Gridiron Guide: Walden Grove's stadium growing from infancy
The home stands at Walden Grove High School, Tuesday, July 28, 2015, Sahuarita, Ariz. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
School: Walden Grove
Name: None
Address: 15510 S. Sahuarita Park Road
Opened: 2013. The Red Wolves played three home games at Sahuarita High in their first season of 2012.
The lowdown: Walden Grove is the newest addition to the Tucson area but has already seen a fair amount of change in a short amount of time. The natural grass field was originally part of Sahuarita Park but was rezoned when the school was built; there is still playground equipment to the east of the stadium, behind the new visiting bleachers. The venue used to seat roughly 600 people but can now hold 1,300, thanks to recent upgrades. First-year coach Chris May hopes to establish new traditions for the program, such as tailgating and having a strong student section.
Don’t miss: The newness. May appreciates the infancy of the facility and the ability to expand. Since the end of the 2014 season, the home bleachers have been practically doubled and they now display the school’s initials, “WGHS,” in large black letters. There is also a new press box atop the stands and a new locker room facility and concession stand on the northwest corner of the complex.
Biggest game: After stumbling out to a 2-4 start in 2013, the Red Wolves took down visiting Santa Rita 44-12 for their first victory on their home field. Junior quarterback Austin Elenez accounted for four touchdowns while the Walden Grove defense forced six turnovers.
Performance for the ages: Louis Joseph and Izzy Calvillo combined for 262 yards rushing and four total touchdowns as Walden Grove beat Benson 42-28 to extend a four-game winning streak last season. Calvillo scored on a 44-yard run in the first quarter after fellow senior Chis Moody returned the opening kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown. Moody, a junior, put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter when he raced to the end zone from 13 yards out.
Quotable: “Having the initials puts its stamp on it, that this is Walden Grove High School. That’s my favorite part of the stadium; it made it a high school stadium as opposed to a field with awesome bleacher seating around it.” – Hector Estrada, the school’s athletic director
Daniel Gaona
