Middleton, Fla. — The Villages High School football team officially released its 2024 season schedule today.
The Buffalo will play a total of 10 games — plus a Kickoff Classic exhibition — splitting the regular-season campaign evenly with five home and five road dates. All games are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
"I'm excited about our 2024 schedule," said VHS head football coach Richard Pettus. "Scheduling can be very challenging at times, but I feel like we have a very competitive schedule that matches to our personnel."
After hosting Harmony (St. Cloud) in a preseason contest on Aug. 16, the Buffalo will officially kick off the 2024 slate on Aug. 23 on the road at rival Wildwood.
The Villages will then travel to Lecanto for a Thursday night kickoff on Aug. 29, before returning to The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium for four consecutive Friday nights.
VHS hosts South Lake (Groveland) on Sept. 6 and Citrus (Inverness) on Sept. 13, before welcoming Tavares to town on Sept. 20 and Belleview on Sept. 27.
The Buffalo will then travel to Crystal River on Oct. 4, before back-to-back contests in the new Class 2A-District 6 on the road at Astronaut (Oct. 11) and at home against defending state champion Cocoa (Oct. 18).
After an open date on Oct. 25 — the latest open week in program history — VHS will conclude its regular season with a trip to Mount Dora on Nov. 1.
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VIEW FULL SCHEDULE: https://athletics.tvcs.org/sports/football/schedule/2024
2024 SCHEDULE
Aug. 16: vs. Harmony (Kickoff Classic)
Aug. 23: at Wildwood
Aug. 29: at Lecanto
Sept. 6: vs. South Lake
Sept. 13: vs. Citrus
Sept. 20: vs. Tavares
Sept. 27: vs. Belleview
Oct. 4: at Crystal River
Oct. 11: at Astronaut (Class 2A-District 6)
Oct. 18: vs. Cocoa (Class 2A-District 6)
Oct. 25: OPEN
Nov. 1: at Mount Dora
Note: All games scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
2024 SCHEDULE NOTES
• VHS and Wildwood will face off for the 18th time in the rivalry's history, but this is the first season-opening matchup between the two programs. The Buffalo lead the all-time series against the Wildcats, 10-7, following a 17-16 victory last October in Middleton.
• The Buffalo are set to compete in Class 2A-District 6 against Astronaut and Cocoa, following the restructuring of the state's classification system this past winter. VHS will play Astronaut for the very first time on Oct. 11 in Titusville, before hosting Cocoa on Oct. 18 in Middleton. The Villages fell to Cocoa, 54-21, in the 2021 Class 4A-Region 2 final in the only other meeting between the two schools. The district champion receives an automatic bid into the postseason.
• The Villages went 3-0 in 2023 against teams that return to its 2024 schedule. The Buffalo defeated Wildwood (17-16), Citrus (22-12) and Mount Dora (17-8) last fall, respectively.
• Along with Astronaut, VHS will also face a new opponent for the very first time, when the Buffalo welcome South Lake to The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium on Sept. 6.
Cody Hills can be reached for questions or comment at cody.hills@tvcs.org or by calling (352) 259-6890.
