Outrunning weather provided fun moment

Editor’s note: Sports editor Chris Schanz has taken thousands of photographs since starting in the summer of 2013. In this “Photo Focus” series, he will take a look back at a handful of his favorite pictures and describe the story behind them.

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It’s not very often, at least as a sports reporter, I have to chase a story.

I attend a game, it happens, there’s the story.

But in the spring months, Mother Nature can make sports reporters scramble to find something to cover.

It was May 12, 2016. I went up to what was then named Golf Club of the Limberlost — it’s now back to its original name, Wabash Valley Golf Club — to cover the Jay County boys golf team in a match against South Adams.

On the drive north to Geneva, ominous clouds had rolled in and the prospect for getting the match played was not very good.

Thunder was rolling as soon as I got out of my car.

Not even a full hole had been completed, and the match was delayed to about 4:42 p.m.

Less than 10 minutes later it was postponed.

I was in need of something to put in the next day’s paper, so I was going to head further north to Berne for either a baseball or a softball game.

But I got word about 5:13 p.m. those games were postponed.

Now what?

I looked at my schedule to see what else was happening on the local sports scene, and I?noticed Fort Recovery’s baseball team, which a day earlier had won the sectional title, was hosting St. Marys Memorial. So I went there to at least get something for the next day’s paper.

I arrived at Fort Recovery about 5:49 p.m., with the Indians leading 5-0 after two innings. Twelve minutes later the rain began and the Indians pulled out the tarp.

The infield got covered, then the tarp came off. And having an inkling the game would not be played, I?snapped a picture of the Tribe struggling to battle the wind in removing the tarp. As they folded to roll it back up, a gust of wind caught the tarp. Players, coaches and the young managers were tussling with the tarp, trying to get it removed from the field. Chase Bruns, a senior, happened to look my way, backpedaling and smiling as he yanked on the strap.

Wind took the tarp high in the air, and I knew if no more baseball would be played a picture of that moment could at least be used the next day. In baseball, especially at the prep and college level where teams have to handle the tarp on their own rather than a grounds crew at the professional level, players fighting with the tarp is part of the game. It’s also often a part of the athlete experience that gets overlooked. When rain comes, fans scatter, but players jump to the task of putting out the tarp.

At 6:45 p.m., the tarp was off the field, but there was still lightning in the area. The game was officially canceled at 7:02 p.m. with Fort Recovery leading 5-1.

I didn’t get to see much in the way of sports that day, but I was able to outrun the weather to get a fun picture. I didn’t attempt to do anything special with the photo, as I said I just needed something for the next day’s paper. Turns out, the “Tarp tussle” photo was a last-ditch entry into the Hoosier State Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest, and it was awarded first place for sports feature photo.

Again, prep sports reporters don’t generally have to run down stories. That day, I did. And it just happened to be a worthwhile chase.