Power outage at Oneida HS leads to last-minute venue change for football game

The Oneida varsity football team in New York was set to host Vernon Verona Sherrill in its season opener on Friday.

But the stadium at Oneida High School faced an unexpected twist: the power went out.

According to CNY Central, the matchup between the Express and the Red Devils abruptly moved to VVS’s home turf. The game, originally scheduled for 7 p.m., shifted to a 8:30 p.m. start to accommodate the last-minute change.

VVS went on to beat Oneida, 61-0, in its impromptu “home” game Friday evening.

During the summer, Oneida High School was damaged by flooding and a storm that came through the city.

According to syracuse.com, the high school is closed for the 2025-26 school year, leading to the Oneida City School District finding an alternative for about 500 students.

The district decided that high school students will use Otto Shortell Middle School for the first half of weekdays. Middle school students will then use the building during the second half of each school day, syracuse.com reported.

CNY Central reported that Oneida High School received brand-new transformers last week. The goal, the report added, was to replace the generators that district officials said have had continuous use.

Oneida superintendent Matt Carpenter provided a statement on the district’s Facebook page:

Further details remain to be seen.

The Express (0-1) face Little Falls on the road at 7 p.m. Friday. The Red Devils (1-0) host Cortland on Friday at 7 p.m.

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