It might not have been the outcome for the final game Mount Vernon wanted Friday night (see story page 9A), but the alumni and community showed up to send off the First Street Community Center field and Bellamy Bowl for the final home varsity football game.
That started with members of the Marching Mustangs, who held practices earlier in the week and the day of the game for any Mustang who still had their high school instrument to play the school fight song and national anthem.
Bill Pringle, an alumni hall of fame member, was guest conductor for the national anthem on the Mustangs field.
Band director Scott Weber asked the members in attendance to take a brief pause in remembrance of Don and Judy Stine ahead of practicing the anthem Friday evening.
“I owe so much to Don Stine and what he did for this program,” Weber said.
And the 100 plus members of the Marching Mustangs marched with alumni down to First Street Community Center field for the fight song and national anthem just ahead of the 7:30 kick-off.
Ahead of the game, alumni of the Mount Vernon football program were asked to make a tunnel for current players to run onto the field through. That tunnel was also established for youth recognition night, honoring the parks and recreation teams in Mount Vernon taking part in football tonight.
Select alum also took part in the coin toss ahead of the game at Solon, team captains from over the decades.
During half time, members of the Save First Street Field campaign were recognized for the efforts to refurbish stands and add new lights to the Bellamy Bowl.
The field, constructed as part of the Civilian conservation Corps in 1938, and the field hosted it’s first game in 1940, a game which Tipton won.
The Mustangs football program have had three state championship wins, seven runner-up finishes and 28 playoff appearances in their historied program.
In 1970, coach Jim Bellamy joined Mount Vernon and his advice to players to “just do your job, son,” helped change the ethos of the football team and led to a string of play-off appearances by the Mustangs.
“Tonight, we say farewell to First Street Community Center field,” said announcer Dave Ryan. “We have many fond memories of our times here.”
The evening concluded with the American Legion retiring the flag that flew at First Street Community Center Field and Bellamy Bowl and presenting to student body president Anna Vavricek to bring to the high school, where it will fly at the Armstrong Family Field at the Parsons Family Activities Complex.
‘You did your job, son’
September 21, 2023
About the Contributor
Nathan Countryman, Editor
Nathan Countryman is the Editor of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun.