James Laurinaitis credits GameDay Grass with improving 40-yard dash time

He may be an All-American with a mantle full of awards earned during his four years at Ohio State, but linebacker James Laurinaitis still felt the need to impress scouts at Ohio State’s annual pro day on March 13.

Recent mock drafts have had the former Buckeye standout sliding to a late first round - if not second round - selection. While scouts and analysts will continue to debate Laurinaitis’ future until NFL draft in April, the 2007 Butkus Award is satisfied in knowing he did all he could to impress.

"It's been a long process, and I'm glad to be done," Laurinaitis said.

Laurinaitis’ stock dropped because of underwhelming numbers at the NFL combine in February. He ran a 4.82 40-yard dash, the three-cone drill in 6.93 seconds and the 20-yard shuttle in 4.24 seconds. He has slipped in several mock drafts since then. Scout.com recently ranked Laurinaitis the No. 17 overall prospect and No. 2 insider linebacker. Scout draft analyst Chris Steuber had the Minnesota native going to the New York Giants with the 29th overall pick.

A pair of NFL.com analysts have differing opinions of where Laurinaitis will be selected. Charles Davis has San Diego taking Laurinaitis with the 16th pick, while colleague Pat Kirwan has the 2006 Nagurski winner slipping all the way to the No. 27 pick and the Indianapolis Colts. Another analyst, Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com, has Laurinaitis falling to the Tennessee Titans with the 30th pick. Rob Rang and Chad Reuter of NFLdraftscout.com have Laurinaitis falling out of the first round entirely.

Laurinaitis did what he could to improve his stock by posting faster times on pro day. His 40-yard dash time was reportedly between 4.72 and 4.78 seconds, an measurable improvement from his combine speed. He credited a faster surface at the Woody Hayes Center as one reason for his improvement.

"The combine had a soft, slow surface," Laurinaitis said of the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium. "The goal was to make all the times faster today. That was accomplished. I was happy with that."

The Buckeyes practice on a full-size infilled turf system from AstroTurf in the Woody Hayes Center. This years NFL combine was held at Lucas Oil Stadium on FieldTurf.

Lawrence Unified School District installing eight AstroTurf fields

Lawrence Unified School District (USD) selected GameDay Grass 3D by AstroTurf for eight district athletic fields. Installation of the new synthetic turf football, soccer, baseball and softball fields at Lawrence High School and Free State High School, is underway by GeneralSports Venue (GSV), the exclusive U.S. licensee of AstroTurf. In addition to the renovation of the athletic fields, GSV will install its XPLODE polyurethane competition track system and new tennis courts at Lawrence High School this summer.

Installation of turf for the football fields is completed, and work on the baseball fields is underway.

“There were a number of factors that proved GameDay Grass 3D was the best product for Lawrence USD,” said Tom Bracciano, division director of operations and facility planning. “The proprietary Root Zone aiding with traction, Sustain all rubber infill eliminating sand that hardens over time and scientific data on player performance and safety made it clear GameDay Grass 3D from AstroTurf was the best choice for our high schools and community.”

“We take great pride in having the opportunity to work with Lawrence Public Schools to provide innovative, durable and safe playing surfaces for the athletes and community groups to use,” said Mark West, GSV Director of Sales – Central Region. “Lawrence made it clear they wanted nothing but the best for all the new sports venues and we are proud they selected the GameDay Grass 3D system by AstroTurf.”

GSV is the approved synthetic turf and athletic supplier of the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance, a nonprofit organization that helps government agencies, school districts (K-12), higher education, and other nonprofits reduce the cost of purchased goods by pooling the purchasing power of public agencies nationwide. As a registered participant of U.S. Communities, Lawrence USD benefited from the variety and quality of products and services offered by GSV.

Work on the new football fields at each high school has wrapped up and installation of the turf for the baseball fields is in progress. All remaining elements of the project including the construction and installation of the track system and tennis courts will be completed this summer.

AstroTurf changes with the times

Raleigh firm predicts a 25 percent rise in sales this year despite recession

By David Ranii - Staff Writer

Not even the eruption of a public relations nightmare last year could derail the sales growth of GeneralSports Venue, the Raleigh company behind AstroTurf synthetic grass.

So it's no wonder that, despite the recession, CEO Jon Pritchett projects sales will rise 25 percent to $50 million this year.

It helps that GSV is in an industry that enjoyed 20 percent sales growth last year. That's due in part to improvements in the quality of artificial turf and prices that make it feasible for public schools and municipal parks to convert from natural to artificial grass. And many of the fields GSV is installing today were funded before the recession grabbed the economy by the throat.

