Goal posts are up, the classic black Tomcat logo is in place on the 50-yard-line and the rest of East Aurora High School’s new stadium is just about ready to roll.

Tomcat football players have even had a

Tomcat football players have even had a chance to train on their new field as high school football practices officially opened last week at East and around Illinois.

chance to train on their new field as high school football practices officially opened last week at East and around Illinois.

While the $7.1 million stadium is almost ready for an unofficial Aug. 19 debut, the official name appears to be up in the air.

Published reports last week said that an unidentified party has offered a $750,000 donation and a request that the stadium be named for the person’s father, a 1930s era East graduate.

The new scoreboard carries the name of Roy E. Davis Field, carried over from the old stadium. It honors the one-time East football coach and longtime athletic director. And original discussions called for the the field to keep the Davis name and the entire complex named in a salute military veterans.

The school’s rickety former stadium, built in the 1920s and featuring a grass field, closed in June 2016. Over the next year, the Tomcats played their home schedule at Aurora Christian High School.

The new facility — the equal to other new stadiums and fields recently constructed in surrounding communities — includes new seating on each side of the field, an eight-lane track, lights, concessions and restrooms and a new press box.

Some work remained last week, including completion of fencing as well as concessions area and restrooms.

The stadium unofficially opens for business on Aug. 19 with a series of scheduled football scrimmages beginning at 8:30 a.m.

–East Aurora’s sparkling new stadium nearly ready–