Starting this fall, thousands of people will file into stadiums around St. Charles County for the start of football season.
A select few of these stadiums bare namesakes, some of which go unheralded. Some of those names, and the deeds behind them, fade over time.
So this is an effort to help those schools keep the memories of these individuals alive. The following is a compilation of the nine county stadiums that have been dedicated to honor someone and their contributions to the community.
Soby Field, Holt High School, Wentzville
Opened in 1939, Holt High School is home to the county's oldest stadium namesake and the school has connection to the naming of two others. Soby Field was named after highway patrolman Sergeant Herbert Louis Sobelewski. Born in 1914, Sobelewski served in the ºüÀêÊÓƵ area during World War II as our troops fought for our interests abroad. He was appointed to Kirkwood in 1939 and transferred to Wentzville in 1943. He served there until he died of a heart attack while on duty on Feb. 15, 1964. The field was renamed to honor Sobelewski, who went by 'Soby', later that year.
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Scott Swofford Stadium, Timberland High School, Wentzville
A longtime football coach, Scott Swofford was a big part of the Holt tradition. He coached the Indians for several years before finishing his coaching career at Washington University. He died about 10 years ago and the stadium was dedicated in October of 2002. His wife, Runa Swofford, still works at Timberland and years ago purchased a bell in her husband's name. The tradition of ringing that bell after football victories continues today.
Dave Hoekel Stadium, Fort Zumwalt West High School, O'Fallon
The Wentzville connection continues with Dave Hoekel, who served at Holt as a teacher, head wrestling coach, activities director and assistant principal for 15 years before moving to the Fort Zumwalt School District. He served another 17 years there, first as assistant principal then head principal at what's now known as Zumwalt North, then became Zumwalt West's first principal when it opened in 1998. He held that position for five years and is considered to be one of the founding fathers of wrestling in the Gateway Athletic Conference. The stadium was dedicated in 2004, and Hoekel died in June of 2005.
Luxembourg Field, Orchard Farm High School, Orchard Farm
Among this list of stadiums, there may be no better example of good will toward others than how Orchard Farm's football stadium got its name.
Devastated by the Great Flood of 1993, 90 percent of the Orchard Farm School District was underwater. It was one of three Missouri schools selected by the central European country of Luxembourg to be given financial aid as repayment for American liberation of Europe during World War II.
"I remember vividly driving toward West Alton seeing hundreds of corn husks, trees 30-feet high, and vacant houses all underwater," Lanny Hradek said. "The district was devastated. People lost their homes, land and crops and Luxembourg wanted to help. Our people were overwhelmed and appreciative. It was a very nice thing, helping a school in this regard. It shows that people care."
Luxembourg dignitaries visited the stadium after its completion, and a picture of Hradek and the country's ambassador hangs outside the Orchard Farm gymnasium to this day in remembrance of their generosity.
Don Muench Stadium, Francis Howell Central High School, Cottleville
Though not directly involved in school athletics, Don Muench recognized their value to students and greatly supported that aspect of high school education. An avid ºüÀêÊÓƵ Rams fan, Muench, was the founding principal when Howell Central opened in 1997 and contributed everywhere from its construction to the selection of teachers and staff. He died in 2001 of a heart attack.
Jim Rash Stadium/Jim Williams Field, St. Charles High School, St. Charles
First named for Jim Rash, who served as St. Charles' head football coach in the 1960s then as its principal from 1978-88, the field itself was later dedicated to Williams, who was the only coach to lead a St. Charles County high school to a state football championship. The Pirates accomplished the feat in 1982, and Williams served as head coach from 1979-95. The field was dedicated in 2008 and Williams, who suffered from a rare form of adrenal cancer, died Jan. 31, 2009.
Steve Stahl Stadium, St. Charles West High School, St. Charles
Originally an assistant coach at St. Charles High, Steve Stahl made the move to St. Charles West once it opened its doors in 1976. He was the Warriors' head coach all the way until 1998, spanning 29 years of service in the school district before becoming the activities director for the then-newly opened Zumwalt West. The Stadium was dedicated in 1998 during Stahl's final year there as coach and recently has gotten a complete overhaul from the new artificial turf field to the pressbox.
Jack Ball Stadium, Fort Zumwalt South High School, St. Peters
Involved education for 35 years, Jack Ball helped guide Parkway Central to a state softball title in 1981, which that year beat Fort Zumwalt High School (now known as Zumwalt North) 16-4 for the Class 3A-4A title, and played quarterback for a Chicago-area high school. He coached college football at Northwest Missouri (Truman) State University before taking a job at Zumwalt North to coach and teach. He became the activities director at Zumwalt South in 1993 and died of a heart attack in the fall of 1999. The stadium was dedicated the following year.
Zumwalt South honored another former faculty member in 1998 when school officials named its gymnasium after Brad Hill. Hill graduated from Zumwalt North in 1974, played basketball at Lindenwood then came back to North to teach in 1978. There he coached cross country, tennis and girls and boys basketball, then moved to Zumwalt South once it opened in 1987 and coached varsity baseball and tennis. He died in 1997, at the age of 41, of heart failure.
Robert L. Fisher Stadium, Fort Zumwalt North High School, O'Fallon
Fisher was the longtime Zumwalt North football coach after moving to the Fort Zumwalt School District from Boonville. He taught for several years and upon his retirement served on the district's Board of Education. He still takes part in starting the school's track meets.