DANVILLE — Officials at Danville High School didn’t know that Mother Nature had a ‘special’ light show planned for Friday’s season opener against the Bloomington Purple Raiders at the newly renovated Ned V. Whitesell Field.
Unfortunately, for both the Vikings and the Raiders that light show was multiple bolts of lightning that started just before 6:30 p.m. and continued for more than three hours.
Finally, the coaches and athletic directors from both schools agreed that Friday’s Big 12 Conference opener for both teams will be postponed until 1 p.m. on Saturday.
“Can’t control the weather. Can’t control any of those outdoor situations,” Danville coach Marcus Forrest said. “Once thing that we always know, even in Danville, you can always expect the unexpected.”
So, the Vikings will now wait 15 hours to play its first-ever game on the new turf surface at Whitesell Field, which was playable during the entire storm. Only the lightning, under IHSA rules, kept Friday’s game from being played.
“The kids were pumped about playing on a Friday night under the lights on the new field,” Forrest said. “We won’t get to do that now, but we will be able to play on Saturday afternoon and we will still have the new video scoreboard in use.
“It’s going to be a new experience. This storm was a little troublesome, but at the same time, you adjust to it, you overcome it and you keep moving.”
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Fans that entered Whitesell Field before the delay will need to bring their ticket sticker for entry on Saturday.