High School Football At a Glance
Some teams get misty-eyed over football
Brawley coach Mike Swearingen knew how to keep his sense of humor, even when his vision deserted him.
Swearingen's team was playing Santa Margarita on Friday night at Saddleback College until a fog bank rolled into the stadium, obstructing the view of participants and players alike.
"Did he catch the ball?" a Brawley player asked Swaaringen after a second-quarter pass.
"I don't know: maybe he got in his car and left," Swearingen said.
That is just what the fans and officials eventually did. The game was called with 1:02 left in the second quarter and Santa Margarita leading 21-0, on the grounds it was too dangerous to play.
Santa Margarita went through with its homecoming ceremonies at halftime, despite the fact no one could see the court and most of the crowd was leaving.
"We've been playing our games here for two years and I've seen fog, but not like this." Santa Margarita coach Jim Hartigan said.
The Santa Margarita game was the only one stopped Friday, but not the only game affected.
Ei Modena defeated Santa Ana Valley, 21-7, at El Modena. Neither team saw much during the final nine minutes when a fog bank rolled in.
The fog was so thick during the final four minutes, officials called out down and yardage situations to the El Modena coaches, who couldn't see the markers on the opposite side of the field.
The Register Staff
Monday, October 29, 1990
The Orange County Register - D12
