Mules move into new home

“Please don’t walk on our new carpet,” says the usher who welcomes visitors to the brand-new football facility at Malverne High School, where the Mules hosted Valley Stream North last Saturday.

But the newly laid playing surface looks nothing like the pale, worn and concrete-hard rugs that come to mind when one hears the words “artificial turf.” Instead, it looks like a perfectly manicured and lush-green lawn. The 50-yard line is bisected by a gigantic blue-and-orange “M.” One end zone reads “MALVERNE,” the other “MULES,” and the new scoreboard declares, as if there is any doubt, that this spot is “The Home of the Malverne Mules.”

Catty-corner to the scoreboard, off to the side of the old blue bleachers, a group of kids – 15 to 20 at a time, most of them wearing Malverne Wildcats jerseys signifying their youth-league team – toss around a football as the feature attraction plays out. Someday some of those kids will play for the Mules on the big field.

Though their guests didn’t cooperate – Valley Stream North won the game, 34-13 – there was plenty to cheer about on the opening day of Malverne’s new football home, which was made possible by a district bond approved by taxpayers last November. Construction began in early July, and on the first day of October the Mules moved in for good. New bleachers, as well as new basketball and tennis courts, are on the way as the construction project continues.

At a halftime dedication ceremony, Superintendent Dr. James Hunderfund called the occasion “momentous.” Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby thanked the Malverne community for “putting the children first.” The state-champion Malverne marching band played a couple of songs. Though the scoreboard didn’t indicate as much, the day belonged to Malverne.

“I have great pride in my community,” said Malverne head coach Kito Lockwood, who played for the Mules in the early 1990s and was part of a team that won back-to-back conference championships. “It’s great that so many of us could be here today to share the occasion.”

Asked what he thought of the new facility, Valley Stream North head coach Tom Schiavo said, “I wish I had it.” He added, “I credit their entire program and their entire community for having the foresight to put an emphasis on athletics and providing their students with a quality facility.”