Published: August 28, 2008 04:46 pm            

Battle of the Bluefields — It’s much more than a hometown rivalry

The spirit of maroon, gold and white are fueling excitement across the two Virginias as football fans and community supporters gear up for the athletic event of the season.

The Game.

This annual match-up between the Bluefield Beavers and Graham G-Men sparks a frenzy of excitement throughout southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia, ushering in football season with an exuberant show of hometown pride and high school loyalty.

The crescendo will continue to build today — to a monumental level — as students, parents, relatives, residents and other fans prepare to head out to Mitchell Stadium for the 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

“I moved here in third grade and I’ve come to every game since,” said Graham senior and cheerleading squad co-captain Kat Stone. “I think it’s important to everyone because, of course, we always want to beat Beaver. It’s probably the most important game.”

Graham freshman Kelli Louthan has lived in Bluefield her entire life, and she has attended many games between the two schools. “I think I’ve been to all of them since I can remember. I’d go with my parents and I just remember it being so exciting.”

On the Bluefield High side of the state line, the enthusiasm is running just as high.

“We work so much harder because this is the first time that people can see us at games,” said Bluefield High cheerleading captain Amber Howington. “I think it really means a lot to the boys and to us and to the community that this game is played because it’s what everybody knows around here. It’s the Beaver-Graham game.”

Bluefield freshman Kayla Carinelli grew up in Brushfork, but she knows the importance of the rivalry as much as anyone. “My first Beaver-Graham game was when I was 6 or 7,” she said. “My dad used to always go to them and one day he took us to it. And it was really exciting and fun to watch.”

While we, like most folks in the area, get caught up in the excitement of the Battle of the Bluefields, we also like to think the game is about much more than a hometown rivalry.

There’s no doubt a healthy competitiveness exists between the schools. And many remember when the game was featured on ESPN during the 1990s as one of the biggest high school football rivalries in the nation.

However, it’s also about more than who wins the game and earns bragging rights for the year.

With 10,000 fans expected at tonight’s event, the Beaver-Graham game is a part of our culture.

It’s a family activity. A social activity. A tradition that brings the people of the region together, if only for a single night.

The fans may root for different teams, but they are all there for a common cause: The support of our high schools, the support of our students and the support of our communities.

What could be better than that?

        

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