Seminole High School, in Seminole, TX, has transformed its sports program with the installation of video scoreboards from Watchfire. We caught up with Darren Garner, sports market manager for Watchfire, and Greg Poynor, Seminole High School athletic director and head football coach, to find out how the displays are lighting up the game-day experience.
[SCN Goes Inside: Check Out the Concert Sound System at Winspear Centre]
5 Things to Know about Seminole High School's New Video Boards
SCN: How long did the project take from start to finish?
Darren Garner: Once the order was placed, the manufacturing of the products was completed in under three months. The installation process, which included removing the old scoreboards and installing the new video boards, was completed by on-site crews within four days.
SCN: What was all installed?
DG: A high-resolution 10mm, 14x 32-foot video scoreboard at Wigwam Stadium, the school's 5,000-capacity football arena and a vivid 3.9mm, 10x16-foot display at the 2,000-person gymnasium, home to Leland "Buck" Caffey Court.
The new video boards replaced existing fixed-digit scoreboards, with the football scoreboard now featuring the Watchfire Sound system. Seminole selected Model TC10-K to upgrade their outdated "announcer only" sound system, enhancing music quality, delivering powerful bass, and providing a better overall fan experience.
In the gymnasium, Seminole installed a video board on one wall, complementing the Watchfire fixed-digit scoreboard at the other end. This integrated approach ensures accurate scoring and timing, works seamlessly with our Ignite Sports software, and elevates the entire experience by displaying digital scoreboard data, interactive videos that engage fans and highlight players, and offering a platform for revenue-generating advertisements.
SCN: Why was the solution(s) selected?
Greg Poynor: Watchfire and Spectrum proved to be the perfect match. Their expertise in digital displays and commitment to quality and customer service are second to none. The experience with Watchfire has been exceptional.
SCN: Were there any challenges in the installation? If so, please detail, if not, what made it so "easy?"
DG: The video board at Wigwam Stadium was installed overnight from Thursday into Friday, just in time for the Friday night game. Watchfire's team stayed on-site to ensure it was operational for the event.
With Watchfire, the video board, fixed-digit scoreboard, MSX scoreboard controller, and Ignite Sports software are all engineered, manufactured, and supported by the same company.
SCN: What has been the response from the venue/customers?
GP: The new video boards have significantly enhanced engagement among fans, athletes, and the broader student body.
The Watchfire displays benefit both athletics and the community. We've seen substantial interest from local businesses and strong support from the School Board and Superintendent. Moreover, the video boards offer our students valuable, hands-on experience that can lead to career opportunities.
During games and other school events, we display the crowd on the screen, similar to professional arenas, and the game announcements are vastly improved by Watchfire's superior sound quality. The clarity is remarkable.
The video boards have elevated the entire experience on game days and during other school events like graduations, practices, pep rallies, and senior nights, making everything more engaging for everyone involved.
