Stadium to get new video scoreboard

Published 11:44 am Wednesday, July 26, 2023

MOULTRIE — When Colquitt County football players score touchdowns on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium this season, fans will be able to see instant replays on the new video scoreboard that will be in place for the Aug. 19 season-opener against Dutch Fork.

And it won’t be just football fans who will get to enjoy the newest addition to the stadium.

The new Colquitt County flag football team will have its top plays shown on the board and parents of 12th-grade players and all other seniors will be able to see their children receive their diplomas up close at next spring’s graduation ceremony.

“It can be used for anything that is held in the stadium,” Colquitt County athletic director Cleve Edwards said. “It’s going to be a positive feature for us.”

The visual space on the scoreboard is 30 feet wide and 16 feet high.

It will replace the current scoreboard located behind the northeast end zone, in front of the field house.

Installation is scheduled to begin on Aug. 7.

The $250,000 cost of the video scoreboard is being shared by the school system and the Packer Touchdown Club and should be paid off in five years.

“Hopefully, less,” Edwards said.

The new scoreboard is being built by Formetco and has a 10-year warranty.

Formetco, which is located in Duluth, has worked with some 100 high schools on both indoor and outdoor projects and its video scoreboards in Georgia can be found at Carrollton, North Gwinnett, Buford, Creekview, Haralson County, Rabun County, Washington County, Brookstone, North Cobb, Jefferson, Norcross and Gainesville.

The company also has worked with the University of Kentucky on its football, women’s basketball, softball, soccer and aquatics scoreboards and has re-worked the football scoreboards at Albany State and Georgia State.

Formetco representative Jeremiah Parker said via email that “We are a family owned/operated company that has been in business for over 50 years. We pride ourselves in taking care of customers and lean heavily on our top-notch customer support.”

The scoreboard will allow advertisers an alternative to conventional signage.

There are five levels of sponsorships, from $1,000 to $7,500 that will allow businesses to have their advertisements displayed on the scoreboard.

Thirty-second and 1-minute commercials can be run on the 16×30-foot scoreboard before the game, during the game, during timeouts, after the game, any time there is a break in the action, Edwards said.

Colquitt County High audio video instructor Greg Hall and his students will be in charge of production.

There are expected to be at least two mobile cameras at football games to capture the action — on the field, on the sidelines and in the stands — and send it to the scoreboard.

Hall will be in charge of operating the scoreboard from the press box.

“We think this will give us a more hometown atmosphere,” Edwards said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how it changes the stadium on game nights.

“I’m hoping we’ll be showing a lot of touchdown replays.”