Lightning cancels Mavs vs. Hilltoppers game
The 2024 high school football season is only two weeks old, and Mother Nature has already disrupted the schedule for one area team.
Anderson County High School’s game against Science Hill in Johnson City was canceled Friday night due to lightning.
The game, featuring the Mavericks (1-0) and the Hilltoppers (1-0), will not be rescheduled. While the cancellation will not impact the postseason for either team, Anderson County coach Davey Gillum expressed his disappointment.
“It is what it is,” Gillum said. “Not much anyone can do. A lot of lightning.”
The game was one of two in Northeast Tennessee canceled due to weather. Morristown East’s game at Elizabethton was also called off and will not be made up.
Anderson County athletic director and assistant head coach Gary Terry said the decision to cancel the game was made by Science Hill athletic director Keith Turner and head coach Stacy Carter.
“It’s the decision of the home team’s head coach and athletic director. They stay in contact with us, but ultimately, it’s their decision,” Terry said. “They can say we’re playing at 11 o’clock or they can say, ‘We’re going to the house.’ We had to postpone a game against Powell back in 2009 because it just wouldn’t stop raining. They came back and we played on Saturday. But it’s not feasible in this situation because you have to travel two-and-a-half hours, and it’s a $7,000 trip to go up there and come back.”
The Mavericks will return to action Friday night when they host Bearden (1-1) at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs fell to defending Class 3A state champion Alcoa, 24-22, Friday night in West Knoxville after defeating two-time defending Class 5A state champion Knoxville West in overtime on Aug. 24.