SPRINGVILLE — Springville running back Marcus Case said he thought "a cannon had gone off."

His coach, Scott Mitchell, believed it was "kind of fitting" after the unusual events that had happened to his team over the summer.

The Red Devils shut out Wooster (Nevada) 40-0 on Friday night, but not before the game was delayed after a lightning bolt struck apparently just a few yards north of the field.

"That was the scariest thing ever," Case said.

It was the home opener for the Red Devils (2-0), and before the game Springville honored fallen teammate Brandon Curtis, who was killed last month in an accident in the school's parking lot after a summer practice. The fans, many of them wearing white T-shirts emblazoned with Curtis' name and jersey number, honored him with a moment of silence, and Curtis' initials were painted on the field in place of markers for the 30-yard line.

"It was awesome looking in the stands and seeing all the shirts for Brandon out there," Case said. "I wish it didn't have to be like this, but it got us to come together. Hopefully we can do it the rest of the season."

But the night took a frightening turn when the storm front moved in over Springville.

A 12-year-old girl was taken to the hospital after the lightning strike, and the game was delayed approximately an hour and fifteen minutes. Lt. Dave Caron of the Springville Police Department said the girl was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.

Caron said the bolt struck outside the field, and the charge "traveled underneath the ground" to a booth that was selling scones. The girl, a Springville Junior High School student, was holding a metal railing under the booth.

"It went up and shocked her and knocked her for a loop," Caron said. "She had a little mark on her hand, but she seems to be OK."

The rest of the fans were evacuated to the high school.

When the game resumed, Springville scored on the first play, a 16-yard pass from Steve Bate to Dallin Ollerton. The second of Bates' four touchdown passes, it gave Springville a 20-0 lead with 5:11 left in the first half.

"We just needed to stay fired up," Case said. "You can't calm down, can't give up when it's not even halftime yet."

Five minutes later, Bate hit a wide-open Zach Gardanier over the middle for a 25-yard touchdown. McKay Murphy then returned an interception 39 yards to the 6 to set up a 4-yard touchdown to give Springville a 34-0 halftime lead.

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Case then opened the second half with a 69-yard touchdown, his second scoring run of the game.

The Springville defense, which had given up 48 points to Dixie in the opening week of the season, stifled the Colts for the shutout.

Case opened the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Bate then connected with Jaylon Miyasaki on an 85-yard touchdown, as the Red Devils took a 13-0 lead after the first quarter.

"Guys were ready to play, and that's what you want to see," Mitchell said. "Steve made some good decisions throwing the ball … and our defense, when you shut a team out, that's a good thing."

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