When you step into Memorial Stadium on Friday night, or listen to the Vicksburg vs. Warren Central game on the radio, or read all about it in Saturday’s Vicksburg Post, say a little thank you to Glenn Hicks.

Hicks is the owner of Hicks and Hicks Lawn Service, and might be the biggest reason why Friday’s game will be played as scheduled at Vicksburg High’s home field.

Last week, Vicksburg had to switch its scheduled home game against Terry to a road game because the field was too rutted to play on. It had gotten torn up by two Red Carpet Bowl games on Aug. 19, and playing again a week later might have damaged it beyond repair.

Gators coach Marcus Rogers reached out to Hicks last Friday to get the turf back in shape. Every day since, Hicks and his crew have been working to do just that. They’ve watered it, fertilized it, babied it, and hopefully nurtured it back to health.

Hicks consulted with two of his mentors, Mike Canow and Martha Hill, and his friend Sam Boyd, for advice. Canow runs the grounds and maintenance department at Hinds Community College, and Hill is an instructor in the Landscape Management department. Boyd owns a landscaping company in Jackson.

“On a 1 to 10 scale, I thought it was about a 3 last Friday,” Hicks said on Monday, while one of his workers laid down fertilizer and a sprinkler spritzed a nearby end zone. “Right now it’s about a 6 ½. By Thursday it’ll be a 9, and by Friday it’ll be football game ready.”

Hicks’ efforts to rehabilitate the Memorial Stadium turf are appreciated. What’s truly remarkable is that Hicks is doing it for free. The 2007 VHS alum said he’s done some other landscaping work for his alma mater, and volunteered to take on this big assignment when asked as a way of giving back.

“They’ve got an alumni of Vicksburg on it,” Hicks said with a smile.

So, when Friday’s game goes off without a hitch, now you know who helped make it possible. Give him a round of applause and a thank you. Or, better yet, give him a call at 601-636-4381 if you need some work done.

From the looks of the before and after pictures at Memorial Stadium, he can have your yard looking great inside of a week.

•

Ernest Bowker is a sports writer for The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at ernest.bowker@vicksburgpost.com