Progress continues at Helias' Crusader Athletic Complex

The countdown had dipped below 50 days.

The Helias Crusaders are scheduled to host the Hannibal Pirates on Aug. 18 in Ray Hentges Stadium at the Crusader Athletic Complex.

"We are 75-80 percent completed," Helias activities director Brad Dempsey said after leading a tour of the facility currently being constructed at the school. "We've got people working 10-hour shifts a day, everybody is working hard every single day and we feel very good about being ready to go on Aug. 18."

The complex will feature fields for football and soccer, as well as eight tennis courts. An eight-lane track will also go around the football field.

The football facility will feature bench seating with backs for more than 2,800 fans. There is space on both ends of the current concrete pads to add seats if needed in the future.

The soccer facility will feature seating for more than 350 fans, while the tennis courts will have a building in the middle to allow spectators to watch the action from above.

The football field will have lines for a regulation-size soccer field, while the soccer field will have some football markings as well. A net will be strung between the parallel fields to keep soccer balls from going on to the track or football field.

"It fits our community to be able to use both fields for multiple sports if needed," Dempsey said. "We can have youth football playing on the soccer field or we can have soccer tournaments using both fields."

The artificial surface has been installed at the football facility. A logo is planned for the middle of the field as well as art in the end zones. Those are things that will be added late in the construction process.

The facility has the possibility to be used for more than just Helias events. As an example, with two fields, it could host MSHSAA state soccer, as well as various events when school is not in session.

"The facility is going to allow us to host a lot of things during the summer," Dempsey said. "Our location in Mid-Missouri, in addition to this great facility, will provide the opportunity to bring events to Jefferson City."

One of the big questions about the project was the availability of enough parking. But the current construction of a tunnel underneath Myrtle Avenue between Helias and the facility will allow the parking spaces at the school to be used as well as the parking lot at Capital City Christian Church

"I think when you add it all together, there will be more off-street parking available here than when we play at Adkins Stadium," Dempsey said. "I don't think parking will be an issue."

As anyone who has done a home improvement project, the closer you think you get to finishing, the more little things pop up that need to be done.

"Those things are going to happen, we knew that coming in," Dempsey said. "But we're taking care of them."

Dempsey also serves as the head coach for the Lady Crusaders soccer program in the spring. Having a facility at the school will allow practices to begin earlier than when the players had to go to the 179 Soccer Park.

Cutting down on travel to practice is a big bonus.

"You have kids getting into cars to drive to practice and that won't be happening anymore," Dempsey said. "The athletes will not be allowed to drive to the facility, they are going to walk through the tunnel.

"The last thing we would want is someone to get into accident driving that short of a distance."

If the project isn't quite finished by Aug. 18, it isn't the end of the world.

"We're blessed with a beautiful facility that's going to be ours for years to come," Dempsey said. "People shouldn't be overly stressed about whether everything is going to come together and be perfect for that first game.

"We are working hard to get it completed on time and that's all we can do."

In the fall boys soccer season, Helias is slated to open at home Monday, Aug. 21, against Camdenton. The Lady Crusaders tennis team's first home match is against Battle on Thursday, Aug. 24.

Upon completion of the facility, the only sports Helias offers that won't be played at the school are boys and girls golf, softball and baseball. And while Helias has no plans to build a golf course, discussions have begun about building a baseball/softball facility on what is currently the football practice field.