In addition, the new federal stimulus package could help schools continue to invest in synthetic fields this year.

"I think the industry thinks this will be a difficult year, but it will still be a strong growth year," said Rick Doyle, president of the Synthetic Turf Council, an industry trade group.

Pritchett, meanwhile, expects GSV to continue to outpace the industry through innovation and the introduction of new products – plus the company's anything-but-secret weapon.

"The AstroTurf brand gets us into a lot of doors," he said. "It gets people's attention."

The company also sells other products, such as antimicrobial coating for facilities such as locker rooms, and offers site preparation and construction management services for stadiums and other support venues.

GSV acquired the exclusive North American rights to the AstroTurf brand in 2006. Last fall, the company found itself on the defensive when New Jersey health officials announced the discovery of unsafe lead levels in three old AstroTurf fields. It triggered a media firestorm.

Those fields were installed before GSV licensed the brand, but so what?

"We weren't liable, but the brand was being attacked," Pritchett said.

So the company, which believed the products were safe but lacked the data to prove it, counter-attacked by hiring a team of scientists to study the issue. The results were released at a press conference in New York: The scientists concluded a child would have to eat 23 pounds of AstroTurf to be at risk.

That helped defuse the issue, which fizzled more in July when the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that it had concluded that synthetic fields were safe for young children.

"It was quite a PR nightmare for 60 to 90 days," Pritchett said. "Our salespeople had to be educated on how to answer the issue. In every meeting, it was a topic."

But the strategy worked.

"We don't know of any projects that were canceled because of it," Pritchett said."

Last year, GSV's sales hit $40 million, more than one-third better than in 2007. Today the company has 43 employees, including 19 at its headquarters off of Capital Boulevard in North Raleigh.

AstroTurf is manufactured for GSV by Textile Management Associates. The Georgia company acquired the product when the previous owner, Southwest Recreational Industries of Texas, went bankrupt in 2004.

The typical cost of an AstroTurf field is about $325,000 to buy and install, plus $325,000 for engineering, which GeneralSports also offers. That's much more upfront than an all-natural field, but it makes maintenance easier and cheaper. Another synthetic advantage: Teams can practice daily without ruining the surface.

Universities that have purchased AstroTurf in the last year or so include Penn State, Cornell, Dartmouth, James Madison and Michigan State. Local customers include UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke, which installed field hockey surfaces, and Campbell University's football stadium.

GSV was formed in 2003 when a group of investors purchased a small turf installation business in Michigan. That group subsequently convinced Textile Management that it had the sales expertise to resuscitate the brand.

It then "re-launched" AstroTurf in 2006 with retired NFL quarterback Archie Manning -- the father of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning -- acting as its celebrity spokesman.

Since then, Pritchett said, the privately held company has separated itself from the pack to become the clear No. 2 in the industry behind the much larger FieldTurf.

"GSV has been a leader in the industry," Doyle said. "They have been an important innovator."

Among GSV's recent accomplishments:

A Michigan State University study presented at a conference last summer concluded that one variety of AstroTurf, GameDay Grass 3D, came closest to natural grass by one key safety measure. "It looks like [natural grass], it feels like it, it plays like it," said Pritchett.

Last May, a nonprofit that helps more than 30,000 government agencies, school districts and others pool their purchasing power named GSV its exclusive provider for artificial turf and other athletic surfaces. Pritchett estimated the contract accounted for 15 percent of AstroTurf sales last year and projects it will account for 20 percent or more this year.

GSV and athletic shoe maker Reebok announced in December a joint research and development project studying how footwear interacts with artificial turf. "It's basically to improve performance and safety," Pritchett said.

Last year the company cut a deal with a corporate partner that enabled it to sell its own brand of synthetic track surfaces, Xplode. It also became exclusive U.S. distributor for a maker of synthetic tennis and volleyball courts, and this year it will begin selling an automated tarp cover for natural grass fields.

Those deals are part of a diversification strategy that is anchored in the AstroTurf brand and the relationships GSV has forged with its customers.

"We want to be the one offering the newest, the best, the latest technology," Pritchett said.

GENERALSPORTS VENUE

HEADQUARTERS: Raleigh

CEO: Jon Pritchett

2008 REVENUE: $40 million

EMPLOYEES: 43, including 19 in Raleigh

YEAR FOUNDED: 2003

BUSINESS: Sells and installs AstroTurf brand artificial turf. Sells synthetic track and tennis court surfaces and antimicrobial coating for facilities such as locker rooms. Offers site preparation and construction management services for stadiums and other support venues.

