GAINESVILLE, Fla.- The Villages Charter School will serve as host to The Florida High School Rural Classification Football State Championships.  The event will take place at The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium on Friday December 6^th in Middleton, Florida.

“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,” said FHSAA Executive Director, Craig Damon. “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 Range at H.G. Morse Stadium serves as the home site of the Villages High School Buffalo football, soccer, flag football and track and field teams. Opening in September of 2023, the stadium’s current seating capacity is 6,000. The stadium also features premium seating options, locker rooms, team meeting rooms, an athletic training room and six press box suites. The venue 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,“ said Richard Pettus, The Villages High School Athletic Director. “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!”             
 
The dates, venue location and schedule for the Class 1A-7A FHSAA Football State Championships will be announced at a later date.




About the FHSAA: The Florida High School Athletic Association supervises and regulates interscholastic athletic programs for high school students at member public, private and charter schools. The organization also recognizes and honors academic achievement among student-athletes at nearly 850 middle, junior and senior high schools statewide. Headquartered in Gainesville, it is the official governing body for interscholastic athletics in Florida.


About The Villages Charter School: The Villages Charter School (VCS) opened in August, 2000 and is one of the most successful public charter schools in Florida.  The Villages Charter School currently consists of 6 attendance centers (three elementary centers, one middle school, one K-8 center and one high school) with an enrollment of over 4,000.  In the fall of 2023, VCS opened a K-8 center (with an enrollment capacity of 2,000) and relocated The Villages High School with an expanded enrollment capacity of 2,000 bringing the total enrollment capacity across all buildings to approximately 6,500. The Villages Charter School's vision is they are a school where a supportive community of students, parents, and staff tailor the educational experience to meet individual needs, resulting in successful, well-rounded, responsibile individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit. To learn more, visit www.tvcs.org.