The grass is green, the floor squeaky clean, and the course unique as any other.

Even though that sounded like a bad poem, it’s actually the description of the Marion High School fall sports facilities.

After attending high school in Overland Park, and traveling throughout Central Kansas the past four years to cover high school events, I can honestly say MHS has some of the best facilities I’ve seen.

For anyone who has even had a glimpse of the new gymnasium, it’s easy to tell there is not a high school in the area that can compete with it.

There are junior colleges in the state that do not have a gym this nice.

In time, other schools will probably build facilities up to the standards of this gym, but for now, it will be the talk of the state and the home of the MHS volleyball team.

The walking track and brand new parquet-style floor with a red and blue Warrior emblem will make anyone say “wow.”

However, the gym is not alone.

Although a bit older, the Warrior football stadium is the best I’ve seen in the Mid-Central Activities Association.

Some of the schools play on collegiate fields, and their overall stadiums may be bigger and arguably nicer, but none can rival the field itself.

I have yet to see a field greener with easy-to-read, bright, white yard markers than the one at Marion.

At some stadiums, fans and even players and media on the sidelines, struggle to see what yard line the ball is being placed.

In fact, one stadium I won’t mention, had such bad yard-markings it was hard to tell where the field ended and the end zone started.

Every year when football season begins, the MHS crew makes every player, coach, and fan proud with a field that looks brand new every September.

Football and volleyball are not the only fall sports that benefit from their surrounding.

The cross country team does as well, albeit just once per year.

Marion County Park and Lake plays host each year to a home meet for the Warrior runners.

It’s a shame they can’t utilize it anymore than that, because it is such a nice area for the runners to compete.

Other cross country courses are on barren fields, cookie-cutter golf courses, and some even on concrete.

However, the lake course has challenging hills, a great view of the water, and a home stretch on the dam remembered by each competitor.

While it would be great for the Warriors to run on the course every week, the once-a-year aspect adds to the uniqueness of the event.

Athletes, coaches, and players should take a second this fall and appreciate the facilities and surroundings available to the Warrior athletes.

Not everyone has that kind of opportunity.