HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – It’s Christmas in May for Hillsborough High School as the school is getting a new turf field with construction set to start in the coming days.
Head football coach, Earl Garcia, said he started jumping up and down as soon as he heard the news.
“We keep pinching ourselves,” he said. “It is a dream come true for us here at Hillsborough.”
The field is a hot spot for athletics in this part of the county.
“Between Memorial and Hillsborough,” said Garcia in reference to the nearby middle school, “there are about eight different teams that use our field not to mention PE classes from both Hillsborough and Memorial as well. The grass just cannot take it.”
His words cannot be doubted. The field is currently covered in patches of dirt.
“It is just too much wear and tear on this grass and that is all there is to it,” said Garcia.
Garcia, who is the winningest coach in the county, could not be more thrilled about the pending project.
“I am going to be the happiest guy in town. I cannot wait for them to get started,” he said.
His team currently practices in the outfield of the baseball field.
“It is lower than the surrounding parking lot,” he said, “So we get used to practicing in ankle-deep mud and standing water from the end of July when we get started to whenever rainy season ends in October.”
They will be able to practice on the new field as soon as they are allowed to practice.
The turf field is estimated to cost about $1.8 million and it should be completed in four to six weeks.
“I am going to open the gate for the heavy equipment that comes in here,” Garcia said. “They just have to give me a call. I will be here one hour early!”
The district has decided to build two more turf fields at two other high schools, Sickles High School and Sumner High School.
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