OLYMPIA — Capital High School’s student section chose a “Blackout” theme for the Cougars’ home football game against River Ridge at Ingersoll Stadium Friday night.
Turns out they took that bit a little too seriously.
Ten minutes into the first quarter, just as Capital was preparing to put the 13th point on the scoreboard on an extra-point attempt, the power went out at Ingersoll Stadium at approximately 7:24 p.m.
Friday Night Lights turned into Friday Night Lights Out.
Cougars running back Garrett Murphy had just scored a touchdown run of 12 yards to put Capital ahead 12-7. His outside run and dive to the pylon was apparently so electric that he shut the whole place down a la Beyonce’s halftime performance at Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans back in 2013.
Over the next 40 minutes, a circus without a tent ensued at Ingersoll Stadium.
Officials from both schools put up more yardage going from sideline to sideline than either offense did during the game. Both teams warmed up on the sidelines with teammates holding flashlights. Capital’s band and student section tried their best to brighten the stands with flashlights.
Few left the stadium as attendees waited for some kind of announcement. Eventually, it was announced around 7:50 p.m. that the game would resume if power were restored before 8:30 p.m. If power did not come back by then, then both teams would return to Ingersoll Stadium Saturday at 4 p.m.
A handful of Olympia Police Department vehicles drove onto the Ingersoll Stadium track and shone bright lights to help attendees in the stands see. A harvest moon added a touch of brightness to the field, as well.
By 8:03 p.m., both athletic directors decided the wait wasn’t worth it and called it a night. So, Saturday at 4 p.m. it is.
The game will pick up from where it left off. Capital was convinced it made the extra point after Murphy’s touchdown, but the power went out mid-snap. Therefore, the first snap on Saturday will be a retry of the extra point with 2:01 left in the first quarter.
Before the game, both teams honored late Lacey Fire District 3 firefighter Jacob Johnson, a Capital High School graduate who passed away in July after an off-duty fall. Both teams stood at the 35-yard line, as Johnson was a former Capital football player who wore No. 35, and members of his family and Lacey Fire District 3 firefighters stood at the field during a moment of silence. Capital head football coach Terry Rose presented a helmet signed by the team to Johnson’s family.
The football game started with plenty of fireworks, as Capital senior quarterback Nolan Potts returned to the starting lineup and helped his offense march down the field in 13 plays on the opening drive. He connected with his favorite target Carter Pennington for a 7-yard touchdown, but Potts was tackled short of the goal line by River Ridge defensive end Ryzen Nunez on a two-point conversion run.
River Ridge’s offense never saw the field Friday night, as Aizaiah Rookwood returned the ensuing kickoff about 97 yards for a touchdown. The extra point gave the Hawks a 7-6 lead with 6:15 to play in the first quarter.
The Cougars’ next drive of eight plays and 68 yards was capped off by a Murphy 12-yard touchdown run. On the play before, Potts scurried for 16 yards on a first-and-20 following a holding penalty on the Cougars.
Capital finished the night with 21 plays on offense, while River Ridge had zero.
But the River Ridge offense will be forced to wait approximately 20 hours to answer the Capital score as the two Puget Sound League teams will resume their abruptly-stopped game at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Look for coverage of the completed River Ridge vs. Capital football game Saturday night.