Link to News & Observer

GSV Project in Lawrence "getting in shape"

The Free State High School Firebird is in place on the school’s newly turfed football field, and work on other athletic venues continues to progress in the Lawrence school district.

“It’s been an extremely aggressive schedule,” said Tom Bracciano, the division director of operations and facility planning for the district.

Free State and Lawrence high schools are both getting artificial turf soccer, football, softball and baseball fields. Lawrence High School will also get more parking and new tennis courts. If everything — including lights, bleachers and the parking — is done by the Aug. 15 deadline, the project will have been done in less than a year.

At Free State, existing fields are being renovated with the new turf, while much of the work at LHS involves building new facilities. Free State’s soccer team can use the school’s football field until its own pitch is completed.

“I think we’re in excellent shape,” said Bracciano. “It’s going to be a real tough push to get the baseball field here at Free State done by March 1. Football fields at both schools are right on target and soccer, the tennis courts, everything else is pretty well on track.”

The potential budget cuts from the state do not affect the capital outlay fund, which is paying for the new athletic fields.

“It’s also hard to explain to people that you could have capital projects going on ... in the case now, where we’re putting turf on some fields, that they are unaffected by these cuts because it’s two pools of money,” said Superintendent Randy Weseman. “There are actually two kinds of money in our business — the capital money and the general fund money.”

Bracciano says the project is fiscally responsible because ultimately the fields will save general fund money that would normally go to maintenance and utilities that were spent on grass fields.

“We’re hoping to relieve the pressure on the general fund, so really, for us, it works out real well to have these projects come along at this time,” he said. “These are being paid for with capital outlay dollars, which we can’t use for salaries or operational costs.”

Bracciano also notes the environmentally friendly aspect of going to turf.

“It’s (the turf) got the soy-based backing on it,” he said. “The biggest thing in my mind, too, is no pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer.”

A package for lights should be presented to the board at its next meeting, Feb. 23. Bracciano says the district is also bidding out the bleachers for the fields.

At Free State, work is being done on leveling the baseball field and putting drainage in the soccer field. The softball field will not be touched until the season in over in May.

Lawrence High is getting ready to get turf on its football field and to relevel the softball field. Most of the underground retention for stormwater drainage is in place under the tennis courts at the Lawrence Virtual School site.

“We’ve had some excellent people to work with and it’s just come out beautiful,” said Bracciano.

Video

President Barack Obama takes the Oath of Office on AstroTurf 12

Shortly after noon, in front of millions of onlookers, on the steps of the Capital Building in Washington, D.C., Barack Hussein Obama took the oath of office and officially became the 44th president and the first African-American to be elected.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. administered the oath as Obama's wife, Michelle, and daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, looked on.

Construction for the stage at the Capital began on September 24, 2008. The wooden platform can accommodate 1,600 people and was designed by the Architect of the Capital's Office.

The podium where President Obama took the Oath of Office and delivered his inaugural address was surrounded by blue, AstroTurf 12®, the latest generation of the all nylon turf that started the synthetic turf industry over 40 years ago.

GameDay Grass 3D goes down at Lawrence Free State

Crews at Free State High School took the first steps in revamping athletic facilities Tuesday as they started laying turf on the previously grassy football field.

This is the beginning of a project at Free State and Lawrence High School that will cost about $12 million to complete.
"It's been a while coming," said Tom Bracciano, the school district’s operations and facility planning director.

Lawrence High School is undergoing the same process, but Bracciano said that work is about a week behind.

"We hope to be finished with the football field by Jan. 20, then they'll move up to the baseball field,” he said.

The Free State field alone is costing near $890,000 to install. Bracciano said he'd originally hoped the field would be finished by Jan. 1, but the recent cold weather and snow had postponed the project.

"The ground's been frozen, and it's not really appropriate to put the turf down, so we got a little delayed by that, but they're still really making really good progress," Bracciano said.
After the football field, focus will shift to the baseball fields, then the soccer fields, followed by the softball field and tennis courts at Lawrence High School.

"Our goal is to have seven fields done by mid-April," Bracciano said.

Ole Miss Rebels surge past Texas Tech in Cotton Bowl

Ole Miss isn't just the team that handed Florida its only loss. These Rebels are seriously on the rise.

Behind Jevan Snead's passing, Dexter McCluster's squirming runs and some big returns by Marshay Green, No. 20 Ole Miss overcame an early deficit and beat No. 7 Texas Tech 47-34 Friday in the final Cotton Bowl played in the stadium of the same name.

