/notables/2003/game-delayed-players-wait

Game delayed, players wait

More news about: Bridgewater | Lycoming
Snow at Lyco
The South Region final has been postponed.
Photo by Pat Coleman, D3football.com

Saturday was a great day for football but saw the Bridgewater/Lycoming game for the South Region title postponed because of Friday night's weather.

While everyone involved said they wished the game had been played today, it doesn't take precedent over the safety of the players. "The issue wasn't snow," said Debbie Warren, the co-chair of the Division III football South Region committee and the NCAA's representative at the game. "Upon assessing the field, there were patches of ice. The ground was ice itself."

Although the field was ready for warmups by 12:30 p.m., that would have pushed kickoff to 1:30, and with no lights at Lycoming's stadium, there was no guarantee the game would be completed before dark.

"When I was over there at 9 this morning it was unplayable," said Bridgewater head coach Mike Clark. "In Division III there are worse places to be stuck. At least we're stuck in a nice hotel."

"They had to make that call early because there were too many people traveling," said Girardi.

"This was not a decision that came lightly, but had to be made in light of student-athlete welfare," said Warren.

"It"s something new, but we are going to meet and go through some walk-throughs," said Girardi. "We"re just going to get together and use some of the stuff we reviewed yesterday."

"You think you've got them ready to play," said Clark, "you have to hope that mentally they'll still go out and play very hard."

"We've been through lightning delays and other things," said Clark, "but this is kind of a new one."

Dec. 15: All times Eastern
Final
Cortland 38, at North Central (Ill.) 37
@ Salem, Virginia
Video Box Score Recap Photos
Dec. 9: All times Eastern
Final
North Central (Ill.) 34, at Wartburg 27
Box Score Recap
Final
Cortland 49, at Randolph-Macon 14
Box Score Recap Recap Recap Photos
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