An inside look into the nation’s top high school football facility, one that features a Gatorade Sports Science Institute.

In its first season playing a full varsity high school football schedule, IMG Academy has already made a splash on the local and national high school football scene. Not only have the Ascenders attracted top talent, but they’ve won football games.

Thanks in large part to the likes of Alabama commit Bo Scarbrough, the team’s feature running back, and Penn State-bound quarterback Michael O’Connor, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) has jumped out to a 5-0 record.

It is an independent FHSAA member school. So while it abides by FHSAA rules and regulations, it is not currently eligible for state playoffs. Currently, its roster reflects players from 16 states and five different countries. Given how impressive the IMG Academy facilities are, perhaps the school’s ability to attract top-notch talent should come as no surprise. The same campus that hosts world class athletes, future NBA Draft picks and the U.S. U-17 Men’s National Soccer Team is also home to the IMG Academy high school football team.

The team’s 5,000-seat stadium features a Jumbotron that stands 39 feet tall with a 18-by-28-foot display screen, creating an almost college-like atmosphere on Friday nights.

What really separates IMG Academy, however, are the facilities the players have access to during the week. For starters, players work out on a 10,000 square-foot weight room that also features a full track. The campus additionally offers a fully-covered, 60-yard practice field to use in the event of inclement weather.

Perhaps the crown jewel of the IMG Academy facilities is the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI). Excluding the GSSI located in Barrington, Ill., located near Gatorade’s corporate headquarters in Chicago, the “satellite” GSSI is the only other location of its kind in the United States and only one of three in the entire world (the third is located in the United Kingdom).