Fires affect prep sports
As his team took their positions on the field, Vici baseball coach Kris Webb did his best to turn a blind eye to the wall cloud of smoke that lingered behind right field.
In what’s been a week of heartache, loss and devastation for the small town of Vici as wildfires rage nearby, Webb wanted this moment to be for the kids.
“I wanted a normal day where they could go play the game they love,” Webb said. “I got tired of the fire controlling everything.”
Since igniting last week, the Rhea fire has burned more than 260,000 acres, destroyed more than 30 homes and claimed the lives of two people.
Webb said it’s been a community effort fighting back against the waves of flames and smoke. Friends, neighbors and volunteers pitching together with whatever water they can to try and prevent the flames from touching another home.
Webb spent Friday afternoon with a few other volunteers trying to fight back fires that threatened a friend’s property.
While they did their best to wet down the surrounding fields, a large shadow
was cast above their heads as a large tanker flew over them, bathing them and the surrounding area in the red fire retardant.
As Webb looked around at his crew, it was a small bit of relief in what were frightening hours.
“It was pretty comical in the moment,” Webb said. “But then the reality of the situation comes right back at you.”
Two of Webb’s players, freshmen Dalten Kuper and Hunter Hager, had homes destroyed by the blazes.
“Our guys tried to rally around them and lift them up,” Webb said. “We have developed the idea that we are a tribe and we put that to the test this week. But what we really needed was a distraction of sorts.”
The Vici baseball and softball teams were scheduled to finish up district play this week, but the fires forced them to cancel games.
Vici Elementary principal Kas Nelson said it was important to everybody in the town to get the games rescheduled. The kids needed some sense of normalcy after the fires
upended everything, he said. “Even when things are going haywire everybody is invested in their teams,” Nelson said. “Our schools and school sports are a big deal. They are the backbone of the community. It wasn’t a second thought to get the games rescheduled.”
On Tuesday, both teams returned to the diamond. It was senior night for both squads and while they lined up to have their name read aloud, they were also given a surprise.
Leedey, Vici’s rival just 20 miles to the south, presented the softball team with a signed banner wishing them luck with messages of perseverance and hope.
Waukomis brought gift bags full of emergency items and a donation to add to the town’s rebuild bank account.
“Sports is a great model for life,” Nelson said. “We are very competitive and we work very hard beat one another, but when It comes down to supporting each other we are there no matter what.”
The softball team split its two games, losing the first but coming back strong against No. 17 Waukomis and winning 12-11.
The boys baseball team won both games. Senior
pitcher Colton McCracken led the way in the first game, earning the win.
In the second game, he smacked a home run that sailed over that right field wall in the direction of the looming smoke cloud.
Vici won its district baseball championship, defeating Erick 15-4.
Webb said he has a good team this year and they are looking forward to a trip to
the playoffs with dreams of a state championship.
But this week was a reminder of what’s right in front of them.
“We get lost in the moment,” Webb said. “We had talks about putting our faith where it needs to be. The fire allowed us to have some teachable moments about life and how it’s way more important than any baseball game.”