Are you a Beaver, Duck, or any other College Football Fan? Well find your seat or color and pick a side because the Civil War is about to begin.

OSU Beavers, wearing black and orange, lost the Civil War last year, but are they in it to win it this year. Oregon State Ducks, green and yellow,   swon last year with a victory of 65-38 at Reser Stadium, the Beavers home field. They both have dreams of going to the Rose Bowl. But who will win?

So grab your snacks and save your voice for the 6:00 o’clock game of blood, sweat, and overtime. The time is now. Civil War has begun.

It was one of the best football games I had ever been to in my life.  It was no longer a game; it was a suspenseful thrill ride with too many twists and turns to count.  Blood, sweat and tears were definitely shed many a time during this compelling two and a half hours.  This… was the Civil War.

The stands were packed with anxious Lava Bear fans awaiting first kickoff.  Lava Bears greatly outnumbered the Cougars in fans who had come to watch the game.  The cheerleaders were breaking out in every cheer they knew, getting the people who were packing into the stands at the last minute fired up for this riveting game.  The concessions stand was obviously going to make a lot of money that night; everywhere you turned, someone was eating a hot dog, some form of candy, or drinking some sort of bottled drink.  It was moderately cold outside, not freezing, but just cold enough to make everyone wear a jacket.

The school band started to play the fight song. The people in “the box”, including Bob Shaw and other various people, were now introducing the teams.  Here it was.  This was the moment we were all waiting for.  First kickoff.

The game started out moderately slow for the Bears, they slid a few points behind at some times… hence the term too many twists and turns to count.  The game was a huge rollercoaster ride of ups and downs.  The Bears made their way ahead, and then the Cougars took the lead.  Then the Bears raced ahead, with the Cougars following not too far behind.  The game was very intense, every person’s eyes glued to the field to witness this amazing spectacle.

The team… the fans… everyone was eager to see how this amazing game would end.  If the Cougars will get another win, or if the Bears, fighting hard, will take the Cougars and finally break their would-be four year straight winning record over the Bears in the Civil War. It was getting nerve racking.  A few minutes left in the fourth quarter and the teams are tied neck and neck at 21.  Then an amazing thing happened… the Bears made a touchdown!

Another six points plus one more for the field goal, that brought the Bears just that much closer to winning!  Sealing the deal on this long-awaited win… the last few minutes of the game passed with no changes.  The Bears finish the game with high spirits and excitement; taking the Cougars 28-21!

Their enthusiasm and determination finally paid off and brought this miraculous and honorable win to the world of Bend High Football!

However, it seems that every night can be topped by another. The game of October 20th was one to remember, although perhaps in not such a pleasant light. When one of the Summit players, whose name will not be disclosed, pulled a rather fierce blow to a Lava Bear girl, the Bend player then responded in an equally angry manner, upon which the Bend player was asked to leave the game. Later, another wrangle sparked between two other players. Bend finished with a victory of 12-5.

It’s obvious that as the tantalizing prospect of State draws nearer, the rivalries are getting hotter by the minute. The grand finale for this season is approaching, and now, every game counts!

I had the chance to talk to the boys with some of my friends and         football is a big part of the players’ lives! These boys don’t just like high school football though. Varsity player, Liam Brown, said he is a fan of the NFL team Chargers. Another player from the JV team named Jacob Potter said, “I’m not a big NFL fan, but if I had to choose I would say my favorite team is the Seattle Seahawks!”

While interviewing the guys we realized that their families have a big impact on why they play football. Another varsity player, Greg Vibbert, said his dad was a big encouragement to him. “My dad really encouraged me to go out and sign up for the team,” he said. A player from the JV team named Emmanuel Khan said his inspiration for playing is hitting people. There are a lot of good and bad things about playing football. A freshman football team member, Stephen Sanders, said, “The best thing about playing is wining the games. The worst thing is losing the games.” The football players are very important, but so are the coaches.

We went around to the coaches and asked what their favorite thing about coaching is and they all said working with the boys. Coach Walker said, “The best thing about working with the boys is watching them grow and develop.”

Talking with the football players was a good experience. It gave me the chance to realize how much football means to them. To us it’s just another sport. However, to the players, it’s so much more.

All in all, the game undeniably went well. Coach Jenny Lund had much to say after the game.

Q: How well would you say the team played tonight?
A: “I would say we’ve improved consistently- but we still have a long way to go.”

Q: How do you think having only six players in the water at a time affected this game?
A: “I think it allowed us to use the few subs that we have more effectively.”

Q: Was there anything about this team that made them particularly difficult to beat?
A: Their [Summit's] team leader [Paige Anderson, #11] is a very strong player, and I think that they were harder to beat with her.”

Madeleine Torres, who I caught just after the game, feels equally enthusiastic, although perhaps not in so many words.

Q: What is your favorite part of water polo?
A: “Getting in their face.”

Q: Do you think Bend High Water Polo is headed for state this year?
A: “Yes! Of course!”

Q: What’s one thing you feel the team needs improvement in?
A: “Throwing under pressure.”

As for Bend High Boys Varsity Team, they finally lost 7-5 after a long struggle with the Summit Boys. But on the bright side, Bend’s JV Boys won their game 9-1. It was a bittersweet night, but a good battle with the best of adversaries. “I’m all for Summit.” said assistant Bend girl’s coach Shay “Just not right now.”

Go, Bears!