Green High School Field

Green High School Field in Franklin Furnace stands apart because it arrived after a pause. The building seen in the first photographs is the 1973 campus, a red-brick structure with crenellated towers and tall arched windows that does not house the pitch. The stadium itself is a fresh construction, completed in August 2022 after a two-year delay that forced the Bobcats to camp at Wheelersburg for a season.

The ground sits quietly off Gallia Pike, framed by a chain-link fence and a parking area that looks more suited to a church picnic than a Friday night fixture. What gives the place its character is the scoreboard standing in the foreground: a bright pink, retro-style board that reads «Kerry Wood Cubs Field». The name does not belong to this high school; it is a nod to a Chicago pitcher, and the sign remains as a splash of colour against the brick backdrop. The field is grass, flat and unremarkable, with light towers rising on either side. There are no permanent stands, only benches and a small concrete walkway leading to the entrance.

The only reason this pitch draws attention is the disruption of its neighbours. When the Ironton stadium suffered structural damage, the ball travelled north to Franklin Furnace in September 2024 for a match against a Canadian side. The crowd was small, the atmosphere casual, and the game played on a surface that felt new underfoot. It is not a destination for touring fans, but it is the only ground in the district, and the pink scoreboard ensures it is never mistaken for anything else.