Wellesley High boys soccer to score honor of first night game under new lights
While much of the fervor around new lights at the Wellesley High School track and field has been around Friday or Saturday night football, a boys soccer match vs. Brookline is slated to be the first after dark home game on Sept. 10. That game is scheduled to kick off at 6pm, and sunset is at 7pm.
And Wellesley Public Schools has revised the schedule for a nighttime home football game vs. Weymouth High that would have been played on Halloween—costumed fans could have added a colorful element to the game, but the logistics of holding the event during peak trick-or-treating time wasn’t going to be a neighborhood-friendly decision. That game was initially scheduled on Oct. 31 to avoid playing the next day because school is closed in honor of Diwali, a newly added holiday on the academic calendar. That matchup will now take place on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 4:30pm. The sun sets shortly after 5:30pm that night.
“Due to significant safety concerns around playing a night game on Halloween, and after consulting with numerous parties including Town departments, the teams believe the best option is to move the game to the evening of Nov. 1, with a 4:30 p.m. start time. With the football season cutoff date in place for that weekend, and the playoffs beginning the following week, Saturday was not a workable option,” Supt. Dr. David Lussier wrote in a memo shared with the community. “It’s important to note that under no circumstances will any student be penalized for missing a practice or game to observe a religious or cultural holiday.”
The football team used to have yearly night games by propping up temporary lights at the field, but it couldn’t do that after the new track (complete with warranty) was put in place in 2016.
Residents in recent years debated whether or not to install permanent lights, with those in favor arguing that night games would benefit student-athletes and the wider community, and those against airing environmental, neighborhood, and other concerns. The big moment came two years ago when the Wellesley Natural Resources Commission, which has oversight for the land, voted 3-2 in favor of the School Committee’s proposal for lights.
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Planned Night Games for Fall 2024
Boys’ Soccer:
- Tuesday, September 10 vs. Brookline – 6pm
- Wednesday, October 23 vs. Natick – 6pm
Girls’ Soccer:
- Tuesday, September 17 vs. Natick – 6pm
- Thursday, October 17 vs. Brookline – 6pm
Field Hockey:
- Wednesday, September 18 vs. Natick – 6pm
- Wednesday, October 16 vs. Brookline – 6pm
Football:
- Saturday, September 28 vs Walpole – 6pm
- Friday, October 4 vs. Brookline – 6pm
- Friday, October 18 vs. Newton North – 6pm (Homecoming)
- Friday, November 1 vs. Weymouth – 4:30pm
Tickets for all night games, regardless of sport, will be $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and students. Children under 6 will be admitted free.
The Oct. 18 football game has been deemed a homecoming game, and a Community Day celebration has been scheduled for Oct. 19. More information will be shared later on that.
For night games, Wellesley High will follow similar parking rules to those used for graduation. No parking will be available on Rice, State, Smith, Clifford, Forest, and Seaver streets. More on parking and game attendance.
For additional Hunnewell track & field updates, see the Wellesley Media recording of the Sept. 3 School Committee meeting at about the 49-minute mark. Discussion covers the bathrooms, concession stand, and sound.