Mulberry to get $250K from NFL as Bucs visit plus a look at top kickoff classics
It's only a Kickoff Classic on Friday when Mulberry plays host to Cocoa Beach at 7:30 p.m., but there still will be plenty of hoopla prior to the game at The Phosphate Bowl.
Mulberry, which unveiled its synthetic turf field last year, will receive a visit from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers along with a $250,000 grant that will help offset the cost of the new field.
The grant was awarded by the Bucs through the NFL Foundation Grassroots program, which is a partnership between the NFL Foundation and LISC, a community development support organization.
"We're appreciative of the Buccaneers' organization and the people with Polk County Public Schools and their office to help us craft this grant that allowed the NFL and the Bucs' organization to present the $250,000 check to us to help offset the cost of installing the artificial turf field we got last year," Mulberry athletic director Heath Hunt said.
"It's great to have partners in the community and organizations like the Buccaneers that are willing to go out and support high school athletics. It's great. It's tough to find funds, especially in this climate with going through the COVID years. You lose all the fund-raising ability and the tax revenue, and facilities are short on money. To have them come through and help bridge that deficit to allow us to have it, we're just extremely appreciative of their donation."
Since 1998, the NFL Foundation has granted nearly $58 million to help revitalize playing fields in underserved communities.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will cap the pregame festivities that begin at 5 p.m. The festivities include:
QB challenge -- a large inflatable target for fans to throw footballs.
RV set up for playing the “Madden NFL” video game.
Photo opportunities with Bucs cheerleaders and Captain Fear.
The new field that Mulberry got last year was part of the multi-million dollar construction of a new campus for Mulberry High School. The cost of the field was approximately $880,000.
Lakeland-Armwood highlights
night of Kickoff Classics
It's only an exhibition game, but Lakeland vs. Seffner Armwood is still an event. The two programs are two of the most successful public school football programs in Florida history. The schools have combined to win 12 state titles, seven by Lakeland and five by Armwood.
The only time the two met came in the 2019 playoffs when Armwood defeated Lakeland, 23-10, in the 7A-2 region final.
Lakeland is coming off an 9-2 season, while Armwood is coming of a rare losing season, finishing 4-6.
There also is a rivalry game on tap as Bartow plays at Fort Meade. The two teams have played each other 13 times since 2005 with Fort Meade holding an 8-5 advantage.
Here are the rest of Friday night's games:
7 p.m.
Sarasota Classical Academy at All Saints
Oasis Christian at Vero Beach Master's
Victory Christian at Haines City
7:30 p.m.
Auburndale at East Lake
Davenport at Celebration
Discovery at Santa Fe Catholic
Frostproof at Lake Region
Strawberry Crest at George Jenkins
Kathleen at Ridge Community
Plant City at Lake Gibson
Cocoa Beach at Mulberry
Tenoroc at East Ridge
Lakeland Christian at Orlando First Academy
Roy Fuoco can be reached at roy.fuoco@theledger.com or at 863-802-7526. Follow him on Twitter: @RoyFuoco.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Mulberry to get $250K from NFL as Bucs visit plus a look at top kickoff classics
