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

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