Former Pitt Fullback Lousaka Polite was back in the ‘Burgh recently to visit his old alma mater. No, not Pitt. He was back at his old high school along with some other players like Jason Taylor. Woodland Hills High is renovating and getting help from a lot of its former players.
“I got a look at the new turf when I was here in February, but this is the first time I’ve seen the new renovations,” said Lousaka Polite, a Woodland Hills graduate who played at Pitt and now carries the football for the Dallas Cowboys.
“It’s great to come back home. Friendships and memories made in high school will last forever. I have a lot of pride for Woodland Hills football.”
Not to be outdone by a high school, Pitt is having a new practice surface being installed in its South Side facility.
One of the two grass fields at the South Side outdoor facility was replaced by a Sportexe surface, the installation of which is expected to be completed Monday.
“That was something I felt we needed and (Pitt) athletic director) Jeff Long did a great job of making it happen,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “Because we don’t go away to training camp, I don’t know how you practice on two fields from August until January and then use them in the offseason – when the kids are out there running and working out on their own – and then spring practice. There’s got to be some time when you only have two fields to grow new grass. It really, really will help us.”
So there is that.
Aesthetics aside, maybe such a field benefits a power running game like the Steelers usually have. But for our powerless running game, Stephens-Howling seems much less effective running at home vs. on the road, where the opponents usually have pristine grass or turf. I also think slippery fields are a disadvantage to an OL during pass-blocking. And who knows how often the poor field might have contributed to unsuccessful pass patterns? I also think the field neutralized Grassele as a weapon. His punting and kickoffs were very subpar at home. On the flip side, I don’t think Abdul, Cummings and Lee got/get enough credit for the decent amount of success they had kicking field goals off that turf, especially with the wind effects.
Of course, there’s only one guy that matters and he wants it the way it is. Too bad.