Wildwood Middle High School celebrated the completion of a long-awaited project Friday evening with the official ribbon-cutting of its new artificial turf football field, a milestone years in the making. The game against Leesburg High became the first regular season contest played on the new surface.

This summer, construction crews transformed the school’s natural grass field into a state-of-the-art synthetic surface, making Wildwood the final high school in Sumter County to make the switch to turf. Nearby rivals South Sumter and The Villages transitioned to artificial turf fields several years ago.

The upgrade was welcomed enthusiastically by school officials, athletes, and the local community. Coaches and players praised the durability and year-round usability of the new surface, which eliminates concerns about wear and tear that plagued the grass field in previous seasons.

No longer does the team have to worry about preserving the field between games or limiting practice time. This new field gives the students a place to train and play whenever they need it. And no longer do coaches have to worry about painting lines on the football field. The colors are already painted into the plastic fibers of the field and will not have to be hand painted anymore a process that took a very long time to do.

The field will not only serve the Wildwood Wildcats football team but also the school’s girls flag football squad, which made a state championship appearance last year.

Friday night’s ribbon-cutting marked the culmination of a vision years in the making, one driven by the commitment of school leaders, community support, and a shared desire to give Wildwood student-athletes a modern top tier facility.

With the project complete, Wildwood joins its Sumter County peers in offering a modern, low-maintenance playing surface for current and future generations of student-athletes.