Artificial turf influence in high school sports rising in Southeast

Fifteen minutes into his team’s Class AAA state championship game at Mercer University, West Hall striker Sammy Coto was pouring ice water into his boots, trying to adjust to the new feeling of the AstroTurf at Five Star Stadium.

By the end of his team’s 3-1 win over Calhoun, the senior said he thought synthetic turf would become the wave of the future for student-athletes.

“There’s definitely an adjustment period,” he said. “But once I did adjust, I felt myself running a lot faster, I could handle (the ball) better. I felt faster, and could beat the defenders.”

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