Long before the great rivalries of the NFL, a high school football rivalry found its roots in a small steel worker’s town at the base of the Rocky Mountains. Pueblo, Colorado will host this year’s 116th game between the Central High School Wildcats and the Centennial High School Bulldogs in what has become the oldest prep football rivalry West of the Mississippi. The two schools met in their first clash in 1892 and with each generation the rivalry– and bragging rights– has grown. In 1950, the victor gained more than just bragging rights when an old train bell from the town’s Colorado Steel & Iron Company was donated to the victor. Each year that bell makes its home in the school– and colors– of the winning team. It’s an understatement to say the appropriately named Bell Game has become a family tradition. The bell spent the last year housed by the Wildcats after they broke the Bulldogs’ five-year winning streak. The victor will get the Bell and the next year of bragging rights, but both teams will have a small part in football history.
Patrick Gonzales
Pueblo Centennial
Lane Bourdon
Lane is a member of the Centennial football team and is also a member of the Health Academy. He is currently CNA certified and is working on an EMT certification. Lane plans on pursuing a career in the medical field and is currently deciding where to attend college.
Devean Johnson
Devean is a 4-year starter in football for the Wildcats earning All-Conference honors twice. He participates in 3 sports including football, basketball, baseball and is an active member of Student Council and National Honor Society. Devean was also the recipient of the Masonic Lodge Outstanding Junior Award. Devean plans on attending Colorado State University—Pueblo to pursue a degree in teaching.
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