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Rochester, NY - The start of this school year at Brighton High introduces a new artificially surfaced main athletic field.

The project to convert Brighton's grass field started June 6 and should be finished and ready for football, soccer and field hockey and physical education classes sometime in September, according to athletic director Fritz Kilian. The cost was nearly $1.1 million and was paid for by the school's capital reserve fund.

Brighton is the fourth school in Monroe County that has converted to artificial turf. East Rochester was the first back in 2001, and Aquinas Institute and West Irondequoit have followed in recent years.

"The grass field used to get torn up, especially if we played in bad weather," said Taylor Galbraith, a senior boys soccer player at Brighton. "Now at the end of the season it will still be fine."

A-Turf, which is based in Buffalo, is installing Brighton's field. The Barons' home opener in football against Greece Athena has been rescheduled for 1 p.m. Sept. 8.

"It gives our kids a real consistent surface to play on," Kilian said. "When the fall season starts, fields are dried out and we have to stay off the game field (for practice).

"This allows us to use this field for several teams to practice," he said. "With Brighton being so land-locked, there isn't any room for construction of new fields."

An artificial turf surface is advantageous in the spring, when fields typically are wet.

"This will allow our lacrosse teams to be outside even when there's snow on the ground," Kilian said.

Do you have questions about A-Turf's products or services?

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