A heat wave had struck the Indianapolis area hard these past few weeks, leaving many difficulties for athletics. The toll of cancelations and delays were put on many teams this week including, Boys and Girls soccer, Football, Tennis and nearly any other fall sport participating in practice or games this week. Head coach of the football team Mike Kelly was frustrated by these persuasions but understood what needed to be done for the athletes. Kelly said “now that we are into the regular season, we can’t waste any time preparing for Fridays, so its frustrating and stressful having to practice inside and not on the field. But this heat is no joke.”
The Football Team ended up playing Friday night’s game and winning with ease against the North Central Panthers 35-7. But that game didn’t come without the heat. Many players and fans struggled with the scorching temperatures due to dehydration and heat exhaustion. “Many games in April are hot, but not like that” said starting Quarterback Chandler Weston. Weston also said the heat played a factor in Friday night’s game through the first half.
The Royals came out the gates hot with an early touchdown pass by senior tight end Kam Anthony. followed by a few defensive stops, Senior running back, #24 Jalen Alexander, punches the ball in the end zone on the third drive. Up 14 at half, Coach Kelly was cautious of the heat and advised the players to cool down and take priority of hydrating and recovering before hitting the field for the second half.
The Hamilton Southern Royals went on to win the game with ease 35-7 to remain undefeated and move to 3-0.
The record high temperatures didn’t just have impact on the athletes competing, the athletic trainers here at HSE were analyzing the weather all week long. Their advanced technology made them the ones deciding what these teams can and can not do. The trainers and athletic department would meet to finalize these cancelations.
