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Stovall, a 23-year-old defender for Puerto Rico FC of the NASL, said he was prepared to tough it out on the island with his teammates.
Stovall said he and his roommates stockpiled water (20 gallons), supplies "and a lot of food."
One reason he had chosen to stay was because airlines were jacking up prices quite a bit, Stovall said. He found a flight at a reasonable price -- "it was more than I would like to have paid. A lot more" -- and left Wednesday morning.
He caught a flight to Boston, then boarded another to Nashville. His father was there to greet him. They were driving home to the Miami Valley tonight.
Stovall said his teammates who are from Puerto Rico live a little ways south of San Juan, where Hurricane Irma isn't supposed to make things too bad.
After growing up in the Dayton area, Stovall said, playing professionally in Puerto Rico is a different life, a learning experience.
Stovall said he has no idea when he'll be returning to play in the stadium in Bayamon, a municipality on the northern coastal valley, south and west of San Juan. He said he has no idea when his team is coming back or when practice will be.
The NASL team's next scheduled game was to be Saturday, against the New York Cosmos.
He can scratch that -- thanks to Hurricane Irma.
According to team webpage, that game has been postponed.
“Everyone’s focus right now should be on their families and protecting their homes,” PRFC President Tom Payne said. “Our priority is the safety of our fans, our players, the front office staff, as well as the visiting team. We are working alongside our players and the NASL to ensure their safety and we will have more information as soon as possible.”
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