Friday Night Lights are brighter in East Los Angeles

More than a high school football game, the East Los Angeles Classic brings together the East L.A. community to cheer on history. The rivalry is played out among two of the first high schools established in Eastside L.A., James A. Garfield Senior High School and Theodore Roosevelt High School. As a longstanding rivalry since 1925, the same year as Garfield’s establishment, it has been a tradition in the East L.A. community for almost a century. 

On Oct. 21 2022, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum lit up in red and blue as the Black Eyed Peas performed during halftime of the 2022 edition of the East L.A. Classic. The stands of the Coliseum were packed 45,000 strong as alumni, students and East L.A. residents cheered on the Garfield Bulldogs or Roosevelt Rough Riders. 

“The Classic” officially got its title in 1972, and from that point forward, it served as both schools’ homecoming games. The game was initially played on either schools’ football field, but it eventually became challenging to accommodate the countless spectators on the school’s grounds due to its growth in popularity throughout the years. To account for the game’s growing attendance, the Classic was moved to the East Los Angeles College stadium, where the audience reached up to 25,000 in past years. 

2022 marked the first year the matchup took place at the L.A. Coliseum since 2003. In addition to the over 45,000 tickets sold this year, artists like Becky G and Big Boy were in attendance to show their support for the community’s tradition. The popularity of the game draws celebrities to perform and spectate, and the sheer number of people that attended demonstrates how the community eagerly awaits the chance to embrace tradition and to reunite with their high school classmates. 

The Classic is noted for the success of its participants; on October 27, 1961, in the East L.A.Stadium, Mike Garrett scored six touchdowns for Roosevelt High School. In 1965, he won the Heisman Trophy as a halfback for USC football. 

In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic resulted in the game’s postponment until the spring, although ultimately the game was canceled after the pandemic worsened. Before then, the last event to cancel the Classic was World War II. 

The first year back after the cancellation in 2020, the schools did not forget to commemorate those especially important to the Classic. Both teams had lost beloved members of their community; returning to the field would never be the same. Beloved by students at Roosevelt High School, the passing of former assistant football coach Richard “Dickie” Guillen rocked the community in the midst of the already devastating pandemic. In memory of him, the players wore stickers at the 2021 Classic, stating “All Work, No Glory” — the favorite saying of Guillen. The Classic also recognized the passing of Garfield alumni and former football player No. 40 Danny “Tank” Vargas with 40 seconds of silence. In bracing against grief, it’s important to never forget loved ones, and East L.A. does this perfectly in returning to traditions and reassuring care for one another.

East L.A. is a neighborhood filled with culture and tradition, with the largest Chicano population in the nation. Every year, Bulldogs and Rough Riders are ready to take on the field, and the East L.A. community never fails to enthusiastically represent their colors each October. Cultural richness is rooted deep in East L.A., and its schools do not shy away from including that culture with the schools’ Mariachi bands (Mariachi Los Alanos & Mariachi Olimpico) included in the Classic’s press conference. 

As its popularity has grown, outlets like ABC7 News, CBS News, Fox 11 and the Los Angeles Times have reported on the event, writing about the days leading up to the game and its results. While everyone trickles in to watch regardless of who wins or loses, the event sets an example of how rivalry can bring together opposing teams. The Classic is a historical event that brings the Latinx community together and gives visibility to a marginalized community. 

The schools have also gained support outside the community, as the Los Angeles Rams in partnership with Nike donated $5,000 to each school’s football program and provided pep rally t-shirts this year. 

Due to gentrification, Los Angeles has seen steady erasure of neighborhoods’ cultures. Boyle Heights and East L.A. carry history and rich Chicano culture, with their schools integrating that culture into significant community traditions. Still, East L.A. is home to many Chicanos; when I am in the area, seeing what is still present, like shops, restaurants and homes, brings peace to mind that the culture is still present, too. It’s thrilling, then, to see such longstanding traditions as the Classic continue to fill stadiums. 

Traditions like the Classic carry beauty and strengthen communities, so as East L.A. continues to change it is imperative to maintain those traditions.