YOUNGSVILLE, La. (KLFY) — After countless of meetings and campaigns, a Southside High School parent is proud to say the construction of the football stadium is almost complete.

Eric David is one of many parents who spearheaded the efforts to get a football stadium built at Southside High School. Now that there is a tangible football field and stands for the crowd to sit in, David is more than excited for the games to come.

“It’s definitely a surreal feeling.” David said, “It’s definitely a surreal feeling. I guess I’d be lying if I said I thought this day would finally come.”

David, along with many other Southside parents, traveled with their football team for 8 seasons as they also campaigned for the stadium to be built.

While attending school board meetings, creating a social media group, even pitching a sales tax for the school zone to fund the stadium, David reflected on the years spent fighting for the field.

“Kind of feeling helpless.” David said. “And not knowing, not understanding why other people couldn’t see the need as much as the parents and the students and faculty here.”

That need would finally be met in February of last year when the school board announced funding would be allocated to build the stadium.

With the construction nearly complete, David said he’s excited to see the benefit it brings to local businesses and to the home field pride at Southside.

“And that’s what I kind of hoped would happen, that this can be a Friday night place where community can gather and root on our team.” David said. “A lot of thanks to Lafayette Parish and our superintendent, our board members to finally doing the right thing. And they put the work in the research and the work into to finally get a stadium on Southside campus.”

Although his kids have now graduated from Southside High School, David said there are still plans for his family to be in those stands on Friday nights.

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