The Red Raiders (11-2) converted a pair of early turnovers into a 14-0 lead, but Snead led the Rebels to touchdowns on their next three drives, followed by a go-ahead field goal shortly before halftime. Once Green returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter, Ole Miss (9-4) was well on its way to capping coach Houston Nutt's first season in grand style.

This was Ole Miss' sixth straight win, matching its longest streak since 2003, when Eli Manning was a senior. That also was the last time the Rebels had been to a bowl.
This roll began when Ole Miss was only 3-4 and coming off consecutive losses following its stunning upset at the Swamp.

Although Texas Tech pulled off huge comebacks in its last two bowls, McCluster ended any such thoughts by barreling into the end zone with 4:34 left. When Rebels fans finished clapping, they began chanting ``S-E-C! S-E-C!'' They did so again with 1:37 left after Ole Miss snuffed out a 2-point conversion attempt, then again following a recovered onside kick.

A little louder and the chants might've been heard at the Big 12 offices about 12 miles away. Still, the message that the fourth-best team in the SEC, according to the polls, is better than the third-best team in the Big 12 will certainly be noted as schools from these leagues - No. 1 Florida and No. 2 Oklahoma - meet next week in the national championship game.

The Red Raiders had a direct path to playing in that game until getting crushed by the Sooners in late November. At the time, they were unbeaten and ranked second, the highest mark in school history.

Getting drubbed in two of the last three games takes some shine off Tech's season, and kept senior quarterback Graham Harrell from going out with the school's record-setting 12th win.
Harrell's consolation was several statistical feats: most career touchdowns in major college football (four in this game made it 134 for his career, breaking the record of 131 set by Hawaii's Colt Brennan) and first player with two 5,000-yard passing seasons. Harrell was 36-of-58 for a Cotton Bowl-record 364 yards, giving him 5,111 yards this season. Only five other quarterbacks have cracked 5,000, including Brennan and two others from Texas Tech.

This was the 73rd Cotton Bowl and the last in its namesake home. The game is moving next year to the $1.1 billion stadium being built by the Dallas Cowboys. The bowl founder's widow handled the pregame coin toss and the dates 1937 and 2009 were painted on the field between the words, ``Celebrating 73 years.''

AstroTurf Statement Regarding AP Story

An article published on Dec. 18 by the Dallas bureau of the Associated Press has again raised questions about the safety of synthetic turf. The story focuses on nylon turf fibers, and mirrors an identical scenario that played out in New Jersey over the spring and summer which prompted an inquiry by the U. S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. On July 31, the CPSC concluded that based on materials testing and forensic toxicology, synthetic turf – including the nylon variety in question – poses no risk to human health under any reasonable circumstance. Yesterday’s article did not mention the CPSC report. All AstroTurf system fibers, including nylon RootZone® fibers, have been tested and evaluated for safety and pose no risk to the health of children or adults.


Every day throughout the U.S., children and youth, as well as collegiate and professional athletes, play football, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse and other sports on artificial turf. Parents, coaches and kids alike deserve to be fully informed about the research and science behind the safety of the materials used in these fields to avoid causing undue alarm among the many families whose children use them with regularity.

Please watch the video from our press conference on this issue in New York earlier this year

Attached below are links to the:

• CPSC statement


• CPSC report


• Statement from the Synthetic Turf Council


• Contents of the AstroTurf press conference held in May, 2008

Birdville ISD Superintendent addresses high lead levels in stadium’s turf

This week, many media outlets began reporting a story of high levels of lead found in the AstroPlay field turf at the Fine Arts/Athletics Complex (FAAC). Though the basis of the story is true, I want to take this opportunity to share with you additional information the media did not report.

BISD student-athletes consider themselves lucky when faced the the alternative hazards associated with real grass fields.

I want to begin by assuring you that individuals who have played on the field at the FAAC are not and have not been in danger of lead poisoning.

In recent laboratory tests, the district learned a portion of the field under the main playing surface contained lead levels above those set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) based on a child ingesting soil. Unfortunately, the EPA has not established any regulations or guidelines for artificial turf, so the testing company, TraceAnalysis, Inc., had to speculate on the levels. The report said, "Ingestion of a turf field does not occur at the rate of soil ingestion ..."

"Synthetic turf is, and has always been safe," Dr. Blair Leftwich, TraceAnalysis, Inc. director, shared with BISD. "In over 40 years of EPA oversight and OSHA regulated manufacturing, there is no scientific or medical evidence that synthetic turf poses a human health or environmental risk from lead." He also stated that with no EPA standards for synthetic turf, any conclusions on health risks are merely speculative.

