ELKINS (KFSM) - 2018 will be known as a year of change for the Elkins football program. Not only did the Elks move up in classifiation to 4A but they have to get ready for new opponents.
At least they'll get to do so by showing off a brand new stadium.
Elkins will cut the ribbon on a brand new facility as they host the Football Friday Night game of the week against Huntsville on Sept. 14 and their players couldn't be more excited.
"I'm freaking excited for this new stadium," one Elk said.
"Here we were last year, this old field that held water like no other, and now we get this brand new field, get to go out, look up in the stands and see all the people out to support you," Elkins senior Sheldon Miller said.
Excitement is high for the new facility but it should be high for the product on the field as well.
"You won’t be able to have a parking spot, there won’t be a seat in the stands Friday night, it’s gonna be packed," Elkins senior Logan Shoffit said.
Elkins is off to a 2-0 start but so is this week's opponent, and that opponent is going through the same process. Huntsville is off to a perfect start and a third straight win would be big as the Eagles get ready for play in the 5A-West after spending the past few seasons in 4A.
"There’s a football game Friday night no matter what festivities are going on, so my job is to get these kids focused for that," Elkins coach Bryan Hutson said. "We’ll be hyped, but I don’t want them to hyped, you know you run out of energy when you’re too hyped, so we’ll leave all act hype stuff to the fans and the community and all that, we’re just gonna get ready to play football."