BILLINGS — Billings school district officials broke ground Monday on a $15 million renovation project to give new life to the historic Daylis Stadium.
The renovation will feature new grandstands, turf, locker rooms and a track.
For Senior High School head football coach Chris Murdock, this day has been a long time coming.
Watch Senior High's head football coach talk about the legacy of Daylis Stadium:
“I'm really excited for the kids that they get to experience something, state of the art,” Murdock said Monday.
The coach believes the transformation will be significant for everyone involved.
“The improvement is gonna be drastic for sure. And it's gonna be super exciting for the kids, for the fans,” Murdock said.
While the stadium prepares for its modern makeover, the memories created there will remain cherished by all who experienced them.
“It's hard to just pick one memory for sure,” Murdock said.
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For Murdock, the history at Daylis Stadium spans decades, from his childhood to his coaching career.
“I remember as a kid coming in and watching Senior High play and running around in the back, playing football against my friends,” Murdock said.
One of his most treasured memories came when he coached the team to a state title.
“Us winning a state championship for the first time since 1979. We won that in 2016,” Murdock said.
Another cherished memory: coaching his son.
Beyond winning state titles, Murdock says the stadium has created moments that go beyond the game of football.
“You're a part of something that is so much bigger than just you, and you get to play a small part. So kind of the same way, like just glad I got to be a part of it, the history,” Murdock said.
Deagan Lehfeldt, a senior at Senior High, says there are special moments on that field, with his family playing a significant role in creating a legacy. Lehfeldt said that his brother and father both played at Senior.
“It's pretty cool. It's a family legacy thing. It's pretty cool to know that we have generations that's been through,” Lehfeldt said.
Sam Mota is also a senior at Senior High who's a legacy player (his cousins, dad and brother all played), and he appreciates the connection to previous generations.
“How they played and telling me the memories they had, and that we got to play on the same field,” Mota said.
Mota is particularly excited about what the renovated stadium will mean for future athletes.
“More for the younger kids because they got a lot more to come and be a part of,” Mota said.
