[Pulp Fiction]

When the KFEC and PJCS were used for the State Football tournaments, the phrase was "we're playing on the Carpet this season." Carpet meaning turf.

So that got me thinking.... when & where was the first game your team played on Turf?



Nowadays, turf is everywhere. I would guess that over 50% of high schools in Kentucky have turf. So it really isn't that big of a deal to play on turf, but when word got out that a team you were playing on the road had turf, it made you feel like you were on Monday Night Football.

[Pulp Fiction]

Johnson Central's first season with turf was in 2007.



I'm gonna have to do some research to find out for sure when JC's first game on turf was.
From 1998-2006 I don't think JC played any games on Turf. Until sometime I trust tells me otherwise, I'm going say JC's first game on turf was on 8-31-07 vs. Conner.

[Pulp Fiction]

[Image: http://brokensidewalk.com/wp-content/upl...s-indy.jpg]

This is the best overhead pic I could find on the old KFEC.




[Image: http://wdrb.images.worldnow.com/images/23239303_BG3.jpg]
You can still see the football lines painted on the turf from way back when at the KFEC.

[commonsense]

Most teams first experience with turf was when they played the finals in Louisville. Schools would try to find a college within driving distance for their team to go and practice on prior to going to Louisville. That question brought back memories...

[Pulp Fiction]

Was Pikeville the first team East of Lexington to get turf?

[mightydog]

I played on the turf at old Fairfield Stadium in Huntington. For you younger guys it was home to Marshall. We played Huntington High. I think they were the Highlanders, or maybe the Pony Express. It was the hardest surface ive ever played on. This was in 1975. It was basically outdoor carpet over pavement. We all wore tennis shoes. I thought it was great.

[Buc-a-roo]

Was Pikeville the first team East of Lexington to get turf?

No, some of the first were

Ashland 1967 - 2A
Mt Sterling 1967 - 1A
Ashland 1975 - 4A
Greenup Co 1977 - 4A
Pikeville 1979 - 2A
Belfry 1979 - 3A

[Pulp Fiction]

No, some of the first were

Ashland 1967 - 2A
Mt Sterling 1967 - 1A
Ashland 1975 - 4A
Greenup Co 1977 - 4A
Pikeville 1979 - 2A
Belfry 1979 - 3A

These teams had turf on their home fields way back when??

[Buc-a-roo]

These teams had turf on their home fields way back when??

No, they played on turf in the state championship at KFEC

I misread your question, thought you were still talking about playing on the carpet

[Buc-a-roo]

What year did Pikeville get the turf at Hambley? Around 2003, wasn't it?

[Chadrick124]

Im pretty sure Pikeville got turf around 2001-2002 ? Might have been 03 . But I was thinking it was pretty close after I graduated - And I graduated in 2000. so somewhere in early 2000s for sure....

[Pulp Fiction]

So was Pikeville the first team East of Lexington to have Turf?

[EKUAlum05]

So was Pikeville the first team East of Lexington to have Turf?

If I recall they were

Pikeville got it first (SprintTurf) and then Belfry got it (FieldTurf) in 2005 I want to say

[EKUAlum05]

To show how times have changed....

9 of Belfry's 10 regular season games will be played on turf this year. Lawrence County will be the only grass field they play on in the regular season

[Pulp Fiction]

To show how times have changed....

9 of Belfry's 10 regular season games will be played on turf this year. Lawrence County will be the only grass field they play on in the regular season

Johnson Central will play 3 times on grass (East Carter, Boyd County, Rowan County). And if JC wins the district, they will have all their playoff games at Home.

So with 2 scrimmages, 10 regular season games and the possibility of 5 playoff games..... that will be 3 games on grass and 14 on turf.

[wolfcat]

Our first game(Breathitt) was the 95 2a finals @ kyfec. We went to More head and practiced once on their Turf and were loaned Turf shoes to play in. The next year we went back and we stopped on the way to Louisville @ the Nutter field house @UK and had a light practice. It was a great experience playing on the carpet.

[Coach Booth]

Johnson Central's first season with turf was in 2007.



I'm gonna have to do some research to find out for sure when JC's first game on turf was.
From 1998-2006 I don't think JC played any games on Turf. Until sometime I trust tells me otherwise, I'm going say JC's first game on turf was on 8-31-07 vs. Conner.

Actually our first ever game on turf was the week before the Conner game when we played at South Point Ohio. It was the first game ever on their new field.

[Pulp Fiction]

Actually our first ever game on turf was the week before the Conner game when we played at South Point Ohio. It was the first game ever on their new field.

Somebody messaged me on Facebook and said that the South Point, OH. game was our first game on turf. Pretty cool getting to play in two different "the first game on new turf" games in back to back weeks.




I do remember going to Morehead State and we scrimmaging Cov. Holmes on MSU's turf field... but I don't count scrimmages. I'm pretty sure we also scrimmaged Michael Bush's Lou. Male team at either UK or U of L way back when.

[Cat Daddy]

Our first game(Breathitt) was the 95 2a finals @ kyfec. We went to More head and practiced once on their Turf and were loaned Turf shoes to play in. The next year we went back and we stopped on the way to Louisville @ the Nutter field house @UK and had a light practice. It was a great experience playing on the carpet.

Yeah, we always referred to playing at Cardinal stadium as "the carpet".

[99PIRATEFAN]

I remember going to Marshall to practice for the State Championship games in 85 and 86 we played them at Cardinal Stadium

[wildcats fan]

Bell County got turf in 2015

[In the pound]

Lawrence county needs to get turf. It would help with not only football, but with soccer. The kids deserve the best.

[More Cowbell]

If I recall they were

Pikeville got it first (SprintTurf) and then Belfry got it (FieldTurf) in 2005 I want to say

Not sure when Shelby Valley got turf too, but it wasn't long after that. I'm thinking they got it in 2006.

On a side note, the turf at Valley is really looking rough these days. Since the board decided SV apparently didn't need a separate soccer field (unlike most of the other Pike high schools), both boys and girls soccer use the field too. And since neither Valley Elementary or Dorton (the two feeder schools) got a field of their own, all the middle school and grade school football teams play there as well. Add it all up, and that's a LOT of usage for one field.

[Blue_Bird96]

Turf? What's that? lol

[killbilly usmc]

To show how times have changed....

9 of Belfry's 10 regular season games will be played on turf this year. Lawrence County will be the only grass field they play on in the regular season

Suprised there are that many turf fields out east. In the West we all play on grass. The only turf field that I know of for a high school way over here in the Jackson purchase is mccracken county.

[hollcat]

Among schools that comprise the 12th region in the non-classed sports there are 0 turf fields. Across the southern part of the state I don't know of any except Bell Co. There might be some around Bowling Green.

[TheHotSnakes]

Suprised there are that many turf fields out east. In the West we all play on grass. The only turf field that I know of for a high school way over here in the Jackson purchase is mccracken county.

I know Muhlenburg has turf, but I really can't think of that many schools in the west who have turf.




I think it's kind of crazy that 20+ years ago, if a high school got turf, it had the feeling that it meant they were the real deal. Now, it just is a thing.


What's the cost of turf, anyways?

[Franchise]

1991 for Bell at the state finals. We went to UT Knoxville and practiced at their indoor facility. Johnny Majors watched us practice for a while, and we all thought that was cool.

The carpet was hard as a rock. No comparison to this new turf.

Harlan County and Letcher County have turf as well.

[TheTinMan01]

Yes I agree

[TheTinMan01]

I remember playing on turf