AMY SZPARA

PHOTO: The Louisiana Hurricanes practice during their black and white scrimmage at East St. John High School May 26. (Staff Photo by Chris Cox). RESERVE – The Louisiana Hurricanes, a minor league professional team in St. John the Baptist parish, will soon be playing on the football field at Leon Godchaux Junior High School, making the team’s home games closer to home. The St. John School Board voted Thursday to enter into a tentative cooperative agreement between the St. John Parish Recreation Department and the Hurricanes. The team will use West St. John High School’s field until the old Leon Godchaux field is revamped. According to Paul Rando, a line coach for the team, they need to install bleachers, lights, a score board and goal posts. “The field itself is in tremendous shape,” he added. The field is currently not being used, he said. The team has been playing home games at Harrell Park in New Orleans, and moving to Leon Godchaux will put it in the parish it represents. Part of the National American Football League, the team was formed in 1998 by General Manager Keith Balin. “The whole purpose of what we do is to move players up to a paying league,” said Rando. Superintendent of Schools Chris Donaldson was approached by the St. John Recreation Department about renting the field to the Hurricanes. The repairs to the field will come at no cost to the school district. The Hurricanes will have to maintain the field, make any necessary repairs to equipment and purchase insurance to keep the school district free from liability should anything happen on the grounds. Members of the school board will soon view the contract that School Board Attorney John Diasselliss III has drawn up with the team to determine if the tentative plan will become permanent. According to Donaldson, the parish and the school board will benefit by having an additional sports facility for junior high school activities and other recreational sports events once the stadium is repaired. Since the Leon Godchaux field will not be ready for the Hurricanes’ first home game, they will play that game against the Memphis Blast at West St. John High School in Reserve. The Hurricanes’ opening game will be held June 23 in Hattiesburg, Miss. against the Mississippi WolfPack and the schedule includes four home games through September 1. The board unanimously agreed to allow the team to use West St. John High and then Leon Godchaux on a tentative basis, but it would not vote for a permanent arrangement until after the members read the contract.