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CHAMPAIGN — Champaign Central’s varsity football team made itself at home at McKinley Field on Saturday afternoon.
Though Wheaton St. Francis claimed a 69-14 win in the venue’s first varsity game in almost six decades, the score didn’t seem to matter much to the nearly 500 fans who turned out for the experience.
“The favorite part for me is (that) it was a community event,” said Unit 4 Superintendent Shelia Boozer. “It was about collaboration, community and restoring joy for students and our families. It was just a time for joy.”
A vibrant arch composed of maroon, gray, white and black balloons greeted the spectators, who were treated to something that felt bigger than a typical Central home game at Tommy Stewart Field, on Centennial’s campus.
Music from local DJ Terrence Taylor began about 45 minutes prior to kickoff with “Coming Home” by Dirty Money, an apt selection as the Maroons began warming up for the first varsity game at McKinley in more than 50 years.
“Even when we went here, it always kind of felt like you were going over to Centennial’s field, you know, to play your games,” said Chris Raymond, a 1982 Central grad. “If Central could establish that tradition here, more local to the school, it’d just be fantastic.”
Raymond and many of his former classmates were among a crowd of about 50 fans who gathered at the high school late in the morning for a tailgate that featured food from Hickory River Smokehouse and plenty of small talk.
Two buses were there to shuttle fans to McKinley, where street parking wasn’t allowed and lot space was limited. Many drove or trekked the mile by foot anyways.
Appreciation for alumni was clear at McKinley, where Raymond and his classmates were honored at halftime. Banners commemorating Maroons’ teams of old were dotted along the fence on the edge of the track.
“It’s really uplifting to see these kinds of facilities in a place that we mainly remember for the experiential effect of being together, not the facilities,” said Parker Hayes, a 1982 graduate and former Maroons wide receiver.
“Today, to see all that kind of environment where kids can make new memories and still have all the camaraderie, the team atmosphere that we had, it’s really uplifting.”
After current Central student Alex Curry performed the national anthem in the absence of the Maroons’ pep band, the team flooded out of McKinley’s Fieldhouse to significant applause.
The spacey notes of “Sprach Zarathustra” played underneath the trio of Brock VanDeever, Kentrell James and Derrick Cooper as they led the Maroons out of the tunnel.
“We wanted to make it an event,” said Central parent Patrick Rouse, who had a hand in organizing the game at Central’s longtime practice field.
“We knew it was a one-shot deal, so we wanted to make it something really memorable for the guys, and we had a videographer out here so they’ll have a takeaway from when that’s over. But we wanted to spruce up the place and put on a good show.”
Months of contentious back-and-forth preceded the game. Advocates for varsity football at McKinley noted the field’s recent renovation — which clocked in at $7.1 million — as well as rising discontent with sharing Tommy Stewart Field with cross-town rival Centennial.
Opponents cited a 2018 intergovernmental agreement that stipulated varsity football would not be played at the venue, along with concerns over parking and potential issues with large crowds.
After much debate, the game was green-lit after a 5-3 vote by the Champaign city council on Sept. 13.
“A great thank you to our families and neighbors in this area who were instrumental in helping us make this happen,” Boozer said. “For me, it was just the unity of everyone coming together from every area to make this day amazing.”
A final hurdle — created when original week five opponent Urbana canceled its season — was cleared when a talented Spartans squad agreed to pay a visit to Champaign to fill a vacancy of their own.
St. Francis made the most of its visit by supplementing its convincing win with a tour of the University of Illinois football facilities Friday afternoon.
“I spoke to several parents from St. Francis who were unbelievably complimentary of how nice the facility was and how well things went today,” Rouse said.
Lawn signs advocating for and against varsity football are still visible in seemingly every other yard in the McKinley neighborhood. Central’s supporters also dotted their lawns with chairs and cheers.
“I know people are worried about violence and you’re worried about the noise and the lights at night,” said Pine Street resident Brenda Reinhold. “That doesn’t bother me. They have enough presence, (school) administration and police presence that there’s not going to be any violence.”
Reinhold, whose children attended Central, watched the game from her front porch with a clear view of the field.
“The city ordinance where they can’t park on the streets, I mean, it’s a public street, they should be able to park,” Reinhold said. “I know they can’t get in on this side, but I don’t have a problem with people parking on the street.
“I don’t like trash in my yard or whatever, but I think this is great. They ought to be allowed to play here regularly.”