Dr. David Black, forensic toxicologist with Aegis Sciences Corp., said, "a 50 pound child would have to ingest over 100 pounds of synthetic turf to be at risk of absorbing enough lead to equal the minimum threshold of elevated blood lead."

Dr. Davis Lee, Ph.D., Executive in Residence at the Georgia, Institute of Technology School of Polymer, Textile, and Fiber Engineering, said, "If a green synthetic turf field containing lead chromate is still green, then the lead chromate is still in the yarn. If the Chrome Yellow pigment had leached out, the field would likely be blue.'

We take this matter very seriously, and the safety of our students is our number one priority. Based on the information provided to the district, we do not believe there is any current risk since the lead levels in the uppermost fibers, the portion of the field that individuals are in contact, are well within acceptable range.

"Studies to date are insufficient to make a determination of human health effects," TraceAnalysis reported. In addition, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said, "There is no indication that exposure to the turf could pose any harm. We are not recommending at all, communities shut down their playing fields."

BISD will continue to monitor the turf and will be proactive in addressing any issues associated with the continued safety for our students.

Sincerely,

Dr. Waddell



Link

McCallie Installing Artificial Turf At Spears Stadium

Artificial turf is coming to The McCallie School, but it won't be blue as in Boise State blue."We are the Big Blue here at McCallie, but the turf will look as close to natural grass as possible," McCallie athletic director Bubba Simmons said Friday.

McCallie plans to install AstroTurf's GameDay 3D Grass on the playing field at Spears Stadium. The GameDay 3D was recently ranked the closest to grass in a study at Michigan State University.

It has also received a two-star certification by FIFA Soccer.Construction crews are already taking topsoil from the field and moving it to the practice field west of the stadium to alleviate drainage problems there.

"It's supposed to go from the mud hole it is now to a finished product by February and ready for all our spring sports," Simmons said. "We simply needed a multi-purpose facility and the turf made sense."

It will make the field available for everybody from our sports teams to dorm competitions to summer camps. Spears Stadium is the focal point on campus and this will allow us to use it for a lot more of our needs."

In a recent article about the new turf at Joplin (Mo.) High School, Joplin Globe Executive Sports Editor Lance Ogden wrote, "The GameDay Grass Astro Turf 3D surface looks and feels like real grass, and the base under the synthetic turf appears to be good, old-fashioned soil.''"We've been to look at fields where this is installed," Simmons said.

"We feel this will be a great playing surface that will meet our multi-purpose needs."The football coaches and athletic directors we have talked to are extremely pleased with the surface and its durability. They also tell us that they are averaging fewer injuries as well, from minor to major."

The track will remain around the field at Spears Stadium."We just think the artificial turf enhances all our sports needs," Simmons said. "We are really excited and enthusiastic about it."

Reebok and GeneralSports Venue/AstroTurf Join Forces for First-Ever R&D Effort Focused on Footwear-Surface Interaction

Industry Leaders Seek Performance and Safety Gains for All Athletes

In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Reebok and GeneralSports Venue, the exclusive U.S. licensee of the AstroTurf® brand of synthetic sports turf products, announced today that they are joining forces to study the interaction between athletic footwear and field surfaces for athletes ranging from professionals to amateurs.

The goal of the research collaboration is to help improve athlete performance and help reduce injury risk through the development of better shoes and synthetic sports surfaces. Reebok will spearhead footwear product development while GSV/AstroTurf will focus on synthetic sports turf. The AstroTurf brand was selected based on the advantages of its vertically-integrated manufacturing assets, including the scientific research, design and engineering used to produce sports turf that is among the most technologically advanced in the world.

“GSV/AstroTurf is clearly the leading innovator in synthetic turf, making them our first choice for this unique partnership,” said Don Gibadlo, Vice President of Cleated Footwear at Reebok.

“Instead of studying the interface between the cleats and surfaces already in use, we will be the first to test these products in the conceptual phase, helping us produce innovations that will enhance performance and safety for athletes in field sports at all levels around the world.”
The research effort will analyze footwear-surface interactions, on both synthetic turf and natural grass, for an evolving range of athletic dynamics and an array of athlete types, from NFL linebackers to NCAA soccer players and Little League outfielders.

“As a global leader in performance athletic footwear and the official supplier to several of the world’s elite professional sports leagues, Reebok is the ideal R&D partner,” said Chris Plunket, Senior Vice President of Operations for GSV/AstroTurf. “As industry leaders, it is our shared responsibility to improve both performance and safety, the top priorities of athletes, coaches and management at every level, by leveraging our collective expertise to put the products of the future on a fast track to the marketplace.”

