News : Behind the scenes: Preparing for Friday night football action

Glenn Drake paints V-S football field in preparation for Friday's season opener vs. Benton Comm.

Long before fans fill the stands, eating hamburgers while watching high school athletes run down the sidelines, high school stadiums are quietly, but busily bustling with activity.

This week, high school football returns to Iowa. Area schools will all play nearby this weekend. Vinton-Shellsburg hosts Benton Community.

On Thursday, Booster Club member and concession stand volunteer Linda Meeker was setting up equipment in the concession stand. Her main project in the morning was assembling more fans to circulate the air.

"We learned last Friday that two fans is not enough," said Meeker. She brought four new fans to help keep the concession stand volunteers cool..

Meeker said hamburgers and chicken are among fan favorites each Friday night; she says she thinks the fans are still thinking about outdoor grilling. A variety of candy and soft drinks are also available. The Vinton Lions Club trailer will also be busy, with the club members selling funnel cakes and other goodies.

Meanwhile, on the field, Glenn Drake of the Vinton-Shellsburg maintenance department was busy painting the sidelines along which the players plan to run.

"We have to do this every week," said maintenance superintendent Les Bearbower. "People don't realize how much time it takes."

Drake and Bearbower painted the sidelines, the yard lines, and the numbers, as well as the coaches' boxes and the dotted line behind which the players (and photographers) must stand.

The front right wheel of the paint machine is marked with black tape to indicate to Drake when to start and stop the sprayer to make the dotted lines, explained Bearbower.

In other area action Center Point-Urbana plays Williamsburg in Center Point this Friday.

The Union Knights of La Porte City and Dysart travel to Decorah to play Decorah-North Winneshiek. Then next week, they play their traditional first game in Dysart, as the Knights host Independence.