The Waterville High football team doesn’t have its home opener until Sept. 21, but fans have gotten an early peek at the renovations to Drummond Field in the preseason. So far, everyone seems excited about the vastly improved, nearly completed facility.

Waterville had a chance to show off the renovations Saturday in an exhibition game against Cony of Augusta. Drummond Field will make its regular-season debut Saturday, Sept. 21 when the Panthers host Skowhegan.

“I thought it looked beautiful,” Waterville football coach Frank Knight said after his Panthers beat the Rams 21-7. “[Athletic director] Doug Frame has done a great job. He’s taken it on as a personal project.”

The actual field was ready last year but the new seating areas were put in this year. All of the freshman and junior varsity games last season were played at away sites.

Much of the money to pay for the renovations came from the Waterville community, Knight said, and the athletic boosters chipped in for the goal posts. Mid-Maine Technical Center students helped with the labor.

“There was a lot of money raised in the community, a lot of money donated,” Knight said. “It was a lot of community generosity. It couldn’t have been done without the donations.”

The football team got into the act, too. The Panthers helped unload sod for the new field.

Knight estimated about 80 percent of the project is finished.

So what’s left to be done? Moving the announcer-press box building to the home side of the field – it currently stands on the visitor side – and some changes to the concession area. Knight said the plan is to brick a patio, with a capital W inlaid in the bricks, and put in a seating area.

Pictures of the renovation are available on Waterville’s web site, http://wshs.wtvl.k12.me.us/. Click on “Sports and Athletics” and then “Athletic Facilities Upgrade.”

Deabay set for Hermon job

Former Husson College women’s basketball player Margie Deabay will take over the Hermon High girls basketball coaching post this winter.

Deabay served as an assistant coach for four years under Don Erb. He left the position last winter to take a teaching post at Bangor High. Deabay was hired last spring.

Going after a head coaching position was something Deabay has been considering for a while.

“I’ve been considering it for the past couple of years but I was waiting to see what Don would do,” said the Wiscasset High graduate.

Deabay played basketball for the Redskins and was on the Husson team from 1980 to 1982.

Deabay teaches business and technology courses at Hermon High. She coached the Hawks this summer during league play at Bangor High School.

“I’m very excited,” said Deabay, who will likely have just two seniors on the team this year. “… I hope to have some underclassmen step in.”

Cross country course altered

The course on which the high school cross country state championships has been altered.

The route was changed because of construction on a parking lot at the 1.8-mile mark of the course on the grounds of the University of Maine-Augusta.

The cross country state meet for all classes will be held Nov. 2, starting at 10 a.m. with the Class D boys.

The Maine Principals Association made the announcement on its web site Aug. 30. For more information go to www.mpa.cc or contact MPA assistant executive director Jeff Sturgis at 1-800-244-0217.

Officials’ covenant

The National Association of Sports Officials has released a document designed to spell out codes of conduct officials and for those who work with officials.

The documents is called “A Covenant with Sports Officials.”

NASO did something similar when the organization was founded in 1980, but because it feels treatment of officials has changed, it developed the latest covenant.

NASO also developed a code of conduct for officials recently. It spells out the responsibilities of officials and how officials should act toward others.

To view both documents, go to www.naso.org.

Jessica Bloch can be reached at 990-8193, 1-800-310-8600 or jbloch@bangordailynews.net.