Hare Field
Encyclopedia
Hare Field is a multi-sport facility located in Hillsboro
, Oregon
, United States
. The facility opened in 1965 and is owned by the Hillsboro School District
. Hare Field includes a baseball
stadium, a football
stadium, practice fields, and track and field equipment. The venue hosts high school sports, open track meets, youth sports, and occasionally college sports. The football stadium seats over 5,000 fans, was the first high school field in Oregon with an all-weather field, and was named one of the best venues to watch high school football in the state.
. The field was named for civic leader and former state legislator William G. Hare
. The first football game was held on September 9, 1966, when Hilhi played Gresham High School
. Hilhi won that game 7-0 and would become the season’s state champions. School football teams had previously used Goodman Field from 1948 to 1965. With the addition of Glencoe High School in 1980, that school began using the facilities at Hare Field.
In 1991, coach Rich Brooks
held the Oregon Ducks
spring scrimmage at the stadium drawing 5,183 spectators. The football stadium was used in 1997 for a memorial service to Hondo, a police dog killed in the line of duty and namesake for the city’s dog park
. Century High School became the third school to use Hare Field in 1997, but moved to the new Hillsboro Stadium
when it opened in 1999.
The following year the facility began a multi-year renovation that was funded by private money, including a controversial deal with soft drink maker Coca-Cola
that raised $1 million. The total cost for the project were $3.5 million and included the installation of an all-weather surface for the football and soccer field, a new track surface, locker-room improvements, and upgrades to some seating areas among others. As a result of the sponsorships, the artificial turf has Coca-Cola logos in both end zones, and it became the first all-weather high school football field in Oregon. Following the installation of AstroTurf in 1998, the facility was used to host OSAA state playoff games that year.
Hare Field hosted the Oregon State Beavers
football spring game in 1999, the first year under coach Dennis Erickson
. In 2003, The Oregonian
newspaper named the football stadium as one of the ten best places to watch a high school football game. The Hilhi versus Glencoe football series was selected in 2007 for the Great American Rivalry Series. The all-weather playing surface is scheduled to be replaced with a new all-weather field in 2009.
Hare Field consists of a football stadium that includes locker rooms and a covered grandstand
. The football field is also used for soccer, and a track surrounds the field. Other track equipment and open fields also make up the western section of the facility. The track is named the Elden Kellar Track. On the east side of the complex is a baseball stadium, with a portion of the south part composed of ticket stands and paved parking. There is a jogging track around the perimeter of the complex.
The complex hosts home football games, track, and soccer for both Glencoe and Hilhi. Oregon School Activities Association
state playoff games for football are also held at the stadium. Hilhi uses the baseball diamond for their teams. Hare is also home to the annual Elden Kellar Invitational amateur track meet, while occasionally hosting high school district championship meets. A weekly all-comers track meet is held during the summers.
In addition to athletic venues, Hare Field houses and hosts other items and events. The facility serves as the staging ground for parades such as the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the annual Fourth of July Parade. Hare Field’s grounds also house an air quality monitoring station owned by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
. The school district also receives revenues from a cellular phone communication tower located at the site.
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The facility opened in 1965 and is owned by the Hillsboro School District
Hillsboro School District
The Hillsboro School District 1J is a unified school district located in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The district operates 26 elementary schools, four middle schools, and four high schools. Founded in 1851, the school district covers Hillsboro, Scholls, Reedville, North Plains, West Union,...
. Hare Field includes a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
stadium, a football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
stadium, practice fields, and track and field equipment. The venue hosts high school sports, open track meets, youth sports, and occasionally college sports. The football stadium seats over 5,000 fans, was the first high school field in Oregon with an all-weather field, and was named one of the best venues to watch high school football in the state.
History
Hare Field opened in 1965 when the Hillsboro High School (Hilhi Spartans) baseball team started using the baseball stadiumStadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
. The field was named for civic leader and former state legislator William G. Hare
William G. Hare
William G. Hare was an American lawyer and politician in the state of Oregon. A native Oregonian, he grew up in the Hillsboro area where he later practiced law. A Republican, he served in both houses of the Oregon Legislature, as had his father William D. Hare...
