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Varsity Letters

McKinley off this week following marathon win over Wayne

By Michael Beaven Published: September 7, 2012
The remnants of Hurricane Isaac passed through Huber Heights over the weekend and caused a long night and morning for everyone at Heidkamp Stadium.
 
Canton McKinley and Huber Heights Wayne started their football game at 7 p.m. Saturday, but a lengthy weather delay forced the game into the wee hours of Sunday.
 
At 1:13 a.m. Sunday, the final whistle sounded and the game concluded, with McKinley winning 17-14 before a crowd of around 1,000. McKinley is off this week with no game scheduled.
 
“There was never a dull moment,” McKinley Athletic Director Greg Malone said of the lengthy game.
 
Malone said there was a lot of uncertainty when the storm rolled in. There were about 5,000 fans in attendance when heavy rain hit. Thunder and lightning forced the teams off the field at 7:31 p.m. Wayne led 7-6 at the start of the second quarter.
 
“We didn’t know what was going to happen,” Malone said. “The word we had gotten was to do everything possible to finish the game and not compromise the safety of the student-athletes. We waited for the storms to pass and kept the kids hydrated and fed with some light food.”
 
Both schools wanted to finish the game because of the distance McKinley traveled to get to Wayne High School. Malone said McKinley preferred to not have to stay overnight and pay for hotel rooms for its players and coaches.
 
When the storm cleared, officials from each school met with referees and the game resumed at 11:23 p.m. Time was kept on the field because the scoreboard power went out, but the lights remained in operation. Both bands departed, but some parents and students remained.
 
“We weren’t ready to call it an evening,” Malone said. “Wayne came out and got the next score after the delay and then led 14-6 at half.”
 
Quarterback Javon Harrison scored both of Wayne’s first-half touchdowns.
 
McKinley coach Todd Filtz rallied his team at halftime and the Bulldogs scored 11 points in the third quarter.
 
“We were hoping to play,” Filtz said. “Our kids and coaches wanted to get back out on the field and finish the game. We were watching the radar and working with the officials to get the game in.”
 
Jeff Richardson accounted for the Bulldogs’ points in the first half with a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter.
 
Xzavier McAllister recovered a fumble for McKinley midway through the third quarter that set up a 31-yard field goal by Austin Shaheen. Quarterback Eric Glover-Williams gave the Bulldogs the lead with a 5-yard touchdown run with 1:39 to go in the third quarter, and Jarrod Smith ran for the 2-point conversion. Richardson returned a punt 30 yards to set up the final touchdown.
 
Malone said McKinley supporters believe it was the longest game in school history and the latest ending time as well.
 
“We probably had almost as many people as they did when the game ended,” Malone said. “A lot of people from Canton were down there already, so they decided to stick it out. Under normal circumstances where we are playing a local team, we would have called the game and come back the next morning and finished the game.”

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