DANVILLE – The Devil-Dog Mud Bowl is costing Danville a game at its home stadium.
Danville High School has announced that Friday’s first-round football playoff game against McDonald has been moved to Energy Field in Mount Vernon.
Kickoff remains at 7 p.m.
The decision was made after crews determined the field at Tough Street Stadium was not in a playable condition.
“We have to think about safety,” Danville athletic director Devani Adam explained to Knox Pages. “After all the rain from the East Knox game, we felt it was conducive to everyone to make the move, and Mount Vernon volunteered to host the game for us.”
Mount Vernon will handle all ticketing and venue concerns. Tickets are still available through the OHSAA website.
Last Friday’s game against East Knox saw a steady downpour throughout the night. The rain began as the Danville marching band was performing during pregame festivities, and scarcely let up all night.
By the fourth quarter, the entire field had become saturated. Between the hashmarks, there was more mud than grass, and it became hard for players to keep their footing just walking back to the huddle.
On Sunday, the OHSAA announced the pairings for this week’s first-round games. After looking at the field, Adam said school administrators made a mutual decision to move the game.
Mount Vernon crews have spent the week getting the stadium ready.
Since the OHSAA manages the game, the organization handles all profits from ticket sales as opposed to any of the schools involved.
Mount Vernon Athletic Boosters will run one of the concession stands, with the Music Boosters running the other.
Adam said Danville crews will be working on their field throughout the next week. She believes the field will be ready for a regional quarterfinal game, should Danville win on Friday.
This will be Danville’s fourth straight season in the playoffs. The Blue Devils have reached the postseason 11 of the last 13 years.
The Blue Devils’ most famous playoff game in school history took place at Mount Vernon Stadium.
Danville took on rival East Knox in a Division VI regional championship game in 1999, with the Blue Devils winning 35-0. It was the first – and only – time the two schools met twice in the same year.
According to those who were there, both sets of bleachers were filled, with SRO fans watching from virtually every inch of the surrounding fence.
Mount Vernon is no stranger to hosting playoff games.
Since switching to artificial turf nearly 10 years ago, the stadium has been a frequent selection as a neutral venue for the later rounds, including state semifinals.
