Jackson's first high school football game on a turf field won by Jackson Christian

This was the moment that Darby Palmer and his players had been waiting weeks for. The Eagles could finally play on their brand new turf field.

Announced in early July, delays in the project kept them from playing there the first few weeks of the season. Practices had to happen on the nearby baseball field. As the players walked past each day for practice, their anticipation continued to grow.

Finally on Friday, they could play at home.

Emotions were running high as the players prepared for kickoff. Before the coin toss, the Jackson Christian players and coaches lined up on their 14-yard line to honor Ryder Lewis, a middle school football player who died in a boating accident this summer. The 14-yard markers on both sides of the field have a blue stripe to commemorate Lewis, who wore jersey No. 14.

“We’re a family and we all love each other,” senior quarterback Seth Snider said. “Tonight was all for Ryder. He was a great guy and a part of our family.”

The first high school football game played on a turf field in Jackson had its fair share of ups and downs for the Eagles. After Jackson Christian led 14-0, Macon Road cut the lead to six right before halftime. Jackson Christian came out firing in the second half and cruised to 35-15 win.

“It felt good to get that win,” Palmer said. “A lot of it was emotion when we had that ceremony for Ryder before the game and the kids were very emotional. That showed in the game with the ups and downs we experienced.

“Overall a great win on this turf and there were a lot of people that worked hard and gave money to see this program be successful. Overall it was a good night.”

Fans raced onto the field after the game ended to congratulate the players but to also experience their new field for the first time. For the players it was a stepping-stone toward the rest of the season. After weeks of having to practice on fields that aren’t typically used for football, they have their home back at a critical point in their season as they look to prepare for region play.

“Getting our field back is huge,” Palmer said. “Anytime you can practice on your home field where you can do drills and it’s already lined, it’s great. We can do so much here because it’s already set up and ready to go.”

“It’s great to have a home again.”