LOGAN COUNTY, W.Va. –The Logan County Schools Superintendent says they are currently working on a solution for the Logan High School football team, which was displaced from its locker room due to structural issues.
Superintendent George Aulenbacher, who has been on the job for just 14 days, said that one section of the athletic facility is currently affected. He noted that the facility comprises of two sections- one being built in 2007 and the other in 2016- with the older section experiencing roof issues.
Aulenbacher said they were aware of the roof issues and had planned to wait until the end of the football season to address them. However, during a meeting on Friday, July 18, their structural engineer informed them that the trusses were deteriorating.
He said that storms during the spring were the initial cause of the roof issues, which are affecting the home team’s locker room, concession stands, bathrooms, and training rooms
Aulenbacher said the decision ultimately came down to the safety of the players.
“We just felt like the best interest and the safety of our kids in Logan County, especially our Logan County athletes, our Logan High School athletes, we were going to pull the kids out,” Aulenbacher said on 580 Live with Dave Allen Thursday.
He said they are working to secure a contract for rental units that will serve as temporary locker rooms, concession, and bathrooms. They hope to have the units in place before the first football practice, scheduled for August 4.
Aulenbacher said the newer section will still be accessible athletes and fans.
“In that building there’s like an L-shape, there’s a separation between the old section and the new section, the student athletes and the fans will come in and out of there when there trying to go to the concession stands, or restrooms, or locker rooms,” he said.
Their season will open on August 29 at Man High School. Their first home game is scheduled for September 5 against River View High School.
Despite the structural issues with the facility, he said the community has been very welcoming towards him and that he believes that the county is headed in the right direction.
“The community has welcomed me with open arms, the teacher, the central office, everybody that I’ve meet has been, it’s been very comfortable for me, I feel like we’re headed in the right direction in Logan County,” he said.
Aulenbacher was appointed in June by State Superintendent Michele Blatt following ongoing challenges in local governance and student achievement within the county. He replaced Jeff Huffman, who had served in the role since the second intervention in October 2022.
The county’s first day of school is scheduled for August 20.