LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The lights on Friday did not shine as bright at 4 p.m., but that didn't stop teams from basking in it and playing anyway.
"Football is kind of a religion here in the area," Jessica Duff, Director of Communications for the Pulaski County Special School District, said.
When Mother Nature calls an audible, you've got to change the game plan.
It's something many high schools in the area scrambled to do ahead of Friday's severe weather.
"Shifting even an hour or two sooner to avoid incoming inclement weather is definitely the plan of action we'd want to take so that we stay as on track as possible," Duff said.
Those Friday night lights quickly turned into Friday afternoon lights – in some cases. Some games are even being on Saturday instead.
"When you have severe weather, we really come together as a state," Duff said. "It's safety first, rivalries aside."
Much like the game on the field, the play calls to make this happen weren't easy. Both sides of the ball had to figure out if they could even play Friday.
It's something much harder at this point in the season.
"Because we are at the end of the season, a lot of these schools are doing their senior night activities," Duff said. "So it was how do we alternate recognizing those seniors with these revised times?"
But at the end of the day, safety is key. No matter the team, and no matter the time.
"If we have road teams coming in, we want to make sure those fans are getting home safely as well," Duff said. "I mean, when you hear the cliché, safety is paramount. It really is. I think everybody wants to be able to play football and have a good time."