lostaussie
10-10-2006, 01:38 PM
No home for Carthage???
Carthage won't play at home again this year
By GABRIEL D. BROOKS
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
The Carthage football team won't play another home game at Quintin M. Martin Stadium this season, according to Carthage head football coach and athletic director Mike Bickham.
Structural engineers from a Dallas-based company analyzed the stadium, which is 57 years old, last Thursday after a section of the home bleachers caved in along the front row on the east end of the stadium at the end of Carthage's Sept. 29 home game against Newton. Since then, the site has been deemed unsafe.
Bickham said solutions for two of the Bulldogs' final three home games had been found.
"We'll play our next two home games against Center and Crockett at Nacogdoches High School," Bickham said.
The Center and Crockett games at Nacogdoches will be Friday night games. Carthage's other remaining home game, which is against Diboll on Nov. 10, has not yet been relocated.
Bickham believes his team can overcome the hurdle of having no true home games during the District 20-3A slate.
"It's kind of like any other adversity in life. If you let it effect you negatively, it will be an obstacle," Bickham said. "We're going to choose not to do that. Our focus is going to be on us, getting better every week and playing Bulldog football. Whether it's at Q.M. Martin Stadium or Nacogdoches Dragon Stadium, it doesn't matter where we're playing as long as we play Bulldog football.
"My heart goes out to our seniors. I told them today they wouldn't be playing at our stadium. But it doesn't matter whether our last home game is Diboll or Newton. You'll always remember your last home game."
Q.M. Martin Stadium has a capacity of 2,500 fans. Dragon Stadium is significantly larger with a capacity of 8,000, and, like Martin Stadium, has a natural grass playing surface.
Carthage enters district competition 5-0 and ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press Class 3A Top 10. The Bulldogs opened the season with three lopsided victories against Henderson (21-0), Kirbyville (56-14) and Pittsburg (58-14) before winning their last two games by a combined five points against Newton (20-18) and Mount Pleasant (24-21).
Carthage won't play at home again this year
By GABRIEL D. BROOKS
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
The Carthage football team won't play another home game at Quintin M. Martin Stadium this season, according to Carthage head football coach and athletic director Mike Bickham.
Structural engineers from a Dallas-based company analyzed the stadium, which is 57 years old, last Thursday after a section of the home bleachers caved in along the front row on the east end of the stadium at the end of Carthage's Sept. 29 home game against Newton. Since then, the site has been deemed unsafe.
Bickham said solutions for two of the Bulldogs' final three home games had been found.
"We'll play our next two home games against Center and Crockett at Nacogdoches High School," Bickham said.
The Center and Crockett games at Nacogdoches will be Friday night games. Carthage's other remaining home game, which is against Diboll on Nov. 10, has not yet been relocated.
Bickham believes his team can overcome the hurdle of having no true home games during the District 20-3A slate.
"It's kind of like any other adversity in life. If you let it effect you negatively, it will be an obstacle," Bickham said. "We're going to choose not to do that. Our focus is going to be on us, getting better every week and playing Bulldog football. Whether it's at Q.M. Martin Stadium or Nacogdoches Dragon Stadium, it doesn't matter where we're playing as long as we play Bulldog football.
"My heart goes out to our seniors. I told them today they wouldn't be playing at our stadium. But it doesn't matter whether our last home game is Diboll or Newton. You'll always remember your last home game."
Q.M. Martin Stadium has a capacity of 2,500 fans. Dragon Stadium is significantly larger with a capacity of 8,000, and, like Martin Stadium, has a natural grass playing surface.
Carthage enters district competition 5-0 and ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press Class 3A Top 10. The Bulldogs opened the season with three lopsided victories against Henderson (21-0), Kirbyville (56-14) and Pittsburg (58-14) before winning their last two games by a combined five points against Newton (20-18) and Mount Pleasant (24-21).