Imagine athletes across the state daydreaming about playing at your high school. Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, PA doesn’t have to imagine it. They made it happen.

CVHS transformed its athletic facilities (and its reputation) by securing hosting rights for multiple Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) state championships. The achievement followed major upgrades to the school’s sports venues, highlighted by the installation of large Watchfire video scoreboards and a scoring structure designed and installed by Strickler Signs in nearby New Oxford.

For nearly 25 years, the PIAA hosted football, field hockey, and soccer championships at Hersheypark Stadium. While iconic, the venue lacked a digital scoreboard, an increasingly important element for modern game presentation and fan experience. Combined with concerns about cost and availability, the PIAA issued a Request for Proposal seeking a new championship host site.

The Cumberland Valley School District responded with a comprehensive plan to upgrade its athletic facilities. Central to that plan were high-resolution Watchfire LED video scoreboards, designed to deliver collegiate-level scoring, live video, and flexible content capabilities that meet the expectations of today’s championship events.

To support championship-level competition, the district selected a large 10mm outdoor videoboard measuring 18’ by 32’ at Chapman Field Stadium, which hosts PIAA football and field hockey championships. It also chose a 10mm 14’ x 24’ jumbotron at Eagle View Field, which hosts soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse.

These LED displays deliver clear scoring information, vibrant video, and the flexibility to showcase live footage, player profiles, statistics, and sponsor messaging. All the scoreboards are operated using Watchfire Ignite Sports software, which streamlines scoring, content control, and in-game entertainment from a single platform.

The upgrades position Cumberland Valley High as a premier host site, but the impact extends beyond championship events. With the new displays in place, CVHS launched a student video production program, giving students hands-on experience producing content, running live events, and managing game-day presentations.

The videoboards are also used for the “Echoes in the Valley” band competition and other community events, creating inclusive experiences where students can see themselves featured on the big screen.

By investing in Watchfire football videoboards, Cumberland Valley High School didn’t just upgrade its facilities, it unlocked new opportunities. From hosting state championships to empowering students, the project demonstrates how the right scoreboard can lift an entire school.

The digital signage doesn’t stop there. The Cumberland Valley School district has installed seven Watchfire digital marquee displays at each campus across the district. Each display uses Watchfire Ignite OPx content management software to create, schedule, and publish announcements, job opportunities, and engaging informational content.

“Even parents passing by on the highway are able to see and read them,” said Mike Willis, Director of Business & Support Services for the school district, in an interview with Sign Builders Illustrated. “And we hope to work with Strickler Signs to make that our next Watchfire digital video board project.” [Read the full article.]

For schools looking to compete at the highest level, Cumberland Valley’s success shows what’s possible when vision, planning, and modern video scoreboard technology come together.