Photo By Eric Pilgrim | Part of the locker room renovation budget at Fort Knox Middle High School includes an...... read more read more
FORT KNOX, Ky. — Three seasons into his tenure as head coach of the Fort Knox Middle High School Eagles football team, Wes Arnold has a secret waiting for the team come fall.
Refusing to unveil the secret hidden behind the double doors that lead to the locker room just yet, Arnold said the surprise waiting for the team will have to wait just a little bit longer.
“The locker room was originally built in the early ‘80s, and now we’ve upgraded everything,” said Arnold. “We’ll have the big unveiling when we all get back together.”
By “everything,” Arnold means everything from air conditioning, new individual bathrooms and showers to painted walls, floors and a blackout ceiling – even up-to-date LED lighting has been installed.
“We’ve got a lot of the team returning and with the arrival of V Corps, we’re very excited,” said Arnold. “With the guys we’ve got coming back and the guys that we’re hoping to bring in, we’re hoping to keep turning the program around.
“A lot of our seniors are returning, and a lot of the underclassmen are really stepping up.”
Arnold said the decision to wait on seeing all the improvements to the locker room actually came from the team members, although some may be regretting that decision.
“They voted to wait to see it till they could see it together, but they’ve been asking every day when they can see it,” said Arnold.
Not every upgrade is designed specifically for the football team.
Arnold said there is a shared weight room included in the project, which is also in the process of getting a makeover. The facility houses five new power racks.
“[The money] we’ve put into our weight room shows a serious commitment to improving our program here,” said Arnold.
Arnold said the improvements also reflect his continued desire to improve the sports program for the Eagles football team.
“My first year, I wanted to get the numbers up and we went from 27 players to 47 players. Next, we wanted to win the Army Bowl and beat Fort Campbell,” said Arnold. “Now, we want to be consistently competitive. Last year, we either won the game, or we were blown out.
“We haven’t had a winning season since 2002 — we’ve improved every year, so that’s our next step.”
As excitement begins to build toward the start of the 2020-21 football pre-season for those students returning as well as new students, Arnold said the students and parents of Fort Knox deserve only the best he and other faculty members can give. The locker and weight room facilities, which he said will be some of the best in the area, represent this commitment.
“They already get a great education here,” said Arnold. “We want them to have a great athletic program, too.”
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Editor’s Note: G. Anthonie Riis contributed to this article.
| Date Taken: | 06.19.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 06.19.2020 14:56 |
| Story ID: | 372494 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 96 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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