Greatest stories of 2021 (No. 1)

Saddleback athletics celebrated one of the more entertaining years in history in 2021, with a number of programs reaching all-time highs and records being broken in many sports.  This is the list of the Top-10 stories in Saddleback athletics for 2021.

No. 1  The New Stadium

The No. 1 story in Saddleback athletics in 2021 was the opening of the new stadium.  After 53 years of athletics in the old stadium, Saddleback finally had a new stadium and one they could be proud of.  With a max capacity of close to 8,500, the new stadium complex featured a nine-lane running track, two turf football practice fields, a turf soccer field, thrower's park, concession stand, viewing platform with views of field and practice fields, private event rooms, storage for football, soccer and track & field equipment, modern press box, athletic team meeting rooms, athletic trainer facility, state-of-the-art scoreboard, and sound system with integrated WI-FI technologies.  In short, Saddleback opened one of the best facilities in the country.

Although the official grand opening of the stadium didn't take place until midway through the football season this past fall, there was other events that took place previous to the grand opening.  The first official sporting event was the Orange Empire Conference Finals for track & field in late May as Saddleback hosted three other programs in what was an abbreviated season due to COVID-19. 

In addition to hosting six football games and 14 women's soccer games this past fall, Saddleback also held an NFL free agent kicking camp and had a multitude of youth groups using the practice facilities.  Perhaps the greatest acknowledgement came when the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) decided to have five state championship games in the stadium in early December, which was a sign that Saddleback had emerged as one of the best stadiums in the state. 

Saddleback held private parties in the event rooms during the games and utilized the broadcast rooms, streaming a majority of the home events for the public to watch while simulcasting the events on the massive video board. 

Whether it was a coach, an official, an athlete, a patron, or a member of the local media, most everyone agreed that the new facility was impressive.  Some of the residual effects of the new stadium included larger roster numbers and an increased interest on social media as athletes and fans alike wanted to be a part something special. 

The new stadium was the second of three major upgrades to the athletic facilities as a new tennis facility opened last spring and the school has plans to break ground on a new softball complex in the coming year.  It also had a major renovation to the women's locker rooms and has plans to upgrade the aquatics facility during the summer, making Saddleback a sought-after destination point for future student-athletes. 

TOP-10 STORIES OF 2021

Related Images 

Facility Upgrades