April 16, 2020 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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Last, but not
forgotten
At 8:20 pm. Friday, the lights at Shelton High School’s Highclimber
Stadium turned on
for the final time to honor the Climber Class of 2020 after the 2020 spring
sports season
and remainder of in-person classes were canceled due to the coronavirus
pandemic.
Jack Stark Field at Highclimber Stadium will undergo a significant makeover
before the
scheduled start of school this fall with a new artificial surface playing
field, track and
lights. Journal photo by Justin Johnson
POST
Tl’iursday, April 16, 2020 -~ Shelton—Mason County Journal ~ Page
A—37
SHS Class of 2020 receives its moment in the light
ometimes a little ges-
ture can go a long way.
Around 8 pm. Fri-
day, I pulled in the parking
lot at the Hufl"n’ Pu ll' trail
across the street from Shel—
ton High School.
I’d seen a post by Shelton
High School athletic director
nity to swing by and get a
photo for this week’s Sports
pages.
When I arrived, here were,
already a handful of cars
and trucks lining the road
outside the stadium. Many
were backed in so that their
drivers could sit in the back
Trevor Leopold on the school’s By JUSTIN of their truck and watch the
Facebook page earlier in the JOHNSON lights come on.
day that the school was going -——-—_.._.._ A lew small groups gath-
to turn the lights at High
climber Stadium on 211,8:20 p.m. (that‘s
20:20 l'or those folks using» the 24_}mur
clock) and leave them on overnight in
honor ol'thc (llass ol'zt)2().
With “‘0 “Pm‘th‘ world at a stand.
still. it seemed like .1 30ml 0!”an
cred some weren’t practic-
int:~ social distancing as we“ as they
could have been w and conversed as
li‘iends and teamn‘iates that Won’t.
have the opportunity to wear a High.
climber unil'orm again.
'l‘he stadium scoreboard counted
down, eventually reaching zeros and
the lights began to brighten.
It was a quiet moment, somewhere
between a funeral and a celebration
of lite.
“This makes me a bit sad.” I texted
Leopold.
He agreed.
More than 40 seniors missed out
on their final track and field, golf,
girls tennis, boys soccer, tastpitch
and baseball season at Shelton High.
as did those from North Mason and
Mary M. Knight high schools.
While it certainly isn’t the same
as playing a game, i thought it was
pretty cool to see the school give its
athletes a special moment.
The light went oll‘Salurilay morn»
ing and for those particular lights, it
was the last time they‘ll ever shine
down on Jack Stark Field at High—
climber Stadium.
ln a few weeks, they’ll come down
and be replaced with new lights as
part of the stadium project that will
bring a new artificial surface playing
field and a new track to Highclimber
Stadium.
And I honestly can’t think of a bet-
ter reason for those lights to shine for
one last Friday night than to honor
those who toiled under their glow.
I Justin Johnson is I‘llt’ Sports (9
Outdoors Editor off/(u S/H’Hlfiluxtiifillll
(viii/lilyJUN/71H]. He can be rcoc/icd by
cmoi/
(Ifji'l‘h'fl'lll-Hlllilfitll?l"()lr’i[f_\'.(‘lllll.