Soccer: Lisbon turns on the light switch at Thompson Field for Friday night’s first game

Lisbon and Fryeburg play the first soccer game of the night at Lisbon High School on Friday. After years of fundraising, the school approved the installation of lights earlier this year. Adam Robinson/Journal of the Sun

LISBON — Jeff Ramich remembers being a football player at Lisbon High School and then coaching the Greyhounds and going to watch other teams play on Fridays, knowing the Greyhounds were “the only game in town” on Saturday afternoons. .

Saturday afternoon football matches have always been a tradition in Lisbon. Until this year.

Friday marked the first night home game in school history, a 24-8 loss to Fryeburg Academy, as it installed lights around Thompson Field with the help of local company Enterprise Electric. The lights were approved in the spring after a committee worked for six years to raise the funds.

Lisbon also has a new marker this year.

“I don’t think it’s going to be any different in terms of how they prepare,” Ramich said. “But now they are home and they have a sense of pride.”

Lisbon athletic director Eric Hall said he last tested the lights on Thursday night to ensure they were ready for Friday’s showdown with Fryeburg Academy.

“It’s definitely a different feeling,” Hall said. “On Saturdays you came here, you prepared everything and at 1:30 you were already playing. And now they’ve had a full day of school, with a few hours to kill, and they can come back and play under the lights, which is great for them.”

Dennis Turcotte played soccer in Lisbon between 1960 and 1964. Back then, the soccer team played just behind the school, where the current baseball field is located. He remembers Saturday afternoon games well and is happy that current players, including his grandson, Greyhounds senior Connor Turcotte, can enjoy the lights on Friday nights.

“It’s good to see Lisbon coming up and finally getting under the lights,” said Turcotte. “They play most of the other games under the lights, and my grandson plays and he loves the lights. The scoreboard used to be there (at the opposite end of the field) and you couldn’t see it.”

Connor Turcotte’s father, Kevin, said his son and his teammates were looking forward to playing under the bright lights.

“The energy is really high,” said Kevin Turcotte. “They have been pumped. They heard that they got (the lights) in their first year and since then they couldn’t wait. I’m lovin ‘it. I like Friday nights better than Saturdays. People are busy nowadays.”

Players are excited, as is the community. It’s been a long time coming, and many in Lisbon are excited for the lights on Friday night.

“We’ve had games on Saturday afternoons for a lifetime, and when this opportunity presented itself, we were very fortunate to have Enterprise Electric, run by Jeff Kelly and his family, to donate the lights and do much of the work. leg work and get it going,” Hall said. “Last spring we got the go-ahead to have lights on Friday nights. It’s been a huge plus and I think the community is very excited. We are looking forward to it.”

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