Umbrellas usually signify protection from a drenching rainstorm, but on Friday afternoon it was the symbol of a scorching kickoff to the 2014 prep football season in Vicksburg.
“It’s gonna be hot for the officials and the referees,” said Wayne Brown, nestled next to his wife, Diann, under a huge Wilson umbrella to watch Porters Chapel Academy defeat Union Christian Academy in the Eagles’ first appearance in the Red Carpet Bowl at Vicksburg High’s Memorial Stadium.
The mercury soared to around 95 degrees by the time the high-scoring affair began, with a heat index in excess of 100. Diann Brown, for her part, put the sweltering conditions for the fans into perspective.
“It could be worse,” she said as they spied their grandson, sophomore Garrett Hutchins, on the Eagles’ sideline. “It’s not quite how I dreamed it. We could be all out of power out here.”
Keeping players cool in a game where organizers said no cooling or misting fans were to be used during action was another concern for parents.
“I hope they are able to keep hydrated,” said April Pickering, who arrived early with husband, Mike, to watch their son, Logan, take the field for PCA.

The heat and a pushed-up game time to allow two additional teams in this year’s kickoff classic were among the challenges fans faced. The other was traffic, as the first game started about a half-hour before Vicksburg High School ended their school day. Traffic flow was predictably tight in and around the home bleachers, where motorists have to snake creatively around one another in the narrow entrance and exit. Conversely, the parking lot near the city pool had open spaces even after the Porters Chapel game kicked off.
Vicksburg Police Chief Walter Armstrong said this year’s game would serve as a model for next year when it comes to traffic control.
“We’ll look at traffic flows and see if we need to increase the number of officers we had this time,” he said. “It just remains to be seen.”
About a dozen VPD officers patrolled the streets around the stadium, along with several Warren County sheriff’s deputies.
On the Union Christian side, the late-afternoon tilt was a similarly strange experience for Gary and Robin Gray, who traveled from Farmerville, La. to see their son, Wesley, suit up for the Lions and snag a first-half touchdown reception.
“We usually start at 7 p.m.,” Gary Gray said as he and Robin took in the action without an umbrella. “But, they’ve been doing the early time for the Shreveport Jamboree on the Bayou for years.”
Concession stand workers moved bottled water at a brisk pace. Ice water would be a tough call, however.
“We don’t even have cups to put it in,” said one concession worker.
Trae Wells, manager of Bop’s on U.S. 61 North, expected to count out a busy cash drawer once the nighttime games were done.
“Our best sellers were sno-cones,” Wells said. “Watermelon and green apple.”