A buddy of mine texted me Friday night to see if I wanted to go to the Bedford-Garfield Heights football game. I don’t normally attend high school gridiron matches, since as a school teacher, I am usually wrecked on Fridays. Also, the weather can be so variable in the fall, and sitting on bleachers in the cold is not a very enticing option. But on Friday the temperature was just right, and for some reason, I had some extra pep at week’s end, so my boys and I joined my friend at the game.
While Bedford is our home, we find we spend a lot of time in Garfield Heights, as well. I did a long-term sub job at the middle school last year, and our church home is in Garfield. Many days of the week, you can find us in the Marc’s Plaza, browsing the Goodwill, or getting groceries. So, when we walked in the gates to Garfield’s field, I expected to see people I knew from both cities. I also felt somewhat divided about which team to back that evening.
Many were attending the game with heavy hearts. The contest was taking place just two days after two teen siblings from Garfield were killed. Manuel Lopez, Jr., a current high school student, and Giselle Lopez, a recent graduate, were shot during a domestic incident Wednesday night. Our hearts go out to the Garfield community for their loss. There was a moment of silence to recognize the two victims before the game.
My friend lives in Garfield, so I decided to sit with him on the home side. We found a seat at the 50-yard line, right in front of the press box, and directly in front of a banner honoring the two teens. Garfield led the game 13-0 in the first quarter, and it seemed like they were just scoring at will. The Bulldogs came into the game with a 2-0 record, having demolished their first two foes. The Bearcats were 1-1 before the game, falling to Nordonia the first week, while walloping Elyria in week two.
Bedford answered with a touchdown to bring the score to 13-6, and just missed on a scoring opportunity after an impressive drive right before the half ended. The score was 21-6 at halftime. Garfield started many of their drives in very good field position, and may have scored more, but the Bedford defense — and many mistakes by the Bulldogs — kept the Bearcats in the game.
We were looking forward to the halftime show, and both schools did great jobs with much music and marching put on display. Growing up, my high school was so small that we did not have a marching band, so any opportunity for me to see one is a treat. I was impressed — almost mesmerized — by one performing group in particular: The Bedford flag line. I usually consider flags a peripheral part of the band show, giving a splash of color and movement. Bedford’s flag corp performance was much different.
First off, the talented young women in their sharp green outfits were featured up front for most of the show. Secondly, the routines they did with their flags were more intricate and expressive than I have seen from most high school squads. The group made their act look almost effortless, as they stared ahead at the crowd with smiles gleaming from their faces. Watching them, and the rest of the band perform, is worth making a trip out to see a game.
I feel a little salty admitting that we left at halftime. My friend texted me with five minutes left in the game to let me know that Bedford had pulled within striking distance — behind by just seven points. Garfield ended up winning 27-20, but I give Bedford a lot of credit for coming back from such a deficit, and showing such grit and determination.
On Friday night, I felt especially proud to be part of both of these Northeast Ohio communities.
