As the new school year came, so did the new Barlow Stadium at Memorial Field for Sandpoint High School’s sports teams.

The old stadium is a wealth of SHS memories: From  the football team clinching a place in the state title game to the days of NFL legend and Pro Football Hall of Fame nominee Jerry Kramer, the new stadium certainly had a lot to live up to.

According to Thomas Aleto, a junior who plays on the varsity football team, it has proved to be just as good as promised, especially for the fans.

“It seats a lot more people, and it really gives everybody a great vantage point whereas in the other stadium, there were parts where you couldn’t see a lot and there wasn’t a great view of the field,” Aleto said.

Though the much larger size of the stadium is very beneficial to the fans, it also gives the teams out on the field and extra feeling of support since all fans can sit in one grandstand.

“It’s really great to see the whole town in front of us instead of seeing part of the town and then other people are standing on the side and they’re over here and over there,” Aleto said.

While the outside of the stadium is undoubtedly impressive, the locker rooms are what really stand out, according to Aleto.

“The locker rooms are spectacular. They give us a fantastic area to change and to do pregame and talk to our coaches about stuff and great storage space,” Aleto said.

Overall, the new stadium has left Aleto and many others without complaints.

“I think they hit all the right pieces”, Aleto said.

While it is in the infancy of its use, there is no doubting that the new Barlow Stadium is an improvement over the old structure.

Its increased size, improved locker rooms and better safety are sure to keep fans and players alike pleased. Sandpoint High School sports will have a premier venue for fans to better see the game and loudly cheer for the home team.

Though it may be lacking any historical value now, it is sure that Sandpoint High School memories will continue to be made on the field on the banks of the Pend Oreille River for many years to come.