Case Field is sporting new bleachers ahead of Washington’s home opener Friday versus the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks. Photo by KCII Sports Nate Gonner.

Football Friday nights return to Washington this week and Demon Nation might notice a few changes at Case Field. Washington Superintendent Jeff Dicks says fans of Demon football could notice three upgrades when they come out to the field Friday.

Dicks says when people walk in the main entrance at Case Field, they can turn to the right and see the district’s weight room improvements. Several Washington athletic organizations and the Washington Booster Club raised $53,000 for the purchase of 10 new Power lift racks for the Washington State Bank Strength and Conditioning Center. Each rack is accompanied by a platform in front, allowing two workouts to be going simultaneously.

When walking to your seat, take a look at the field itself. Dicks says Krafka, a turf management company out of Solon, started the process of deep tine aerating the gridiron. This allows the turf to be lifted up, and allows oxygen to get to the roots, improving their strength overtime. Dicks says the grass on game day will look shorter, and will allow for faster game play.

The final offseason upgrade at Case Field is the home seating section. Thanks to a nearly $70,000 grant from the Washington County Riverboat Foundation, Washington fans will be sitting on brand new bleachers this fall. Dicks says the old seats were taken out and a new layer of concrete was poured underneath for support. The new bleachers feature cut outs in the front row to accommodate wheelchairs.

The No. 2 Washington Demon football team (1-0 overall) hosts the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks (1-0 overall) this Friday. Catch live play-by-play coverage of the game on AM/FM KCII beginning with the Washington Hy-Vee Pregame Show at 7 p.m. The game will also stream online at KCIIRadio.com and on the KCII mobile app.