles,” he said, referring to the championships won by Stephenville during the 1990s. As he reminisced, he pointed out that Doty was on the field as an offensive lineman when the school claimed two of them (in 1998 and 1999).
“He’s older than he was, but he still looks young,” Boardman said of Doty. “They haven’t aged me too much,” the coach said with a smile.
The revelation underscored the love that both men have for the team, the sport and the stadium itself.
The trip was organized by CCS administrator Jessica Cowan and Chaplain Kory Koch who reported that Boardman had recently lost his wife of more than 40 years, Ann, and that plans for the trip had been delayed. Koch said in addition to be a sports fan, he’s an artist and naturalist who enjoys bird watching. Koch was surprised by the response Boardman gave when asked why he wanted the tour. Stadiums in general hold a special place for the senior.
“My father was the security guard at the University of Kansas,” said Boardman. “He had to be [at the stadium] until the last of the reporters finished. I would come down and meet him and we’d walk home together.”
Doty led the football fan and CCS staff past the front gate, onto the field, into the locker rooms and into the home side stands past the Hall of Champions where trophies will be displayed by the elevator. Meanwhile, he shared some fact about the new stadium. In addition to the 5500 seats on the home side, there are 2,000 seats in the visitor stands and 350 on the bandstand in the endzone. Blue and yellow lights have also been installed to light up the sky when the home team scores.
The air conditioned concession stands also have screens that will broadcast the game so fans won’t miss the action while getting snacks.
Then there’s the entrance visible to anyone entering Stephenville on the south side.
“They tell me it’s the largest structure for 90 miles to downtown Fort Worth,” said Doty.
Mike Copeland Field in the stadium was also made wide enough to allow for international soccer.
“It was just great working with Crossland Construction and Park Hill architects,” he added. “It’s a design build so we got to be a part of the process and make it our own.”
Stephenville fans will get to see it in action on Aug. 22 when they have their first inter-squad scrimmage against Brock and their first game Sept. 5 against Everman.
Boardman also stated his love for Cincinatti and KSU and that he was also a fan of high school and college basketball. He said he follows Bill Self’s team at KSU and hearing the play by play of some of their big game “make my hair stand on end.”
“I have no interest at all in professional basketball,” he added. “They should get one point when they dunk the ball instead of two… I don’t think they’ll follow my advice.”
Boardman also took the opportunity to praise Stephenville’s basketball gym.
“It’s beautiful,” he said. “We have to figure a way to get me into one of those games.”
“He’s already planning other trips,” said Koch as the group laughed.
The tour seemed to raise everyone’s spirits and as the group headed back to the entrance, CCS nurse Leigh Ann McFadden asked Bruce, “Are you done?”
“Am I done?,” he repeated. “No, never. This is the place to be.”
CCS Hospice and Glen Rose Nursing & Rehab Center staff joined patient and Yellowjackets fan Bruce Boardman as Stephenville ISD Athletic director/head football coach led him on a tour of the new Art Briles Stadium on Wolfe Nursery Rd. Below, Doty removes his cap to help shield Boardman’s eyes as looks over the field from the home stands.