Football: Lower Merion crowd enjoys rare night game at Arnold Field

More than 1,000 fans, many of them Lower Merion students, turned out Friday
evening as Arnold Field hosted a night contest for only the second time in more
than 50 years.

“I’m very pleased that all these fans came out tonight,’ said Lower Merion
athletic director Don Walsh.

Amy Buckman, secretary of the Lower Merion football booster club, said, “We
[the boosters] wanted the [Lower Merion players] to experience this type of
excitement [playing a night game], so we made the decision to [try to make it
happen].’

While Buckman was working one of the concession stands Friday evening, her
son Billy, a center and Lower Merion football team captain, was playing in the
game. Her older son Jason played in Lower Merion’s night football contest at
Arnold Field on Nov. 9, 2007, against Harriton.

For the 2007 Lower Merion-Harriton night contest, the stands were packed with
about 2,000 fans. But it was not possible to host a night game against Harriton
this year, as the Rams were hosting the annual Lower Merion-Harriton contest
this season.

Although Lower Merion lost to Penncrest, 48-7, Friday, a packed section of
Lower Merion students stayed for the entire game, chanting “Let’s Go Aces’ and
cheering a late Aces’ touchdown.

Lower Merion senior Antonio Lemme said, “It’s great to be here tonight,
seeing everyone out here at the game. Even though the score is bad [41-0 late in
the game], the atmosphere is great.’

Standing next to Lemme, Lower

Merion senior Rory McKee said, “The atmosphere tonight is great, it’s fun
to watch the game from under the lights. [We’re staying for entire game because]
you always have hope.’

Lwer Merion, the only school in the Central League that doesn’t host night
contests, does not plan to host additional evening games this fall. The other
high school in Lower Merion Township, Harriton, has used temporary lights since
hosting its first-ever night football game in the fall of 2000.

After the 2007 night football contest at Arnold Field, interest in another
night contest at Lower Merion continued among Aces’ players and coaches. In the
fall of 2009, the Main Line Times published an article in which Lower Merion’s
then-head football coach Jon Rothberg said, “I would like to have Friday night
football [on a regular basis]. There is a totally different atmosphere — it
usually brings more students to the game. I think playing under the lights is
part of the culture of high school football.’

One of Rothberg’s players on the Aces’ 2009 squad, Lower Merion quarterback
Conor Foote, was quoted as follows: “Not having Friday night football games
takes away from an enjoyable atmosphere for everybody. One of the main reasons
for playing high school football is having that feeling that you are special on
Friday nights. ….. I would enjoy seeing Lower Merion have permanent lights
because it can be a great promoter — because it draws young kids and other
students to be a part of the football program at Lower Merion.’

One of Foote’s teammates, Lower Merion defensive end Jason Buckman, added,
“We’re a great school, and not having lights puts us at a disadvantage. Friday
night home games would build excitement for the team, the student body and the
community. When we play at other schools on Friday nights, we see how many
students and community members come out to cheer their teams on. For example,
when we played at Harriton and Haverford, hundreds of our classmates came out to
support the team.’

Another teammate on the Aces’ 2009 squad, Lower Merion wide
receiver/defensive back Billy Chimekas was quoted as follows: “I feel that Lower
Merion being the only team in the Central League to not have lights hurts the
team. It doesn’t allow a good atmosphere for our fans to root us on. A Saturday
afternoon is not a time where fans are going to be at their finest hour, ready
to get the team excited. I definitely find Friday night games more enjoyable; it
presents you with a wonderful atmosphere. It would be quite a gift to be able to
play any amount of [home] games under the lights.’

Over the years, some Lower Merion residents have voiced concerns about Friday
night games — ranging from “light pollution,’ noise, parking and rowdy students
wandering the neighborhood at night.

These same concerns had been voiced at Springfield several years ago (when
that school did not host night games), but after a brief delay, the school
started hosting Friday night football games, without incident.