Snow covers field as Rim of the World football team practices

There was no turning back for Rim of the World football coach Joe Jurado. On Wednesday afternoon, he had his team working out when it was 31 degrees and his practice field was covered with snow. Never in the history of the Lake Arrowhead school has there been a football practice in March in snow. See what preparing for spring football is like in California?

“We got practice in because we might get a storm next week and miss two days,” he said.

Rim of the World needs 14 days of practice so it can open its season March 19 against Ontario Christian.

Hey, there was some fun stuff. Snowball fights. Players sliding about.

“There was a wave of emotions, ‘Yeah, we’re going to do it.’ Then they realize they have to lay in snow,” Jurado said of his players stretching in the snow.

“I’ve been around here since I was 6 years old and can’t remember us practicing in those conditions,” Jurado said. “The former coach said they were playing Perris and had to stop the game at halftime and finish on a Monday. That was back in the ‘70s.”