. The first football game was held on September 9, 1966, when Hilhi played Gresham High School
Gresham High School (Oregon)
-Academics:Gresham High is an official International Baccalaureate school offering the IB Diploma Program.In 2008, 81% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma. Of 450 students, 366 graduated, 45 dropped out, 15 received a modified diploma, and 24 are still in high school.-State...
. Hilhi won that game 7-0 and would become the season’s state champions. School football teams had previously used Goodman Field from 1948 to 1965. With the addition of Glencoe High School in 1980, that school began using the facilities at Hare Field.
In 1991, coach Rich Brooks
Rich Brooks
Rich Brooks is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Oregon from 1977 to 1994 and at the University of Kentucky from 2003 to 2009, compiling a career college football record of 128–154–4. Brooks was also the head coach of the...
held the Oregon Ducks
Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks refers to the sports teams of the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon. The Oregon Ducks are part of the Pacific-12 Conference in the Division 1 of the NCAA. With seventeen varsity teams, the Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and Track and Field...
spring scrimmage at the stadium drawing 5,183 spectators. The football stadium was used in 1997 for a memorial service to Hondo, a police dog killed in the line of duty and namesake for the city’s dog park
Hondo Dog Park
Hondo Dog Park is a city park in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Opened in 2007, it is the first dog park in that city. Located on nearly four acres, the park is in the northeast section of Hillsboro adjacent to Hillsboro Stadium. Hondo Dog Park is named after a Hillsboro Police Department K-9...
. Century High School became the third school to use Hare Field in 1997, but moved to the new Hillsboro Stadium
Hillsboro Stadium
Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States is a multi-sport stadium owned by the city of Hillsboro. Opened in 1999, the award winning stadium is part of the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex located in the northeast part of the city adjacent to the Sunset Highway...
when it opened in 1999.
The following year the facility began a multi-year renovation that was funded by private money, including a controversial deal with soft drink maker Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
that raised $1 million. The total cost for the project were $3.5 million and included the installation of an all-weather surface for the football and soccer field, a new track surface, locker-room improvements, and upgrades to some seating areas among others. As a result of the sponsorships, the artificial turf has Coca-Cola logos in both end zones, and it became the first all-weather high school football field in Oregon. Following the installation of AstroTurf in 1998, the facility was used to host OSAA state playoff games that year.
Hare Field hosted the Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State Beavers
The Oregon State Beavers is a name shared by all sports teams at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers are part of the Pacific-12 Conference . Oregon State's mascot is Benny the Beaver...
football spring game in 1999, the first year under coach Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Arizona State University until November 28, 2011, a position he had held since the 2007 season. In 2008 the Arizona Board of Regents had approved a contract extension to keep Erickson at Arizona...
. In 2003, The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
newspaper named the football stadium as one of the ten best places to watch a high school football game. The Hilhi versus Glencoe football series was selected in 2007 for the Great American Rivalry Series. The all-weather playing surface is scheduled to be replaced with a new all-weather field in 2009.
Facilities
Grandstand
A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...
. The football field is also used for soccer, and a track surrounds the field. Other track equipment and open fields also make up the western section of the facility. The track is named the Elden Kellar Track. On the east side of the complex is a baseball stadium, with a portion of the south part composed of ticket stands and paved parking. There is a jogging track around the perimeter of the complex.
The complex hosts home football games, track, and soccer for both Glencoe and Hilhi. Oregon School Activities Association
Oregon School Activities Association
The Oregon School Activities Association is a non-profit, board-governed organization that regulates high school athletics and competitive activities via athletic conferences in the U.S. state of Oregon, providing equitable competition among its members, both public and private...
state playoff games for football are also held at the stadium. Hilhi uses the baseball diamond for their teams. Hare is also home to the annual Elden Kellar Invitational amateur track meet, while occasionally hosting high school district championship meets. A weekly all-comers track meet is held during the summers.
In addition to athletic venues, Hare Field houses and hosts other items and events. The facility serves as the staging ground for parades such as the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the annual Fourth of July Parade. Hare Field’s grounds also house an air quality monitoring station owned by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is the chief regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for protecting and enhancing the state's natural resources and managing sanitary and toxic waste disposal. The agency employs approximately 700 scientists,...
. The school district also receives revenues from a cellular phone communication tower located at the site.