Manchester High School's 1st football game at new stadium features new hall of fame class

The Manchester High School football team will play its first game at the new James R. France Stadium at 7 p.m. on August 30 against Sandy Valley. The school also will celebrate its newest hall of fame inductees that night.

The new stadium features a synthetic turf field, a first for Manchester.

Eric Stone of the Manchester Alumni Association said the school will host its 22nd annual pregame Tailgate Party and Athletic Hall of Fame reception beginning at 5 p.m. Aug. 30.

This year's inductees are Larry Pugh (Class of 1987), Katie Burns Zuchowski (’02), Shane Brown (’11) and Alyssa Matheny Goodman (’17), as well as honorary member Dan Grenus.

"This popular event attracts hundreds of MHS grads and friends to the alumni tents outside the stadium," Stone said in a press release. "Free sandwiches, snacks and soft drinks are available, as well as special cakes to help celebrate this year’s 52nd annual Hall of Fame inductees."

Manchester's Swede Olsson / James R. France Athletic Hall of Fame was founded in 1972. The new inductees will be enshrined in a pregame ceremony at 6:30 p.m.

The previous James R. France Stadium hosted Manchester football games on grass from 1955-2023.

Manchester's soccer teams played matches in the new stadium last season and the track and field teams practiced inside the venue. The stadium did not have bleachers yet last school year and a majority of fans sat on lawn chairs or blankets or stood and watched the action.

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"August 30th will be a very exciting evening here in Manchester," Principal Scott Ross said. "It is alumni night, our new class of Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized and of course our home opener. There is definitely a buzz in the community and many people have gotten a sneak peek at the stadium at our band show and scrimmages.

"There is some ongoing work on some last minute details, and some of the final finishings will continue into the beginning of the season. But the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We look forward to continuing our strong traditions in our new home."

Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ .

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Manchester High School's 1st football game at new stadium features new hall of fame class