And the rain kept coming down.

Friday's game against the Wills Point Tigers marked the second week in which both the Thursday and Friday night contests were played under sheets of preciptitation.

Except, of course, the first week's contest against Spring Hill saw cancellations of the games because of the presence of lightning.

This week was still very damp, but at least the rain came without the fireworks show.

The JV and freshmen games were played under intermittent rain. Seemed like a storm would slide through, with a steady drizzle falling for five minutes or so, then it would circle out ... and around ... and come back through again.

This cycle repeated itself several time during the course of the two games.

The Bears' varsity game against the Wills Point Tigers on Sept. 18 was different.

Rain began falling just as Wills Point's half-time homecoming activities be- gan.

Me and several others took refuge under the visitor's stands. Unlike the previous week at Spring Hill, these stands - while still of the bench seating type - had a solid floor-pan and at least provided a couple of large dry spots underneath.

About a half hour later, as the game was beginning to resume ... the rain had yet to stop.

And wouldn't for the next two quarters.

The Bears scored twice in the third quarter.

And the rain continued to fall ... and the players got muddier and muddier and muddier.

Fortunately, Chris Wangler (head athletic trainer for the Bears) let me lift a poncho from a batch he had stuck in a bag, there on the sideline.

I spent most of the second half of the Bears' 28-15 win in that poncho ... occasionally ducking all the way inside of it to write down a note or keep up with my game scoring summary.

Of course, my camera stayed under the poncho during the second half rainstorm. No. 1, it's my personal equipment and, No. 2, it's too dang expensive to take a chance with.

This week there was a lady who stopped by the office, Pam Clayton, who said one year she and her husband thought that it was going to rain during the football game every single Friday night ... and it seemed like it did.

Although so far it sure likes like it will, I hope that isn't the case this year.

I think I'm already beginning to form webs between my toes.