The research will be conducted at various venues nationwide, including on a GameDay Grass 3D™ surface from AstroTurf recently installed at Reebok’s global headquarters in Canton, Mass., with state-of-the art equipment for mechanical and biomechanical testing. Until now, most shoe-surface interaction studies have used cleats and surfaces already on the market, focusing almost exclusively on the incidence of injuries as opposed to performance enhancement.

Reebok and GSV/AstroTurf

Lake Orion advances to Michigan State Championship Game

Lake Orion Dragons shutout Fordson 38-0 last Friday for the opportunity to face Rockford at Ford Field in the Michigan Division 1 Championship Game. Lake Orion will look to avenge their only loss this season, which was the opening game to Rockford.

Lake Orion’s second possession started after a Fordson fumble, recovered by Jared Lee at the Lake Orion 44. Nine plays later, Branden Oakes dove into the end zone from two yards away. Oakes added a 44-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter for a 21-0 Dragon lead at halftime.

The Dragons (12-1) scored in the second half on a three-yard run by Daniel Ney, a 26-yard field goal by Jeffrey Heath, and a 21-yard touchdown run by Marques Stevenson. Heath made all four extra-point kicks.

“We attacked, played aggressive,” said Lake Orion coach Chris Bell about the early lead. “For us to come out, shut them down and keep Fordson (12-1) off the board — I think that says a lot about our kids.

“Someone asked me Week 1 if I’d like to see Rockford again,” Bell added. “And I said I’d love to because that would mean we’re doing something good.”

Lake Orion High School has played their home games on GameDay Grass XPe from AstroTurf since 2005. The 90,325 sf GameDay Grass surface at Dragon Stadium is right next to another 92,000 sf GameDay Grass XPe soccer field.

Lake Orion High School is playing for its 1st State Championship in football and GSV/AstroTurf wishes the Dragons the best of luck!

Greeneville to host TSSAA Final Four on GameDay Grass 3D from AstroTurf

Greeneville High School advances to the Final Four of the TSSAA Playoffs after an exciting 35-28 double overtime win over the Sullivan South Rebels at Burley Stadium on Friday, November 21. Greeneville (11-2) will host the Maryville Rebels (13-0) on Friday, November 28, 2008, at 7:00 PM at Burley Stadium in Greeneville. It will be the second Final Four appearance for GHS, with the other coming in 2000, when Greeneville travelled to Maryville before losing 12-28.

Earlier this year, GameDay Grass 3D was installed at Burley Stadium. An advanced hybrid system which according to third party testing most closely replicates natural grass, GameDay Grass 3D utilizes a proprietary technology called Root Zone™, a simulated thatch layer at the base of the turf system that replicates the underlayer of root fibers and thatch found in natural grass. The density of the RootZone, providing stability, cushion and consistent performance over time, means that less granulated rubber infill is required, reducing the problems related to infill migration and “fly-out.”

Best of luck to the Greene Devils!

Learn more about Greeneville High School Football

Booker T. Washington High School routs Gulf Coast in FHSAA Class 4A Playoff game on GameDay Grass 3D

Torrence Moise completed 13 of 15 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns for Booker T. Washington as they beat Gulf Coast 55-32 in front of a crowd of 500 at Milander Stadium.

''When he's clicking, the offense's clicking,'' Booker T. Washington coach Earl Tillman Jr. said.
Booker T. totaled 429 yards on offense and advanced to play district runner-up Hallandale, which defeated Naples Barron Collier.

Naples Gulf Coast finished its season 7-4. Gulf Coast quarterback Jeff Schmidt passed for 211 yards, and rushed for 75 and two touchdowns. Shawn Normil led Gulf Coast with 100 rushing yards on nine carries and two touchdowns.

Gulf Coast totaled 406 yards on offense, but that didn't bother Tillman. His team was hampered by injuries, and freshmen and sophomores filled in.

''We tried to give all the kids and opportunity to play and played a lot of young guys so they can get some experience, especially during post season play,'' Tillman said.

Dwight Hopkins lead Booker T. Washington rushing with four carries for 74 yards and a touchdown.

Last season, Gulf Coast lost 49-0 to Booker T. But on Friday, it played tough enough to take an early lead. With Gulf Coast leading 7-0, Moise led Booker T. to touchdowns on the first five drives of the first half.

Booker T. tied the score with 7:32 left in the first half on Moise's 1-yard run. 6. Freshman kicker Angel McBoyle hit the first of seven extra points to make the score 7-7.

Booker T. took the lead to stay when Moise capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Quinton Dunbar to make the score 14-10 with 1:08 left in the quarter.
Booker T. scored 21 points in the second quarter to take a 35-10 lead at the half.

