High School

The Villages to host FHSAA Rural Division state championship game

Rural Division state title game will take place at The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium on December 6th

Andy Villamarzo

When it comes down to where the Florida High School Athletic Association's (FHSAA) Rural Division will take place, a decision has been made.

In an announcement made by FHSAA Executive Director Craig Damon The Villages' athletic director Richard Pettus Wednesday afternoon, The Villages Charter School's The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium will host the 2024 Rural Division state championship on December 6th.

The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium
The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium / Andy Villamarzo
The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium
The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium / Andy Villamarzo

“The FHSAA is excited about the upcoming Florida High School Rural Classification Football State Championships to be hosted at The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium in Middleton,” Damon said via a press release. “Creating opportunities for our student-athletes has been a top priority of ours and finding a facility large enough to safely host all who wish to attend, is a dream come true.  We could not be more grateful for The Villages Charter School’s efforts in making these championships a reality for the student-athletes of the State of Florida.”

The brand new, state-of-the-art facility opened last year in September and holds a current seating capacity of 6,000. Per the release, the stadium also features premium seating options, locker rooms, team meeting rooms, an athletic training room and six press box suites. The release added additional information about the venue that it also features a video board measuring 40 feet by 20 feet and a state-of-the-art sound system.

“We know football is very popular in the state of Florida, and we’re centrally located here at The Villages,“ Pettus said via the release. “I know our fans and residents of over 170,000 retirees which include retired coaches will be excited, as well as college coaches. We welcome everyone to come, and we’re excited to show off our facilities and see some great football on that day!”    

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl

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Andy Villamarzo

ANDY VILLAMARZO

Andy Villamarzo has been a sports writer in the Tampa Bay (FL) Area since 2007, writing for publications such as Tampa Bay Times, The Tampa Tribune, The Suncoast News, Tampa Beacon, Hernando Sun to name a few. Andy resides out of the Tarpon Springs, FL area and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in the summer of 2022 covering the Tampa Bay Area. He has quickly become one of Florida's foremost authorities on high school sports, appearing frequently on podcasts, radio programs and digital broadcasts as an expert on team rankings, recruiting and much more.

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