VIBORG, S.D. (KELO) -- Friday Night Lights are looking different for a high school football team in southeastern KELOLAND. The Viborg-Hurley Cougars are breaking in their new turf field to start the season. The Viborg-Hurley football team is playing at home at their new facility to start the 2026 season. " It's kind of like finally, finally getting out here. We're supposed to play on it last year, didn't end up happening, but I mean, it's just awesome, surreal," Viborg-Hurley football player Gage Schoellerman said.
The Cougars' new gridiron is a big change from its previous 80-yard football field.
Maintenance begins on 1,500,000-gallon Sioux Falls water tower The new facility has a 100-yard artificial turf football field, with space for track and field, a new scoreboard, grandstand seating, a modern press box, and a combined concession and restroom facility. " Neither school has ever had a paved track of any sort. And we needed new lights here in Viborg. The poles were getting bad, and the things actually holding the lights on the poles were getting bad, so that was going to be a major expense just to replace those.
So then we looked at doing the whole thing," Viborg-Hurley athletic director Galen Schoenefeld said. The season begins tonight with the Cougars walking out on the turf field for the first time in front of fans. " I think just coming around that corner and then seeing the whole field and seeing everybody in the bleachers, I think it's going to mean a lot. I don't know if I'm really prepared for it yet, I guess," Viborg-Hurley head football coach Parker Christeson said. "
Everybody's just so excited to play on it. We've talked about it so many times, just getting with the fans on the big bleachers and everything. It'll be awesome," Schoellerman said. This marks the beginning of a new era for the Cougars. " I'm just going to remember this for the rest of my life. We've worked so hard for this. We've been putting in so many hours in the weight room and on the field. It's just we've been working so hard for this," Schoellerman said.
The Cougars will host tonight's game against Bridgewater-Emery at 7 pm. We'll have highlights from that game and many more tonight on KELOLAND Sportszone. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
