The official christening of the upgraded East Union High stadium takes place Friday when the Lancers host Sierra High in a Valley Oak League football contest.

A sneak preview was conducted Wednesday for East Union Boosters and alumni.

The Lancers will be playing their last two regular season football home games at home after using Manteca and Sierra high school stadiums as their home fields while work was underway on stadium upgrades.

The current phase of stadium upgrades included the critical maintenance contract period for the establishment of new turf.  

The work that has been done includes correcting drainage problems that have plagued the stadium for years.

Those problems have flooded the track with standing water for days after storms and related issues with the playing surface.

Track upgrades have been done as well including a new running surface with the Lancers logo between the end zone and the track..

The changes made to the East Union playing surface are being done elsewhere within the school district as well as Manteca High. Those changes include more durable turf that consumes less water to reflect the new reality of miserly water use.

A future phase yet to be scheduled will include American with Disabilities Act accessible pathways,  pedestrian lighting, track and field event upgrades for discus and shot put as well as high jump, and landscaping.

The work is being paid for using a special reserve where the district sets aside money to fund long-term maintenance needs so it doesn’t impact classroom funding or take away from bond money.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com