Brand-new Muskogee basketball arena opens to rave reviews
By Patrick Kays
MUSKOGEE - A couple of months ago, Rougher Village officially opened to the Muskogee community who saw their fruit from a passed bond issue they planted in October 2019 sprout, as the football team officially made the Village their home.
Nestled behind the end zone was another piece to that bond puzzle, in the form of a brand new 80,000-square foot facility that houses the football locker room, weight room, training room, concessions, spirit store, Varsity Club, Hall of Fame, Athletic Department, and the Roughers basketball arena which has 1,654 chair-back seats.
That arena welcomed their first crowd on Friday night against Broken Arrow.
Even though both girls and boys varsity teams took losses to the Tigers in their long awaited home-opener, it was all smiles and hopefulness for Muskogee superintendent Jarod Mendenhall in the Varsity Club room that features two giant windows on either side, overlooking the arena on one side and the football field on the other.
It was almost an ideal spot to soak in all of the hard work.
“(Rougher Village) has been something we have wanted to do for quite some time,” said Mendenhall. “It is kind of the ending of everything coming to fruition.
“The community’s gift to me was a yes on the bond. My gift to them was a beautiful facility and doing things right for the kids.”
Not only does this new addition benefit the students at Muskogee, but it has quickly been discovered that it will also be an economic boost for the entire city as the school has already worked out a three-year deal to secure the arena as the host site for the JUCO Basketball Regional Championship starting this year.
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Mendenhall, who took over as superintendent in July of 2018, watched eagerly from the walkway in front of the Varsity Club as fans enjoyed their first experience in the new arena.
The superintendent and his family got to see the project go from paper to reality, piece by piece. The first reactions he had seen, though, brought a bigger smile to his face.
“This is the first time some of them have been able to see it,” said Mendenhall. “To see their eyes when they walk in and watching them say, ‘OH MY GOSH. THIS IS HUGE.' ... It has been fun to watch those reactions and to see this vision come to fruition.”
Adrion Webber, a 2011 Muskogee graduate and a former Rougher basketball standout, was impressed the second he saw it from his car.
“Coming down Country Club Road onto Shawnee Bypass, I could see it lit up. I said, 'Yo, it is beautiful with it lit up and everything,'" said Webber. “I came in and saw the murals on the wall and the court.
"I am glad they took their time with this because it is a beautiful facility.”
Webber, who also played basketball at Oral Roberts University and is now a pastor, was surrounded with his portion of community give-back as he brought a group of special needs kids from he and his father's company, Divine Love Net Work.
As Webber himself was investing in the Muskogee community, he was inspired to see the community’s investment come to life.
“This is really great to see the community together,” said Webber. “And it played out in perfect timing; right at the new year. It’s a fresh start.”
Kayden McGee, a football and basketball athlete, appreciated the community's support in both their vote and their enthusiasm.
“The community is just amazing,” said McGee. “I am very thankful for all they put into this. This place is special. It’s huge.
“The football field is still my favorite, though.”
Angie Hillmon, who was a Rougherette in her days and played college ball at Colorado, has always had a love for the Muskogee basketball program.
She looked back on memory lane from where it all began.
“I have been through all transitions of the basketball program,” said Hillmon, who is now assisting the boys team. “I went from practicing at Sadler where Rougher Alternative Academy is now, the girls used to have to practice there, to having the Ron D. Milam Gym rejuvenated.
"Then we had the H Gym. It has been a lot of steps of progress.”
Hillmon now believes this arena levels the playing field for a program trying to claw its way back onto the state tournament stage.
“Now, we finally have got a 6A facility to where we can compete on their level,” said Hillmon. “And to not be embarrassed to have people coming to play us in a smaller gym, like a 4A gym. It just means a lot.”
That gift now brings pride in tow.
“It makes me proud to be a Rougher,” said Hillmon. “Because, I mean, our community is growing and getting more into athletics. It supports football, basketball and all sports.
"I think the main thing is that it gives the kids a sense of pride and ownership.”
The facilities are now in place for an entire athletic program that hadn’t seen much change. Muskogee seems to hold a deep sense of pride. Now, they can thank the community and get to work.
