Faith Field to be dedicated Friday
By Kathy Thomson
The playing field at Robert Nail Stadium will officially be known as “Faith Field” after a ceremony tomorrow, Sept. 6, at 7:15 p.m., shortly before the Albany Lions’ first home football game of the 2019 season.
A large crowd is expected to purchase tickets for the Dublin game and arrive a few minutes early so they can be there for the special dedication.
Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. football game are $5 for adults and $2 for students and can be purchased at the gate for those who do not have season tickets or a senior pass.
Faith Field
The Albany Independent School District’s board of trustees unanimously approved the motion to name the field in honor of long-time head coach Denney Faith last February.
The stadium itself, which was renamed 50 years ago in memory of Fandangle creator Robert Nail, will continue to bear that name.
“The board passed the resolution to name the field because of the culmination of Coach Faith’s contributions to AISD and the many lives he has helped frame during his time as a football coach,” said superintendent Jonathan Scott.
Albany High School alumna Holly Harvick Cauble had suggested the idea, and Betsy Parsons, who was board president until she retired from the position this past May, presented the proposal.
“It was a way of honoring Denney simply because of his loyalty and dedication at the school and to Albany,” said Parsons. “It’s not about the win-loss record. It is about the many years and the character he has exhibited through those years.”
Faith began his teaching and coaching career in Albany at the elementary campus teaching and coaching junior high students in 1982, shortly after he graduated from Lubbock Christian College.
Faith was selected as the Lions’ head football coach in 1987, a position he has held since that time. He also teaches world history at the high school, coaches JV baseball, and is the assistant varsity baseball coach.
“Successful coaches just don’t stay in a school our size,” said Parsons. “Denney has had a lot of opportunities to move, but he chose to stay here, raise his kids here, participate in local activities, and become part of the community, not just part of the school. The fact that he chose to stay here speaks volumes about his dedication and why we wanted to honor him.”
Parsons said one of the highlights of her 30 years of service to AISD was when the school board called Faith and his wife Angelyn to the trustee meeting in February and told them that the football field would be named Faith Field in his honor.
“We, the whole board, felt like this was well deserved and something we all wanted to do,” said Parsons. “AISD has been blessed by Denney and so many others that have taught for decades. Consistency has always made our school better, and I think it is one of the secrets to our success.”
Success on the Field
During Faith’s 33 years as head coach at Albany, the Lions have a record of 300 wins, 101 losses, and four ties. They have made it to the playoffs 25 times, were district champions 16 times, and runner up in district another eight times.
Coach Faith’s 300th career victory took place last Friday night in Colorado City.
“This Friday is about the field dedication, and we will acknowledge the milestone of 300 wins at the homecoming game,” said Scott.
