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WARREN -- Built in 1934, Mollenkopf Stadium is the second-oldest high school football stadium in Trumbull County. The Warren landmark hosted its first football game one year after Niles cut the ribbon on what is now Bo Rein Stadium.
Yet while the home of the Warren G. Harding Raiders is old in years, it has evolved into one of the most modern, up-to-date high school football facilities in Ohio.
"Simply put, this is one of the top high school complexes in the state," said Warren City Schools athletic director Tim Porter. "Naturally, you have Massillon, and you have (Canton) Tom Benson Stadium and the NFL money that goes along with that, but right now we take a backseat to no one.
"Mollenkopf Stadium has always been a special place with a ton of history. It still has that old-time feel. You walk into the stadium, and you can't help but think about all the great teams and players from years past. But at the same time, the stadium has transformed into something brand new, and better than ever."
Porter's praise stems from the recent completion of a $7.5 million project that provided major renovations to the 92-year-old stadium. Work began in 2024 with the attention geared toward addressing water infiltration issues and structural work in the home stands.
The second phase of the project focused on securing and updating the stadium's underside. The home concession stand and the home press box was also upgraded during this portion of the project.
The final phase of the project was completed in August just before the start of the 2026 high school football season. Most noticeable to fans is the replacement of the bleachers on the visitors' side of the stadium. Concrete for the original visitors stands was poured in 1932. In 1970, an upper portion of the stands was added for additional seating.
In 2022, the concrete base of those east side stands was deemed unsafe, and the lower half of the stands was closed off. Only the newer upper portion of the stands was utilized through 2025.
"The new stands alone made this stadium a much better facility, but what was added underneath those stands is what really helped elevate this stadium from what it was prior to the start of this project," Porter said.
The final phase of the project included a new visitors locker room, new concession stands, new restrooms and the addition of batting cages. There are also separate locker rooms for the baseball and softball teams. Those locker rooms, and one of the two new concession stands, have a direct path to the baseball field located behind the east side stands.
"The stadium as it stands today just screams first-class," Porter said. "Combine that with the wellness center, and our facility is comparable to what you see on many college campuses. It's as good as it gets.
"We've hosted three (football) games this year, and each night officials from the visiting schools went out of their way to praise our facilities. I brought in a friend and former coach this summer, and he just stood in the middle of the field and said, 'Wow, there's no other place like this.'"
The beginning of the stadium project coincided with the 2024 opening of the district's student recreation and wellness center, located adjacent to the stadium.
Warren G. Harding football coach Matt Richardson says the recent upgrades have not gone unnoticed with his players.
"They see the investment this district and this community has made, and it has an impact," Richardson said. "Make no mistake, this project is appreciated. It shows that the city is deeply invested in its youth. These kids see that, and they strive to be their best."
Richardson says that while football may be the focal point of the stadium, the recent upgrades combined with the opening of the wellness center will benefit the entire district.
"This definitely goes way beyond a football project," Richardson said. "The stadium itself is utilized by a good majority of students in some way. Then when you talk about the wellness center, that offers benefits to every student in our district.
"This project is an asset to every citizen of Warren."
Porter noted that with the completion of the stadium project, he will notify the Ohio High School Athletic Association of the district's desire to host playoff games this fall.
"I always thought it was an honor to be a host school," Porter said. "I know it's not a big moneymaker for the school, but it does generate some revenue, and it's especially beneficial for the booster clubs. It's also a way to showcase our facility to out-of-town fans."
While the latest project is basically deemed complete, Porter noted that "upkeep never ends, and it will take work to keep this place a first-class facility."
In fact, there will be another layer of newness added to the stadium prior to the start of the 2027-28 school year. At the conclusion of the current football season, the stadium's current turf field will be removed and replaced with new turf.
In 2005, Mollenkopf Stadium became the first high school football stadium in the Mahoning Valley to be equipped with artificial turf. The original turf was replaced in 2016.