The first official day of football practice is Aug. 21 this year, and Ridgefield football players hit the field at 12:01 a.m.

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

It was late, late Tuesday night when the players started arriving at the football field at Ridgefield High School.

They would have to wait until early, very early Wednesday morning before the first whistle would sound.

Count this reporter as a witness: Practice did not start before Aug. 21.

But practice did start the minute that Aug. 20 became Aug. 21.

“We’ve got to get going and we’ve got to get going fast,” Ridgefield coach Scott Rice said. “We’re not wasting a minute.”

This was the seventh year of Midnight Madness for the Ridgefield High School football team. Guess it could now be considered a tradition.

“It’s fun to be the first in the state,” Rice said.

Oh, there are other teams in Washington that do this, too, but the Spudders are always among the first. Always.

“It’s a great feeling. The air is cold. Everybody loves it. Nobody’s sad at Midnight Madness,” said senior Colt Couch. “Everybody loves coming out here. Everybody’s just ready to go and attack.”

Ridgefield has 110 players signed up for football this season, a huge number for a Class 2A program.

“It’s a big football thing. We always do our thing out here,” said sophomore Talon Sosky. “It’s a big deal for us. We love to come out here and compete and go at it with each other.”

The first day of practice is always special, no matter when it is scheduled. At Ridgefield, though, the Spudders believe they get an extra bit of adrenaline.

“Cold practice, coming out at nighttime, there’s definitely more of a vibe than practicing in the sun,” Couch said. “Gives everybody a little shock coming into the season.”

Every year, the crowd gets a little bigger, too. Yep, it’s an open practice. Parents can come to watch Midnight Madness. No charge. It’s free. And, no, this was not a record-breaking crowd. But there were more than 30 people in the stands.

“We’re making it something big,” Sosky said.

Not everyone is a fan. Every year, Rice said, the school gets complaints from neighbors. The football team does deliver a letter to residents of nearby homes, reminding them of the unusual practice time. The school also reached out to the police department to remind the police that the stadium would be in use well past midnight. And this year, the Spudders vowed to bring down the volume associated with a regular football practice. 

“No music,” Rice said. “We’ll try to keep the whistles to a minimum.”

But make no mistake, it is a full practice.

Football players must have 12 practices in order to be eligible to play in a game. Ridgefield and most other teams in the state play their first game on Sept. 6. Most teams are practicing in the daylight hours of Aug. 21 — this year’s first official date of practice for Washington Interscholastic Activities Association football teams — or even in the evening hours. 

Also, due to a quirk in the calendar, the first day of practice is later than usual. Next week, most public schools will open their doors for the 2024-25 academic year. Football teams usually get a little more practice days before school opens.

Football coaches such as Rice say it feels like they will be in a rush to get things done before the first game.

That is another reason why at Ridgefield, the Spudders don’t waste any time.

It is football season … the very minute it becomes football season.