WEST, TX — For many residents in West, the new West ISD football stadium is much more than a field for Friday night lights-- it represents a new chapter and new hope.
Five years ago a massive fertilizer plant explosion turned parts of the small town to rubble, and the high school took a major hit in the blast. The football stadium was converted into a makeshift triage center.
Some residents said even though they still held games at the field, the memories were hard to shake.
"We did have games there last year," resident Cynthia Zahirniak said. "Life went on, but I think there was still that stigma."
For some, this stadium is one step to overcoming those difficult memories. West football coach David Woodard said the new stadium is a milestone that might "help heal some of the wounds from 2013."
The new stadium will be put to use very soon as the West Trojans start football practice Aug. 6.