Currently surrounded by a web of orange fencing, a wooden carving of Pioneer Pete gazes down at the turf in Lyon’s Stadium. Completed in late August, the new statue will witness every future touchdown, sprint around the track and cheer from the bleachers.

During the summer, a dying oak tree was scheduled for removal from a hill surrounding the stadium. Instead of chopping down the entire tree, however, Jeff Townsend, athletic director, had another idea.

“It’s just something else,” Townsend said. “It’s a piece of art that is pretty cool to look over the stadium.”

The carving was not just created to please fans. According to Townsend, turning a stump into a statue was more cost-effective than simply removing the tree.

Pioneer Pete is not quite finished, though. To prevent vandalism, Townsend hopes to have the statue landscaped, gated and lighted by Turkey Day.

 “We want to try to protect this statue more than anything else,” Townsend said.