Viking Stadium

Skydivers before, the Viking Dash in the middle, and a fireworks display after. All throughout the first-ever home football game at Lakeland Christian's new Viking Stadium, the largest crowd ever to see an LCS sporting event was entertained.

Two thousand twenty-one fans packed into the 1,725-seat stadium on August 31.

"I was stunned," said Steve Wilson, director of advancement and loudspeaker announcer. "I knew we would have a lot of people. But when I looked out of the back of the press box and saw the line to get into the stadium out of the gate and far as you could see in both directions, I was amazed. It was a better turnout than I could ever imagine."

Before the game, two skydivers descended onto the field, one carrying an American flag and the other the game ball.

Christina Sale, school parent and an opera singer, sang "God Bless America" and "The Star Spangled Banner."

Then Mike Sligh, headmaster, Kevin Knowlton, board chairman, and Jeff Miles, school parent, gave brief speeches before Rob Harper and Wayne Peace, both school parents, cut a blue ribbon that the LCS cheerleaders had stretched from end zone to end zone.

During halftime, elementary students in kindergarten through the fifth grade participated in the "Viking Dash." In two separate age groups, the students ran the 100 yards of the field.

After the game, which the Vikings won 16-0 over Admiral Farragut Academy, fans watched a fireworks show, which concluded the evening.

Peace, Harper, and Miles are the members of the stadium fundraising committee. The stadium complex cost $2.5 million and at the time of the game, they had raised $1.5 million.

The fundraising for the stadium complex is a completely different undertaking than the school's current expansion project.

"We knew we had to move Gordon Field (to the) East to make room for the new elementary/middle school building. It was going to be the same (grass soccer field and metal bleachers) as before, just moved over. But we said to ourselves that if we were going to have a football program that we want to grow, we would need a football stadium," said Wilson.

The complex consists of the first artificial turf in Polk County; 1,725 grandstand seats, including 400 chairbacks; a fan plaza with memorial bricks; a reception area that includes box office, concession stand, and restrooms; and an air conditioned, Wifi press box, and coming Oct. 1, a Jumbotron video display.

The field is not only used for football, but also for soccer and P.E.