Eric Holm paced back and forth in the press box at Independence All-School Stadium as a light drizzle developed into a full-blown storm.
The Truman High School activities director was soon joined by Darwin Rold, the Lee’s Summit district activities director, Truman football coach Craig Lewis and Royce Boehm, the head coach at Lee’s Summit West.
Truman and West were scheduled to play a Class 5 sectional football game at All-School Stadium, but a giant streak of lightning forced the postponement just 21 minutes before the 7 p.m. start.
After a wait of more than 45 minutes, Holm announced that the game would be played at 6 tonight, with all rain checks honored.
“Every time we saw a flash of lightning, we had to postpone the game another 30 minutes,” said Holm, as fans waited for a decision in the William Chrisman gymnasium. “We could try to wait it out, but that could last for an hour or more – and there is no guarantee that the lightning is going to stop. If we error, we want to error in the name of safety.”
As a group of Titan coaches packed team gear into an SUV, a huge bolt of lightning lit up the field.
“Good call,” one of them said, as they hustled to get the gear into the vehicle.
Before a game begins, it is in the hands of the home administration.
“We make the call, but it has to be agreed upon by the visiting team’s administration,” Holm said. “If the two administrations cannot agree, the game is postponed.
“But there was no disagreement tonight.”
Being an old football coach, Rold hated to see the game washed out.
“We used to play in weather like this when I was coaching,” Rold said with a grin. “But tonight, you think about three things – the safety of the players, the parents and the patrons.
“This was a decision that Eric and I discussed, and I agree with it 100 percent. This is a huge game for both teams, and we want the teams to have every opportunity to succeed.
“Tonight, the rain doesn’t pose that much of a problem. But with what we’re seeing on radar, it looks like there will be several times when we’re going to have to stop the game, get the kids and officials in the locker room and the fans in the (William Chrisman) gymnasium.
“That’s not the way to play a sectional game. You want to create the best atmosphere, and the best atmosphere will be (Thursday).”
Lewis was disappointed with the decision, but understood the reasoning behind the postponement.
“You don’t mess with lightning,” the Truman coach said. “Right now, you don’t see that much lightning and it’s not raining that hard. But Eric says the bad stuff is coming in, so it’s best to move the game.
“Tomorrow night I guess it’s supposed to get pretty good – I like that. It’s great football weather.”
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Eric Holm paced back and forth in the press box at Independence All-School Stadium as a light drizzle developed into a full-blown storm.
The Truman High School activities director was soon joined by Darwin Rold, the Lee’s Summit district activities director, Truman football coach Craig Lewis and Royce Boehm, the head coach at Lee’s Summit West.
Truman and West were scheduled to play a Class 5 sectional football game at All-School Stadium, but a giant streak of lightning forced the postponement just 21 minutes before the 7 p.m. start.
After a wait of more than 45 minutes, Holm announced that the game would be played at 6 tonight, with all rain checks honored.
“Every time we saw a flash of lightning, we had to postpone the game another 30 minutes,” said Holm, as fans waited for a decision in the William Chrisman gymnasium. “We could try to wait it out, but that could last for an hour or more – and there is no guarantee that the lightning is going to stop. If we error, we want to error in the name of safety.”
As a group of Titan coaches packed team gear into an SUV, a huge bolt of lightning lit up the field.
“Good call,” one of them said, as they hustled to get the gear into the vehicle.
Before a game begins, it is in the hands of the home administration.
“We make the call, but it has to be agreed upon by the visiting team’s administration,” Holm said. “If the two administrations cannot agree, the game is postponed.
“But there was no disagreement tonight.”
Being an old football coach, Rold hated to see the game washed out.
“We used to play in weather like this when I was coaching,” Rold said with a grin. “But tonight, you think about three things – the safety of the players, the parents and the patrons.
“This was a decision that Eric and I discussed, and I agree with it 100 percent. This is a huge game for both teams, and we want the teams to have every opportunity to succeed.
“Tonight, the rain doesn’t pose that much of a problem. But with what we’re seeing on radar, it looks like there will be several times when we’re going to have to stop the game, get the kids and officials in the locker room and the fans in the (William Chrisman) gymnasium.
“That’s not the way to play a sectional game. You want to create the best atmosphere, and the best atmosphere will be (Thursday).”
Lewis was disappointed with the decision, but understood the reasoning behind the postponement.
“You don’t mess with lightning,” the Truman coach said. “Right now, you don’t see that much lightning and it’s not raining that hard. But Eric says the bad stuff is coming in, so it’s best to move the game.
“Tomorrow night I guess it’s supposed to get pretty good – I like that. It’s great football weather.”
