By  MAURICIO PLIEGO, CRAIG MORRISON and KENDRA BURDICK

The first games on the new Redlands East Valley High School stadium are expected to be played this week by the REV boys and girls soccer teams, who will also have their senior nights at these games.

REV boys soccer plays versus RHS on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 5:30 pm and REV girls soccer plays versus Cajon High School on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 5:30 pm.

When Redlands East Valley High School first opened in the 1997 – 1998 school year, it did so without a stadium.

Each of the other two comprehensive high schools in the Redlands Unified School District have had their own stadiums: the Larry Dodge Stadium at Redlands High School and Robert Hodges Stadium at Citrus Valley High School.

Marking the 25th year of REV’s anniversary, the school administration announced on June 6, 2022 at 3:30 pm that they would begin breaking ground for the building of a stadium.

REV Principal Robert Clarey and Superintendent Mauricio Arellano addressed the crowd gathered around the soon-to-be stadium with speeches. Along with Clarey and Arellano, several school board members were in attendance and had the honor of shoveling the first heaps of dirt.

Student-athletes, Spirit leaders, and school and community leaders expressed excitement for the long-awaited stadium that was set to open for winter or spring sports next year if construction goes as planned.

“I’m really happy that REV’s getting a stadium cause now people can’t make excuses and finally realize how amazing we are,” said Junior Emmanuel Wallace, track and field and basketball athlete. “Besides, it’ll be nice to not have to run on a bad dirt track.”

Redlands East Valley High School football players walk down towards the field as they prepare to be part of the announcement of the new field on June 6, 2022. (Ava Larson / Ethic News Photo)

“I’m happy that our school’s finally getting this stadium so we can improve and be the best we can be,” said REV student Teddy Collins.

Over the last six months, progress on the construction of the stadium has been visible as students and staff attend school.

On Jan. 23, the REV marching band was among the first to stand on the new field meant for the stadium and began to prepare for a performance. It was a small performance meant for the teaching and faculty staff of the school.

Current senior and Drum major Jennan Foutz said, “Now that we have this field it’s relieving that we can actually do what we have to in order to win competitions and to get better than we’ve ever been before. The field affects the band’s playing through our attitude, we sound better when we’re more enthusiastic and it’s hard to have that high energy level when we don’t have a field. It’s also safer for our feet to glide cause that affects the sound, if you bounce and have to gopher holes to worry about it makes the sound wavy and not consistent. Now the sound will be consistent and we’ll be able to know what to improve on.”

A marching band hat and trumpet sit on the newly set grass of the new Redlands East Valley High School stadium on January 23, 2023, as the marching band prepares for a performance. (Geffrey Acosta / Ethic News Photo)