Grisham Stadium

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Grisham Stadium
Grisham Stadium.jpg
Grisham Stadium
Full nameGrisham Stadium, Maddox - Musselwhite Track at Historic Trojan Field
Former namesTrojan Field (1965-1974)
Location Carrollton, Georgia
Owner Carrollton City Schools
OperatorCarrollton City Schools
Capacity 6,500 - 8,000
SurfaceArtificial
Construction
Opened1965 (as Trojan Field)
Renovated2008
Tenants
Carrollton Trojans (GHSA)
(1965-present)
West Georgia Wolves (NCAA D-II)
(1981-2008)
Georgia Storm FC (NPSL)
(2021)

Grisham Stadium, Maddox - Musselwhite Track at Historic Trojan Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Carrollton, Georgia, United States. The stadium is home to the many athletic teams at Carrollton High School and hosts various additional functions for the Carrollton City School District.

Contents

History

Trojan Field

With the construction of a new Carrollton High School in 1963, [N 1] a new athletic stadium was needed adjacent to the school building. The CHS Athletic Booster Club, a unified booster program unique for its time, raised funds to construct a new stadium, which opened on September 3, 1965, and was named Trojan Field on November 5. [1] [2]

Hugh Maddox

Hugh G. Maddox was a track and football coach who in his tenure during the 1950s, was able to secure five consecutive track state titles. He also led the Trojan football team to their first state championship in 1956. In 1971, the Hugh G. Maddox Track in Trojan Field was named in his honor. [3]

Charlie Grisham

Charles Louis "Charlie" Grisham, previously serving under Maddox, was named head coach of the high school football team beginning in 1958. With a career as head coach spanning almost three decades, Grisham led the football team to sixteen regional titles and five additional state champion titles. The stadium was renamed in his honor in 1974. [3] [2] Grisham is the longest serving head football coach at Carrollton to date and has also been inducted into the Georgia State Athletic Hall of Fame.

Craig Musselwhite

In 2021, the Carrollton Board of Education voted to rename the track at Grisham Stadium to Maddox - Musselwhite Track, honoring the then recently retired head coach of track. During his career at the school system, Musselwhite led the track team to five state championships as an assistant coach and eight more as head coach. He also contributed to two consecutive team titles as a student at the school in 1982-1983 and achieved three individual state titles in high jump from his sophomore to senior year. [3]

Other tenants

West Georgia Wolves

The University of West Georgia, having utilized the stadium for its football team since 1981, would continue to do so until the construction of the college's own counterpart in 2009. [4]

Georgia Storm FC

Georgia Storm FC joined the NPSL in 2020 and made its debut season in the 2021 Southeast Conference. Grisham Stadium served as the home field for the Carrollton based team before their move the University of West Georgia soccer field for 2022. [5] [6]

Renovations

2008 overhaul

Grisham Stadium under renovation in 2008. HistoricField.jpg
Grisham Stadium under renovation in 2008.

In 2008, the local school board administration approved a tax-funded plan for renovations of Grisham Stadium along with the development of a new fine arts center and improvements to the nearby gymnasium. The stadium went under extensive renovations, which included a state-of-the-art artificial track and field, complete visitor's locker rooms, and updated concessions along with new home side grandstands and a three-level press box. A new grand entrance was incorporated in 2008-2009 to include a brick memorial walkway. These additions were also linked with the existing "TrojanTron" and Matrix Boards, as well as the home fieldhouse which houses the Trojan Hall of Fame. A 12-foot-tall (3.7 m) bronze Trojan monument also greeted fans upon entering the updated stadium. [7] [8] However, the statue was moved in 2019 to serve as the centerpiece of the newly renovated high school courtyard.

Funding controversy

There was backlash against the school district and its administration at the time due to funding for the facilities falling through. Parents and Carrollton community voices expressed displeasure and concern due to the construction plans exceeding budget and many accused the school system of neglecting the students' academic needs and wasting taxpayer money. There were others in the community that came to defend the district's decision citing the need for Carrollton students' access to athletic facilities. The stadium renovations, having already been completed when cost exceeded limits, forced the school district to delay construction of the arts center and scale down the plans of the gym renovations. [9] [10] [11] [12]

Other renovations

2021

In 2021, the "TrojanTron" scoreboard, having been out of operation for years, was replaced with an entirely LED based screen scoreboard system. The signage on this board and on the press box was also updated to match the newly renamed "Maddox - Musselwhite Track". [13]

2023

The turf field and track were replaced in the spring and summer of 2023 respectively. [14] [15] [16] [17]

Notes

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References

  1. ↑ Carrollton City Schools - History Archived 2010-07-03 at the Wayback Machine , Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  2. 1 2 FOSTER, JULIANNE (2 November 2019). "New facility pays tribute to CHS Athletic Booster Club". Times-Georgian. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  3. 1 2 3 Foster, Julianne (2021-06-07). "Track to be renamed to honor long-time coach Musselwhite". The City Menus. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
  4. ↑ "West Georgia Wolves". 2007-10-07. Archived from the original on 2007-10-07. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  5. ↑ "Grisham Stadium". Georgia Storm FC. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  6. ↑ "Georgia Storm Soccer Academy Joins the NPSL for the 2021 Season". National Premier Soccer League. 2020-09-17. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
  7. ↑ "Carrollton ready to unveil newly renovated Grisham Stadium | Times-Georgian Archives". times-georgian.newsbank.com. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  8. ↑ Beck, Jimmy (2015-04-29). "Carrollton's Grisham Stadium Recognized as One of The Nation's Best". The City Menus. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  9. ↑ "Cost issues with school SPLOST projects | Times-Georgian Archives". times-georgian.newsbank.com. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  10. ↑ "Renovations right on schedule|Grisham Stadium will be ready for Trojan's home opener on Sept. 12 | Times-Georgian Archives". times-georgian.newsbank.com. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  11. ↑ "Stadium bathroom issue explained | Times-Georgian Archives". times-georgian.newsbank.com. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  12. ↑ "Changes push Grisham Stadium renovation costs to 10 million | Times-Georgian Archives". times-georgian.newsbank.com. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  13. ↑ ALLEN, STEPHANIE (18 October 2019). "Carrollton's 'TrojanTron' placed on PUP list". Times-Georgian. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
  14. ↑ "Sports Turf Company to Renovate Carrollton High School's Grisham Stadium and Maddox-Musselwhite Track". blog.sportsturf.net. 29 December 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  15. ↑ MINISH, DAN (2 January 2023). "Grisham Stadium field and track to be renovated in $1.4 million project". Times-Georgian. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
  16. ↑ SKINNER, MATT (2023-07-19). "Grisham Stadium, Maddox-Musselwhite Track renovations finished". Times-Georgian. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
  17. ↑ "Sports Turf Debuts Newly Renovated Grisham Stadium and Maddox-Musselwhite Track at Carrollton High School". The City Menus. 2023-07-25. Retrieved 2023-07-27.

33°33′51″N85°04′54″W / 33.564262°N 85.081723°W / 33.564262; -85.081723

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