High school football game played under a rattlesnake advisory: ‘Use extra caution’

SportsA high school football game in Texas was played under a rattlesnake advisory this week.Alabama Snake Removers/Frankie FergusonBy Brian Linder | blinder@pennlive.comHigh school football season is off and running across the United States, and the snakes are out slithering around, too.Typically, those two things don’t end up in the headlines together, but already this year there have been a couple of creepy stories.First, there was a player in Arkansas who somehow made it through an hour of practice before discovering a highly venomous snake hiding out in his helmet. And this week a high school football game was played under a rattlesnake advisory.That’s right. Not a thunderstorm warning. Not a heat advisory. Nope. Rattlesnakes, folks. Kaufer hosted Corpus Christi John Paul II on Thursday in a game played under a rattlesnake advisory.Riviera Independence School District issued the safety alert for spectators on Facebook hours before the game.“FOOTBALL GAME SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT,” the post read. “Due to the increased presence of rattlesnakes in the area, we ask all parents and spectators to please use extra caution while attending tonight’s football game. “For everyone’s safety, please do not allow children to play in the long jump area of the football field or underneath the stadium seating. Please stay alert, supervise children closely, and avoid areas that are not designated for spectators. Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe!”That might have been enough to keep most schools from firing up the buses and making the trip, but Corpus Christi John Paul did make it to the game. And in hindsight, perhaps, it should have taken the out, blamed the snakes, and stayed home because Kaufer rolled to a 41-8 win. Fortunately, it appears no humans or rattlesnakes were harmed on the night. Brian Linder is the trending editor at PennLive.com. He has more than 20 years of experience working for newspapers first in South Carolina, then Daytona Beach, Florida and now in Pennsylvania. Linder spent...