When the Watertown Arrows host Sioux Falls Jefferson to open their 2025 high school football season on Friday night, they’ll be doing it at their new home.
The Allen Mitchell Athletic Complex, which is now home to soccer, football, and track in Watertown, held an open house a week ago, giving the public a chance to get a ‘firsthand’ look at where they’ll be spending their Friday nights in the fall.
It's been a bit of a storybook journey for the Arrows football program the past ten months. They held a special ceremony at the end of the 2024 season to say ‘goodbye’ to the old Watertown Stadium, a month later won a state football championship, and are now prepped to debut their new home under the lights.
“It really has been an emotional roller coaster. It was tough to say goodbye, I guess we'll say, to the old stadium and we're trying to respect the tradition,” said Watertown athletic director Craig Boyens. “We will always remember the (old) stadium. But we're extremely excited about the future. It’s like moving to a new house, just trying to get settled.”
The new athletic complex in Watertown is part of a plan of upgrades that the community is making.
“There's a renewed sense of pride with our facilities. [The new stadium] is located right here in the heart of Watertown, right next to the high school. It now feels like football is a part of the community and the school district community,” explained Boyens. “Watertown has always been known to embrace the school district and there are kids on the turf every day. We hope to leave it open for people to use the track, so it's become almost a playground of sorts for this community.”
The new venue will seat around 4,000 people. It also comes with the obvious upgrade to locker rooms, overall space, and concession stands.
“Everybody thinks that it's smaller. I think that's because the old Stadium wrapped around with the baseball stadium built in. It wrapped all the way around first base, but it was also only about twelve to fourteen rows high where this new one is closer to twenty-five rows high,” Boyens told. “The concourse hallways run goal line to goal line, so we think there's going to be plenty of room. We're going to find out Friday night.”
A new home, a new stadium, and a new sense of pride for the Arrows.
Friday night’s kickoff between Watertown and Sioux Falls Jefferson is scheduled for 7 pm. Festivities are planned for the game during pre-game and halftime.
