When it comes to athletic contests played in deplorable weather conditions, Friday night may have taken the (mud) cake

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

I've covered quite a few athletic contests in less-than-ideal conditions but Friday night might have been the worst weather conditions I've ever seen in my 39 years of chronicling sports.

A driving rainstorm soaked the field about an hour before game time and didn't let up until the final moments of Freedom High School's 14-6 win over Emmaus in a very soggy Lehigh Valley Conference football game.

Freedom coach Jason Roeder remembered being involved in one game that was worse, a midget football contest he participated in while as a member for the Bethlehem Steelers. He even served up some details of the game, which was played against the East Side Youth Center at Notre Dame High School and ended in a tie.

"That game might have been played under worse conditions and that's saying something," said Roeder, whose Patriots are 4-0. And Roeder was saying this while standing in mud well above his ankles.

For those who are critical of officials for not calling off most of the Friday night games, remember this: The rest of the weekend is supposed to be just as bad, maybe worse, and the field conditions are only going to get uglier.

Friday night at Emmaus High School was football without the fancy stuff. No intricate pass plays, no play calls to get the defense off-balance. This was straight-ahead, leather-helmet football where you simply lined up and beat the opponent ahead of you.

A very water-logged opponent at that.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bruce-buratti/index.ssf/2011/09/when_it_comes_to_athletic_cont.html