Just seven seconds after the start of the second quarter, Booker T. defensive end Lynden Trail batted a pass by Schmidt, intercepted it and returned the ball to Gulf Coast's 4. Eduardo Clements scored on the next play to make the score 21-10 with 11:48 in the second.

Booker T.'s Willie Williams made the score 28-10 when he capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, and Moise threw his second touchdown pass, a 3-yarder, to give Booker T. a 35-10 lead.

Gulf Coast put up 22 points in the second half to make it interesting, but Booker T quarterback Jeremiah Hay completed 6 of 7 passes for 72 yards, including a touchdown pass Ricky Delancy that made the score 42-10.

Tony Gallon made it 48-24 with an 18-yard touchdown run with 5:24 left in the fourth. Hopkins' 61-yard touchdown run made the score 55-32.

Dawson's 56-yard FG the difference for Browns after Lindell's miss on MNF

Phil Dawson wasn't about to quit during Cleveland's latest fourth-quarter meltdown. Turned out, neither did the rest of the Browns.

With a confident nod to coach Romeo Crennel, Dawson went out and calmly hit a career-long 56-yard field goal with 1:39 left that sent Cleveland to a 29-27 win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday night

Dawson's fifth field goal of the game capped a wild finish. The teams traded leads during a 46-second span in the final 2 1/2 minutes -- after the Browns appeared ready to squander a 13-point lead for the third straight week. And the game wasn't decided until Buffalo's Rian Lindell missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt wide right with 38 seconds remaining, allowing Cleveland to run out the clock.

Suddenly, the Browns (4-6) have something to feel good about after they were on the verge of unraveling. Running back Jamal Lewis even questioned whether his teammates had quit during a 34-30 loss to Denver on Nov. 6.

"We got tired of what happened the previous two weeks, getting a lead and losing it in the fourth quarter," receiver Braylon Edwards said. "As a team, we rallied. We came together when we were supposed to and made the plays necessary to win."

Brady Quinn earned his first win in the second career start for the 2007 first-round draft pick. And the Browns' once porous defense -- which allowed 993 yards of offense in its previous two games combined -- held the Bills to 334 yards while generating four turnovers.

"You can't say enough," Crennel said. "The guys hung in there. They played as a team, and it was good enough on this night."

Give Crennel credit, too. Without hesitation, he made the decision to send Dawson out after the Browns' seven-play, 28-yard drive stalled at the Bills 39 after Edwards couldn't hold onto Quinn's pass at the right sideline on third-and-10.

"On the spur of the moment, you've got to be confident," Dawson said.

NFL.com Video Highlights

"So as soon as we threw the incomplete pass on third down, I was ready to go. I gave Romeo a nod, and he had the confidence to send me out there."

It was a better ending for Dawson, too. He missed a potential game-tying 54-yard field goal in the final minute of a 14-11 loss at Washington on Oct. 19.

It's the Bills (5-5) who now face questions about unraveling. They've lost four straight -- their longest skid since 2005 -- and five of six, looking nothing like the upstart team that opened the season 4-0.

Much of the blame for this loss falls on the shoulders of quarterback Trent Edwards, who threw three interceptions on his first four possessions, putting the Bills in a deep hole.

"It's frustrating right now. I don't really have any good answers," he said. "I'm frustrated with myself and the way I performed."

The miscues -- two poor reads and a pass tipped by defensive tackle Shaun Rogers at the line of scrimmage -- were an extension of the troubles Edwards had in his previous three games. Over a 10-quarter span, including the first quarter against Cleveland, he threw eight interceptions, lost two fumbles and gave up a safety.

Lindell took the loss much harder. He was emotionally upset and dejected as he spoke with reporters.

"Yeah, you have to make it. It's ridiculous," said Lindell, who was good from 26 and 31 yards. "I missed my line. You have to make those."

Suddenly, the Bills' chances of ending their eight-year playoff drought are in jeopardy. The team has fallen from first in the AFC East to last in the span of a month. And so much for the poise and confidence the team showed in securing three consecutive fourth-quarter comebacks earlier this season.

"It's not where we want to be, obviously," coach Dick Jauron said. "It doesn't feel like a free-fall, at least not to me. I can tell you, being around them, they hurt."

The loss spoiled a breakout game for running back Marshawn Lynch, who had a season-best 119 yards rushing and added a team-leading 58 yards receiving, including an 18-yard touchdown. Rookie Leodis McKelvin also scored on a 98-yard kickoff return, one play after Cleveland's Jerome Harrison scored on a 72-yard run that put the Browns up 23-13 to open the fourth quarter.

