Photo: Good Hope Outlaws Youth Football
CULLMAN – Wet weather has done what it can to interfere with local sporting events this summer. On the last weekend of July, rain came for three consecutive days forcing delays in the Softball Players Association (SPA) Alabama Red, White & Blue Invitational at Heritage Park. The Cullman County Youth Football jamboree this weekend was not going to be left out of the process.
Heavy rains and a flash flood warning caused issues on Friday night's schedule at West Elementary Field (also known as Cullman City Youth Stadium). The pee wee contest between the Good Hope Raiders and Good Hope Outlaws was called and had to be completed Saturday morning.
It was a busy day of youth games as the fireplugs, wee wees and pee wees battled through the elements, especially in the afternoon when showers returned to the area.
Showers caused a wet atmosphere with the series between Hanceville and Parkside.
A significant weather advisory was issued for the western side of Cullman County after 4 p.m. by the National Weather Service office in Huntsville.
A strong thunderstorm was reported at Smith Lake Dam and to the southeast of Arley in Winston County, but only moving at 25 miles per hour.
This was a line of storms stretching all the way from Fayette County, coming through Jasper in Walker County and entering the west side of Cullman County.
At that time, the Cullman Bearcats and West Point Warriors were on the field with the wee wees in battle and the pee wees waiting to follow.
The rain was back by 4:30 p.m., in time for the wee wees to have fun and get wet at the same time.
It did not dampen the spirit of the crowd. A majority of parents and grandparents remained on site under tents with numerous umbrellas in the stands on both sides.
Fortunately, no lightning was seen as the games were trying to stay on schedule, hoping any severe weather would keep its distance from West Elementary Field.
Vinemont and Fairview faced one another in the evening session to complete the jamboree and get the youth ready to begin regular season play next weekend.
Conditions on the field as seen by The Cullman Tribune/Cullman Sense crew early on Saturday were good. The field was not saturated during Friday's storm, which the NWS reported dumped 2 inches of rain in the area.
A leak in the roof of the press box had the new wooden floor wet, with personnel from the Cullman City Parks and Recreation Department cleaning up the mess prior to game time.
The first week of the youth season (Aug. 27) will have the Good Hope Raiders hosting Vinemont, the Bearcats playing the Outlaws at West Elementary Field, Holly Pond visiting Hanceville, the Cyclones going to Parkside and Fairview meeting West Point.
The games will begin at 4 p.m. at each stadium with fireplugs, followed by wee wees around 5:30 p.m. and pee wees at approximately 7 p.m.
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