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Lightning and flash flood conditions suspended the Winona/La Crosse RoughRiders amateur football game Saturday against the Minnesota Maulers.
The first flicker of lightning backlit the field with 12:55 to play in the second quarter. During halftime, with the Maulers leading 7-0, referees and coaches from both teams decided to stop the game.
Nearly a month had passed between RoughRiders games when the RoughRiders and Maulers took to the rain-soaked turf at Maxwell Field at Alltel Stadium on Saturday.
The RoughRiders last played July 21. On July 28, they took a last-minute forfeit due to a shortage of players. Only 21 RoughRiders were available for the game.
“We were totally at fault,” RoughRiders coach Paul Anderson said. “It wasn’t done with ill-intent or malice, we just didn’t give them enough time to re-schedule. ”
The forfeit put the RoughRiders in Mid-America Football League limbo. The league commissioner’s office immediately removed the RoughRiders from the league.
After the RoughRiders appealed the commissioner’s decision and negotiated a settlement with the opposing team for their July 28 forfeit, the league voted to reinstate the fifth-year franchise.
“It’s great,” RoughRiders linebacker Tony Ford said. “I didn’t want the forfeit to be the last game of my career.”
The RoughRiders would’ve played last Saturday, but a new team joined the league and league officials opted to revise schedules.
“It’s been a hectic last month,” Anderson said. “It taught some of our players what it means to run a team. It’s not easy.”
The RoughRiders second chance at a comeback is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. next Saturday when they host the Manson Eagles.
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