Feb 9, 2001 - 04:33 PM

Gaither field vandal caught
ERIK ERLENDSSON

TAMPA - Gaither High athletic director Jim Pullin said the vandal who damaged the field at the school have been caught by authorities.

Pullin received a phone call Thursday night informing him that a former football player at Chamberlain High did the damage on a dare from friends. He said the guilty party, whose name has not been released, confessed to the crime Thursday night.

The damage, estimated at $1,500 or more, forced Thursday's soccer game to be played at Pepin/Rood Stadium on the campus of the University of Tampa and sent the soccer team to an alternate site for training all week.

``This has been a very stressful week for us, having to find another place to practice and a place to play,'' Gaither coach Adrian Bush said. ``We would like to thank the University of Tampa, Northdale [soccer club] and George Steinbrenner [who paid the rental fee for use of Pepin/Rood]. We had to scramble around all week