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As was discussed at the All-state meeting yesterday I was able to get my principal to call Jerome Singleton today in support of allowing USC to host our championships at Stone Field...I hope everyone else did as well!!

We can do it like the Premiership. Let one set of fans in one gate; the other through another. Then, have three or four vertical rows of yellow jackets in the seats above midfield.

It shouldn't be this hard. Come on Jerome!!

Is this to seperate fans? or just because it's a better venue?

I just spoke to Skip Lax of the South Carolina High School League and he informed me that the state championships for 2013 will be held at Gilbert High School. The SCHSSCA will be able to operate canteens out of two concession stands. Gilbert HS also has the adequate locker rooms and officials rooms.

As for future plans to play at Eugene E. Stone III Stadium on the campus of the University of South Carolina, Skip informed me (again) that we need to do this through the proper avenues -- the Activities Committee -- with support from Principals and Athletic Directors. Without their support, it will not happen.

Below is a letter we sent last fall, but no principal/athletic director presented this to the SCHSL via the Activities Committee. We need a slew of principals/ADs to champion this cause.

September 12, 2012

To Whom It May Concern:
The South Carolina High School Soccer Coaches Association (SCHSSCA) endorses a proposal to move the S.C. High School League Soccer (SCHSL) Championship matches to the University of South Carolina’s Eugene E. Stone III Stadium or to Lexington High School.

The SCHSSCA overwhelming preference is for the state championship weekend to be held at Stone Stadium (capacity 5,700) on the USC campus, but if the SCHSL continues with their current stance of not hosting the state finals at the site due to Stone Stadium only having seating on one side, then the SCHSSCA would like to see the finals moved to Lexington High School’s stadium. Stone Stadium was the site of several SCHSL soccer state championships prior to moving the finals to its current site at Columbia’s Memorial Stadium.

The SCHSSCA has made previous proposals to the SCHSL in regards to seating the teams on opposite sides of the west stands and having the middle area (garnet seats) reserved for media, neutral fans, etc. We would like our Principals and Athletic Directors to endorse this proposal.
Please feel free to contact me at kheise@lex2.org if you should need further information.
Sincerely,

Dick Smith
SCHSSCA State Soccer Chairman

Kevin Heise
SCHSSCA Associate State Soccer Chairman

No offense intended to Gilbert HS, but really? We are going to showcase our best soccer talent at Gilbert? Did the Activities Committee come up with that one? No need to answer...I KNOW who made that decision.

I don't know anything about Gilbert. I don't even really know where it is to be honest, but I can't believe that the state championships can't be played at a real soccer venue. I'd rather see Blackbaud used or even one of the college stadiums like Furman or Clemson if you need two sides. Who says it has to be in Columbia?

I agree that Gilbert is not a “real” option for the Championship games. No offense to Gilbert (I think Lex1 does an excellent job with all facilities), but traffic to the field would be a nightmare and if I remember correctly, there weren’t a lot of options when it came to parking.

Has anyone checked into using the SC State facility? It has two sides, isn’t far off the mark of being centrally located (Orangeburg), and has adequate space for parking. Think that teams would even be able to warm-up outside the stadium if wanted. Just a thought…

SCSU has artificial turf. Which COULD be a plus in bad weather. Otherwise, not.