State-of-the-art scoreboard an eye-opener at WHS

Coaches might not have time to marvel at the scoreboard during a game, but fans sure do.

Westlake High installed a 24-foot-by-20-foot video screen on its scoreboard on Sept. 25, the day before the Warriors football team trounced Hart of Newhall, 42-20.

"We didn't have all the bells and whistles—we had just installed it," said Jim Benkert, Westlake's athletic director and football head coach.

Now, the Warriors (32 overall) will be able to showcase their new toy's full capabilities during Friday's home game against Marmonte League rival Newbury Park (4-1) at 7 p.m.

According to Benkert and Hector Castro, president of the Westlake High School Football Boosters, Westlake is the only high school in California with a color video scoreboard.

A new video scoreboard by Fair-Play Scoreboards company, based in Iowa, typically costs between $250,000 and $275,000.

The video screen by itself normally costs $170,000.

Westlake's football booster club and various sponsors paid considerably less for the screen. Westlake made an agreement with Fair-Play not to release how much it paid for the new scoreboard.

"We got it at a fraction of the price," Benkert said. "It worked out financially. We didn't have to pay huge money."

The scoreboard was originally made for Moorpark College, which returned it to Fair-Play.

Three years ago, Westlake bought that board at a reduced price from the Midwest company. However, the scoreboard's dysfunctional message board system was a constant source of frustration for the Warriors these past three years.

"They fixed it many times, but whenever we had a power surge or when we turned the power off and on, it knocked out some of the (light) panels," Benkert said. "The message board was never able to handle the power surges."

Instead of simply replacing the broken message board or buying a brand-new scoreboard, Westlake decided to get an upgrade. Play-Field removed the broken piece and installed a snazzy video screen.

Before each home game, the defensive and offensive starters will introduce themselves on the big screen. The game will be played out on the field and live on the screen, and it can also play DVD video montages.

"Our kids said we should have movie night because it's like watching a huge widescreen TV," Benkert said.

In the future, the scoreboard could be used for graduation ceremonies, other sports games and school events.

"It's a beautiful addition to our stadium," Benkert said. "It's more for the people in the stands. I'm not watching the scoreboard, I'm coaching, but it is interesting to hear the reaction from all the people."