HOCO + New Stadium This Friday!

HOCO + New Stadium This Friday!
Posted on 09/19/2022
HOCO + New Stadium This Friday!

Elmira High School New Athletic Complex Will Be Re-Dedicated to as Thomas Hurley Stadium and Field Will be Named After Dick Senko

On Friday night, September 23, 2022, the Elmira City School District is set to welcome community members to homecoming football game + a half-time ribbon cutting to formally open the brand-new multi-purpose turf stadium. The new EHS Athletic Complex will be rededicated to Thomas J. Hurley, longtime popular football and wrestling coach during the opening celebration. The new turf field in the stadium will be named for Dick Senko, longtime football coach in Elmira. Representatives from the Hurley and Senko family plan to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“The new stadium gives the community a place to gather and support our students through athletics, graduations, and other events. The stadium will have a positive impact on the lives of students, giving them state of the art facilities to compete, and to have something to take pride in. For the community the stadium serves as a culmination of unity to support Elmira High School events,” says Zack Lloyd, Athletic Director in the Elmira City School District.

“Thomas Hurley and Dick Senko are two coaches whose legacies have impacted the lives of so many community members. Since taking over as AD, I have heard amazing things about what these two men brought to the lives of so many of our community members, and the positive impact they had on many of our current coaches. Their legacy lives on through these coaches and we are proud to have their names grace this new athletic complex and field,” continues Lloyd. “The students could not be more excited to get started, and we look forward to welcoming the community to watch them compete!”

Friday September 23, 2022 | Event Details

Elmira High School varsity football will take on Union-Endicott beginning at 7 p.m. The new stadium gates will open at 6 p.m. Ahead of that, the Elmira Booster club is sponsoring a family-friendly tailgate from 4-6 p.m. and will include food trucks, music, bouncy house for younger kids and more. Admission to the tailgate and game is free.

• Homecoming Under the Lights, Game Time is 7 p.m.
• Gates Open at 6 p.m.
• From 4-6 p.m., family-friendly tailgate with food trucks, bounce houses, balloons, tailgate games and more sponsored by the Express Booster Club
• Free admission + three stocked concessions
• Half-time Ribbon Cutting and Field Dedication Ceremony
• Presentation of the 2022 Homecoming Court

The Elmira community is invited to wear Express colors on Friday September 23, 2022 to help celebrate.

About Thomas J. Hurley, Brief Biography

In 1983, the Southside Stadium was dedicated as the Thomas J. Hurley Sports Complex. Hurley was a longtime popular Southside football and wrestling coach who died August 25, 1982. On October 17, 1992, Mrs. Ursula Hurley honored Southside High School by cutting the ribbon which marked the official opening of the Thomas J. Hurley Sports Complex.

Thomas J. Hurley was a coach and educator and served as the Southside High School head varsity football coach from 1959-1980 and the varsity wrestling coach from 1956-1970. Hurley was named Coach of the Year in 1959-1960, 1971, 1974 and Coach of the Decade in the 1960s. Hurley’s coaching career included six conference championships in football and two sectional championships, two state championships and two league championships in wrestling.

Hurley passed away in August of 1982 in Elmira at the age of 54.

About Coach Dick Senko, Brief Biography

Senko guided Elmira Free Academy’s varsity football team from 1975 to 2003, compiling a mark of 193-81-2 to rank first in coaching wins in Elmira history at one point.

Senko’s coaching career included only two losing seasons (4-5 both years) out of 29, along with seven Section 4 titles. Senko retired in 1999 as a global studies teacher at Elmira Free Academy. Before that he taught at Broadway Academy and Southside. Senko remained head football coach through the 2003 season.

Senko passed away in December of 2020 in Florida at age 75 following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease.