Last week Poplarville’s opponent Hancock High School arrived with another visitor to the football stadium.

Right before the game started, torrential rainfall fell over Poplarville, forcing the game to end after a couple minutes into the first quarter.

Lightning struck around the area throughout the beginning stages of the game, along with 1.4 inches of rain from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday evening.

With shin-deep puddles of standing water on the sidelines, the mud covered players and soaking wet attendees heard the referees call a delay, asking the players and cheerleaders to go to their locker rooms and the crowd to wait safely in their cars until the lightning receded. 

According to the Mississippi High School Activities Association, the guidelines on handling contests during lightning disturbances are to develop criteria for suspension and resumption of play. A 30-second or less “flash-to-bang count” calls for the removal of the athletes from the field to an appropriate shelter. Also, once play has been suspended, everyone must wait at least 30 minutes after the last lightning strike is witnessed or thunderclap is heard prior to resuming the game. Each time lightning or thunder is seen or heard, the 30-minute clock restarts.

During Friday’s game, lightning was continuously present for an hour after the first delay. With the conditions for the field getting worse by the minute, the referees decided to cancel the affair, something occurs rarely. Because the game was not a district matchup, it will not be rescheduled for a later time in the season.