By Reese Gilcrease
Devastating sports news has swept across the Shreveport-Bossier area. On August 4th, 2023 it was announced that asbestos was found in Lee Hedges Stadium. The home field to Captain Shreve, Byrd, and more, over 50 seasons of football have been played in this stadium. Our home stadium was taken away just like that.
Lee Hedges was under construction to restore the bathrooms, locker rooms and concession areas when the issue was discovered. Asbestos is a mineral known for its carcinogenic properties. It is resistant to heat, electricity, and corrosion. These qualities make the mineral very useful. Construction materials contained Asbestos from the 1930’s to the 1970’s. It was especially effective as an insulation material. However, inhaling asbestos causes the fibers to become trapped in the body, causing inflammation, scarring, and cancer. It is the primary cause of Mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer, hence why our stadium was shut down.
Our stadium is named after Junior Lee Hedges, a high school football coach with 216 wins. He was the head coach for three Shreveport high schools: Byrd, and Woodlawn, and Captain Shreve. He guided these teams all into the state championships. He had a great winning streak with a record of 216-92-9. Sadly, on July 9th, 2023 Hedges passed away at the age of 93.
Coincidentally, a few weeks after his death, asbestos was found in the stadium. It has been closed ever since, and no one is allowed in. Football teams are devastated, especially the seniors who have been playing on Hedges since their freshman year or earlier. Head football coach Adam Kirby said in an interview with KSLA, “I know you want to be on Lee Hedges, I want to be on Lee Hedges. There is nothing like Lee Hedges on a Friday night… but that’s not gonna happen this year, so we can sit around and complain about it, or we can make the best of the situation…”
Overall, the Captain Shreve Gators are ready for season no matter the field, kicking off the year beating Byrd 23-21 in the Jamboree. Whether they play at Independence or Northwood, players continue to do their absolute best, proving the fact that the location doesn’t make Shreve home, the people do.