Sam Heikell, Staff Reporter
Originally published October 23, 2014

The football team will face off with Roosevelt for a second time this season, but for this game, the stakes are higher: They are playing for the city championship.

“Our swag is on full tilt,” coach Joey Thomas said about his teams energy going into the game.

It will be Ballard’s first time playing in the district playoffs since 2007 when they were back in the KingCo conference. This has been a great year for at 5-2 they already have more wins than the last two years combined.

Moving down to the 3A Metro conference just might have put the Beavers on the map this year, but coach Thomas claims that it’s all the players’ doing. “I give all the credit to the players,” Thomas said. “They have come a long way, especially with understanding their expectations. I am very proud of them.”

“It feels so good to turn the program into a winning team, especially for my senior year,” tight end Matthew Godinez said about the teams stellar season.

If BHS wins the game against Roosevelt, they will move on to the Metro championship game, presumably against Eastside Catholic, a tough team with with a solid 6-1 record. But for now, they are focused on the task at hand; beating their long lasting rival and being deemed the best team in the city.

On Ballard’s last meeting with Roosevelt, they lost in a close contest where the Beavers failed to hang on to a late lead. “We let one slip away last time and now we have to start fast and finish,” Thomas said. “We know we are a better team.”

The defense needs to be prepared for a heavy ground game. “We are relying on everyone to play their part and pay attention to detail,” Thomas said. “We need to make them do things that they are uncomfortable with and get them away from their style of play.”

The Beavers have been working hard all week to prepare. “We have been very focused and hardworking in practice this week. We are ready for Roosevelt,” Godinez said.

The team is hoping for an intense atmosphere to play in. “This is such a big game for us and we would love a lot of support from our Beaver fans,” Thomas said. “It gives us energy and will help us succeed on the field.”

The game will be held at Memorial Stadium at 7 P.M.