Josh Cribbs also scored on a 2-yard run for the Browns, and Edwards had 104 yards receiving.
"I can't say enough for this being a big win for our team," Quinn said. "We ended up winning in the end. It wasn't the way we wanted to, but a win is a win."

FHSAA Playoff Game to be played on GameDay Grass 3D

The Gulf Coast High School football team's first-round Class 4A playoff game against Miami-Washington on Nov. 21 will be played at Milander Stadium in Hialeah.

The site was released on the Florida High School Athletic Association site on Tuesday. Because not every high school in Miami has its own football stadium, games are usually rotated among multiple sites.

The game has a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. Washington beat Gulf Coast, 49-0, in the first round en route to the state championship last year.

Ted Hendricks Stadium was the first installation of GameDay Grass 3D. Installed in 2007, Ted Hendricks Stadium hosts located in the heart of Hialeah, plays host to over 20 high school Football games, the Copa Latina Soccer Tournament, as well as, numerous special events throughout the year.

AstroTurf pays off for BCS Top 25

Six of the Top 25 teams in this weeks BCS Rankings practice or play on AstroTurf GameDay Grass.

Leading the way is #1 Alabama (10-0), who practice indoor on their GameDay Grass field in the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility.

#3 Texas (9-1) practices on their only synthetic football field at the Indoor Practice facility or "The Bubble" as the players call it.

#11 Ohio State (8-2) practices on a full-size AstroTurf GameDay Grass field in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

#15 Michigan State (9-2) practices on their GameDay Grass field indoors at the Duffy Daugherty Football Building across from Spartan Stadium.

#19 Florida State (7-2) practices on their only synthetic football field, which is marked identically to Doak Campbell Stadium.

#25 South Carolina (7-3) practices on their only synthetic football field, their GameDay Grass XPe field located in the USC Indoor Facility.

Undefeated Alabama clinches berth in SEC Championship Game

No. 1 Alabama (10-0, 6-0) got three interceptions from Rashad Johnson and a 1-yard quarterback sneak in overtime by John Parker Wilson Saturday to win 27-21 over No. 15 LSU (6-3, 3-3) at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.

The win clinches Alabama's first SEC Western Division title since 1999 and secures a berth in the 2008 SEC Championship Game.

Since 2002, the only synthetic turf the Crimson Tide have practiced on is AstroTurf GameDay Grass. The 110 yard field is located in the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility, which is fully heated and air- conditioned, allowing the Tide unlimited access no matter what the conditions are outside.

UTEP prepares for in-state rival Rice

UTEP (3-4, 3-1 C-USA) battles Rice (5-3, 4-1 C-USA) on Saturday in the Sun Bowl. Kickoff is set for 7:05 p.m. MDT. The Miners lost at Tulsa, 77-35, in their last action on Oct. 18. Rice is coming off a 42-17 demolition of Tulane last weekend in New Orleans. The Owls are ninth in the country in passing offense (308.3 ypg), 10th in scoring offense (40.1 ppg) and turnover margin (1.13), and 15th in passing efficiency (154.07).

UTEP is 4-3 following off weeks under fifth-year head coach Mike Price, but 0-3 since 2006. This is the Miners' second bye week of the season. They lost to New Mexico State, 34-33, coming off a bye week on Sept. 20.

UTEP will play five games in the month of November for the first time since 2003 and only the second time since 1952. The Miners also had five November games in 1919, 1920, 1929, 1941, 1946 and 1952. UTEP is 5-22 in November since 2001 and has gone winless in the month in four of the last seven years (2001, 2002, 2003, 2007).

The Miners are 5-10 in November under Price with a current six-game losing streak. UTEP's last victory in November was a 36-17 triumph at UAB on Nov. 10, 2006.

UTEP will need to win three of five games in November to be bowl eligible. Following the Rice game, the Miners will play at Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 8 and host SMU on Nov. 15 before capping the regular season slate with road games at Houston (Nov. 22) and East Carolina (Nov. 28).

Since 2001, the Miners have played their home games at the Sun Bowl on AstroTurf GameDay Grass.

AstroTurf official sponsor of the 1st Annual David Wright Topps Camp

AstroTurf is an official sponsor of the 1st Annual Topps Camp with New York Mets 3rd Baseman David Wright on November 1, 2008 at Hofstra University.

The camp is the second in a series of Topps most recent business venture the Topps Camp program. For more information about this camp and future camps Topps is producing and for registration please visit their website at http://www.toppscamp.com/ or call the toll free hotline at 1.877.805.0660.