Lakewood Ranch High School is upgrading its football stadium with a new lighting system after the old lights yellowed and dimmed over nearly a decade of use.

Athletic Director Kent Ringquist said the school tested the existing lights and found they were no longer performing at the level they should. The aging system had created dark spots and shadows across the field. The problem was visible enough that opposing teams noticed.

"We had a lacrosse game last year, twice, two playoff games, and the visiting team was asking us if they could make the field lighter," Ringquist told the school's Mustangs Ahead publication.

The new system delivers brighter, more direct lighting while cutting energy use and reducing the shadows players deal with during night games. Ringquist said the improvement should be especially noticeable for athletes playing football, soccer and lacrosse. Fans and families in the stands should see a difference, too. Ringquist said it will be "a lot brighter and easier to watch games."

Installation was expected to be finished by Thursday, Sept. 3, with additional electrical work to follow. The school described the upgrade as arriving just in time for the second home football game of the season.

The Mustangs host the Dunnellon Tigers at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, according to the Herald-Tribune. That game will be the first home contest where fans can judge the new lights for themselves.

Lakewood Ranch lost to Braden River 39-28 on Sept. 4 in Bradenton in its most recent confirmed result. The Mustangs also played Riverview on Sept. 11, though the outcome of that game has not been confirmed.

The brand and cost of the new lighting system were not disclosed. The school did not specify whether the old lights were the original installation from when the stadium opened.

Friday's kickoff against Dunnellon is set for 7 p.m. at the Lakewood Ranch High School stadium.