CAIRO — The Cairo Syrupmakers will celebrate 100 years of football next season with new astroturf at West Thomas Stadium. Funding for the new turf was approved during Tuesday’s Grady County Board of Education meeting.

Cairo football coach Steve Devoursney said the renovation process should begin in about two weeks.

“It’s big for our community and our school system, our program,” he said. “To have something that nice for athletics, it says a lot about our superintendent and our board making the commitment. It’s a great feeling right now. 

“This has been (talked about) for a few years, just trying to get the logistics and everything, the right company and right everything. Luckily our school board passed it last night.”

The new turf not only provides the Syrupmakers a new surface for games, it will also provide the team a place for practice without fears of damaging the field. It also is a lot more visually appealing year-round.

“Being able to practice on it and have numbers and hashes, practice where you play, it’s going to make you that much better. From that aspect we’re excited for it,” Devoursney said. “Being able to just walk out and it’s done. Right now if you walked and looked, it looks like we got a cow pasture out here. Being out there and seeing something immaculate year-round has got to be exciting for these kids.”

Cairo fans will be able to see their team’s new turf in the fall when the Syrupmakers kick off their 100th season of football. A program known for its 19 region titles and three state championship soon will have something else to be proud of.

“(There is) a lot of pride, a lot of tradition around here. I’m sure that had something to do with it, too, getting it passed,” Devoursney said.