Sertoma Classic game canceled

SPARKS -- It looks like 85 of Northern Nevada's best senior football players won't get to play one more game after all. The 21st annual Sertoma Classic, scheduled for Friday night at Spanish Springs High School, was canceled after inclement weather caused flooding and closed roads.

The worst of the weather happened the hour prior to the 7 p.m. game, causing flash floods that filled parking lots and roadways with water. Eagle Canyon Road, which connects Pyramid Highway to Spanish Springs High, was shutdown for almost an hour. When the rain stopped around 7:15 and the flooding lightened, dozens of cars were stuck in the school's parking lots that had been filled with mud.

Meanwhile, the players were itching to play one more game.

"We came out and practiced twice a day all week," said Carson's Javier Vega, who was on the West team. "We were ready to strap it one and play one more time."

It almost happened.

Sertoma officials had canceled the game during the worst weather, just before the scheduled game time. But when the rain stopped, officials inspected the field to determine if the game could be played. Players from both the East and West teams followed and started warming up, hoping there would be a reason for their efforts. There wasn't. There was about a foot of water on the track surrounding the field.

"We went out there and started to get loose," Vega said. "Then the coaches huddled us together and told us they had bad news."

The series was tied 10-10 going into Friday night's game. The game reportedly won't be rescheduled.