"This week is definitely a very unique and special situation. For all of us, getting the opportunity to open up a new stadium --- especially one as beautiful as Helias has put together --- is an amazing honor. Literally, you have 60 years of football tradition; they've been waiting a long time for this opportunity.

"I was talking to the players (Monday) afternoon and it's hard to understand the magnitude of it. They'll be telling their grandkids that they were the first players to play a game on that field. We get to be a part of this new, old thing."

This is much more than a stadium, it's much more than a sports complex, a facility that also includes includes a soccer field and tennis courts.

This is a dream come true.

"Being a Helias football player," Rulo said, "you're literally going to be a part of something much bigger than yourself. There have literally been generations of Helias football players, so I'm sure our guys will feel it (the pressure to win) a little more."

There's only one first, and this is it. Win or lose, this night will stand on its own --- but winning would sure be the icing on this $13 million cake.

"I've told them when they look up in the stands, there will probably more people at this game than you might ever play in front of your entire life," Rulo said. "It comes with the territory. That's an awesome thing ... but it's still going to be football. It's the classic Hoosiers line --- the field is still 100 or 120 yards long (if you count the end zones), it's still going to be 53 1/3 yards wide, the goal posts are the same.

"Naturally, it's a big game; naturally, you want to win; naturally, there are high expectations. But it's nothing you need to back away from; you can't not discuss it, it's right there in front of you.

"It's going to be amazing, just watching everything that will be going on. The Helias faithful will be there, more than 3,000 fans ... it's going to be a truly unique and special experience."

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UNIQUE? HOW MANY HIGH SCHOOLS ACROSS THE NATION will play their first "home" game after a 60-year "road" trip? And after building 60 years of such a rich tradition?

There will be no more bus rides to home games, albeit, it was a very short one. If they tried to sing 99 Bottles of Coke on the wall on the way to Adkins Stadium, they wouldn't have gotten past 95.

"Adkins Stadium is a beautiful place to play and they were great hosts, they did a phenomenal job," Rulo said. "But I will admit, having multiple pictures of Pete Adkins staring at me while giving the pregame speech can be a little different, for sure.

"Now, we have our own place to celebrate the Helias traditions with the Helias players, putting up our own state championship pictures, our own All-State players, our own All-Americans."

It's remarkable what they've done compared to what they had to start with. When you looked at this land before the first shovel hit dirt --- or rock --- it was like an expired coupon or losing lottery ticket. In other words, good for nothing.

"I remember when I interviewed for the job," Rulo said, "and I walked down that little trail into where they were going to build the football stadium. It was just crazy to think there would be a stadium there, it's unreal. And it's ours. It's humbling.

"We're so blessed and thankful for it. One of the key characteristics for kids is the ability to be appreciative and grateful. This is something that's such a model of appreciation --- think of all the people who have come before, all the people who have put time, effort and money into this."

Certainly, this inanimate object would not have been possible without the help of hundreds of people, from donors to construction workers.

"Naturally, you have to be appreciative and grateful," Rulo continued. "And how can we show our appreciation Friday night? Going out there and giving it your very best, giving it everything you've got."

The festivities start with the Booster Barbecue at 4 p.m. and the first Crusader Walk at 4:30 p.m., before the ribbon cutting, a blessing of the field, a video tribute to Ray Hentges, smoke machines, and fireworks.

Oh, and one other thing --- Helias will play Hannibal in a game of tackle football at 7 p.m.

"There's so much going on," Rulo said, "you almost forget that there's a 2 1/2 hour football game. We've got to stay in the right mindset. I told (the players) that they won't have any trouble getting hyped for this, they have to figure out what that right note is."

Hannibal is certainly no easy mark, as the Pirates have had their way with the Crusaders in recent years.

"I think it's great," Rulo said. "I think we've been playing Hannibal since the 60's, so what other team would you want to play? We've played Hannibal forever.

"(Hannibal) Coach (Mark) St.Clair is another Hall of Famer and he'll be playing on a field named after a Hall of Famer. He'll have his team ready to go. It will be a great game and obviously, a great atmosphere.

"There are so many new traditions to start, creating new things. The players have asked so many questions about how we're going to do things, What are we going to do for this?, Where are we going to do this? And I can only tell them, 'I don't know.' We'll all figure it out together."

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RULO'S RULES, THE THREE F'S, remain solidly in place: Faith, Family, Football. And they remain solidly in that order.

"Amen," he said. "I don't know any other way."

As he enters his third year with the Crusaders, Rulo sees all three coming together --- he has faith in what's happening with this football family.

"When you're around a program more and more, you're going to feel more comfortable," he said. "You just learn so much more about the people. And parents are starting to know what I'm about, what I'm really passionate about, and they're able to trust me more --- and trust is such an important piece of the puzzle.

"And let's be honest: The more games you win, the easier it is to trust. Hopefully, they realize that we're doing the right things, we're working them hard, we're treating them right, we're doing the right things in the offseason, etc.

"I truly believe we're going to have success."

If his coaching pattern at his previous stop, South Callaway, is any indication, success is coming. Under Rulo, the Bulldogs went 6-5 two straight years, 10-2 the next four years, and 14-1 his last season before coming to Helias.

"There was that natural progression, we just kept getting better and better," he said. "And we've done that here in Year One (4-7) and Year Two (7-5), and I believe that will continue. I can't guarantee anything, I can't see into the future, but I really believe the possibilities are there for that."

One possibility we should mention is that 6-5, 225-pound senior Nathan Bax --- who will play college football at Illinois State --- seems poised for a huge season, at both tight end and defensive end.

"What I love about Nathan is his progression in terms of leadership, work in the weight room, things like that," Rulo said. "He's put a lot of time and effort into getting the job done ... he could really be a dominant force on both sides of the ball. He really has the ability to control the line of scrimmage."

Bax is one to watch. But the business at hand overshadows everything else, the Grand Opening of this fabulous facility Friday night. It's second to none.

"It's beautiful, it's first-class," Rulo said. "It's just phenomenal."

It's one other thing ...

It's home.

The opening of Hentges Stadium
will indeed be 'unique, special'

For questions, comments or story ideas, contact Tom at loefflerslink@hotmail.com.

For more on the stadium and the thoughts of Ray Hentges, please see http://www.loefflerslink.com/inside-155.html