Just in the nick of time.
The Evergreen Lutheran football team from the Woodmont area of Des Moines and Federal Way held a 44-6 lead in the third quarter and needed one more touchdown to earn a 40-point or greater lead and end the game against Tulalip Heritage on a mercy rule.
They got it on a 1-yard touchdown run by Andrew Goyins, ending the action with 3:57 left on the third quarter clock.
Just then the heavens above Auburn-Mountain View High School's swanky artificial turf practice field broke open and let loose a downpour.
Everyone scrambled away from the Class 1B eight-man football game in search of cover on their way toward the locker room -- and their cars.
Class 1B is the only level in the state that has the 40-point rule. The rest have a running clock rule where they do not stop the clock in the second half of a 40-point or greater rout.
"They'll probably go to a running clock next year," said Evergreen Lutheran head coach Nathan Seiltz. "All of the upper divisions have that now."
Seiltz is enjoying the team's first year of eight-man football after two years of the standard 11-man game.
"It's a little wide open, especially on this wide of a field," said Seiltz after the Saturday, Oct. 22 game against Tulalip Hertitage. "You get a lot of scoring."
High scores are common in Class 1B games, and this one was no exception.
The Evergreen Lutheran Eagles struck first with only 26 seconds elapsed.
Sam Shannon ran right and then cut back left and finished with a 33-yard touchdown run. Steve Lawrence then fired off the two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead.
Evergreen Lutheran went back to work immediately, as Ryan Gonzales pounced on an onside kick to give the Eagles the ball again.
The Eagles tacked on six more points with 10:35 on the first quarter clock when Lawrence scored on a 26-yard right side sweep. The two-point coversion failed on an incomplete pass to leave the Eagles' lead at 14-6.
The Tulalip Heritage Hawks scored their only points with 4:34 to go in the first quarter on a 12-yard left-side run. The point after touchdown attempt failed.
Evergreen Lutheran went to work again with 45 seconds left in the first quarter. Lawrence ran in a 9-yard left side run and the lead was built to 22-6.
The Eagles struck next with 8:08 to go in the second quarter on another 9-yard left side run by Lawrence. The pass for two points was intercepted to put Evergreen Lutheran up 28-6.
Evergreen Lutheran added eight points on an 18-yard touchdown pass and a two-point run by Shannon with 6:32 left before halftime.
The 36-6 lead was added to after the Eagles recovered an onside kick.
Four plays later, Lawrence scored on a 12-yard on the right side. Evergreen Lutheran tacked on two for a 44-6 lead with 5:55 to play in the second quarter.
