BC-Saddleback football game canceled
| Saturday, Sep 10 2011 10:38 PM
Last Updated Saturday, Sep 10 2011 10:44 PM
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John Harte / Special to The Californian
All eyes were on the skies at Memorial Stadium Saturday night, as officials grappled with the decidion of whether to play the Saddleback at Bakersfield College game with lightning in the area. Game officials Art Andrade, Greg Fucci and Jason Huyck look toward the area of lightning strikes. The game was eventually cancelled.
John Harte / Special to The Californian
Fans wait on the concourse at Bakersfield College's Memorial Stadium for a decision on whether Saturday's football game would be played. Officials decided to cancel the game due to lightning in the area.
John Harte / Special to The Californian
Minutes before the scheduled start of Saturday's Bakersfield College football game, the stands of Memorial Stadium are empty as officials kept fans out of the stands due to lightning strikes in the area. The game was eventually cancelled.
John Harte / Special to The Californian
On the concourse at Bakersfield College's Memorial Stadium, Tony Pino (left) looks toward a large fire buring east of Bakersfield and easily visible from the stadium. At left is Evan Hernandez and his dad, Chon. They were waiting on a decision whether the Bakersfield College football game would be played. It was cancelled.
Bakersfield and Saddleback colleges were all set for their junior college football showdown Saturday night in Memorial Stadium.
The game was never played.
Frequent flashes of lightning during warm ups emptied the Memorial Stadium field, and the game was called 65 minutes after the scheduled 7 p.m. start.
The drop-dead decision time was 8 p.m., BC athletic director Ryan Beckwith said.
"If we saw lightning at 8:01, it was going to be too late to play," he said.
Lightning continued to flash in the skies south and west of Memorial Stadium well after the decision was announced.
NCAA rules -- which California community colleges follow -- state that in lightning situations teams are not allowed on the field until 30 minutes have passed since the last bolt of lightning is seen.
"It's about the safety of all us," Beckwith said. "The players, the coaches, the fans in the stands."
Beckwith and Saddleback athletic director Tony Lipold met with head referee Bob Yoakum and both head coaches three times in the final hour prior to calling the game. Beckwith said Jim Sartoris, commissioner of the Southern California Football Association, was also consulted.
The game probably won't be made up because of financial reasons, Beckwith said.
"It will cost them $10,000-plus to make the trip back up here," Beckwith said, adding that official word on the game's likely cancellation is expected Monday. "Both (college) presidents are behind us."
BC coach Jeff Chudy said he could relate to the extra costs. BC had a situation in 2009 where the team traveled to Mount San Antonio College for a playoff game and was required to travel the day before because of the distance and early game time.
"That cost us thousands," he said. "And that doesn't take into account hotels and meals."
Chudy added: "If costs are the reason they couldn't play us (today), then I don't see how they can afford it five weeks from now (on Oct. 8, when both teams have a bye)."
Because this was a non-conference game, there isn't the same urgency to play it as though it was a conference game.
"This wasn't going to make or break our season," Chudy said. "From our perspective, we were anxious to see the improvements we've made from our first game (the 32-19 win over Pierce eight days ago).
"We prepared for this game all week. Some of our players wanted redemption from how they played last week.
"But it's not like we've had the week off. We practiced hard all week."
Should the game be canceled as expected, it is believed to be the first time in BC's football playing history that has happened.
Last week's win over Pierce was the 600th victory in the history of BC football.
BC plays at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster next Saturday.
Saturday's ticket holders can exchange their tickets for any remaining game on this season's schedule.
