After two years spent playing solely road games, the Earl Marriott Mariners football program will – at long last – finally get the chance to play at its own school.
On Friday, Sept. 9, Earl Marriott will host Abbotsford’s Rick Hansen Hurricanes for a double-header.
The two schools’ junior teams will play at noon, with the senior teams set to face off at 2 p.m. at the South Surrey school’s new field.
“It’s been two seasons – three years basically – playing only on the road, and we’ve all felt it, for sure,” said EMS senior team head coach Micheal Mackay-Dunn. “Now our kids get to play in front of their own fans, at their own school.”
The field – which was renovated to make it regulation size for football, while adding bleachers and a scoreboard – was supposed to be ready in time for last year’s fall sports schedule, but the grass did not grow in time, and the winter weather further took its toll on the surface, thus pushing the opening date back.
The entire project was expected to cost between $800,000 and $1 million.
Junior and senior team practice began earlier this week at EMS.
More information is available online, at www.earlmarriottfootball.com or at the school office.
