Festivities galore planned for Stadium Bowl’s 100th birthday
September 16th, 2010
Stadium High School, with its grand architecture and bay views, is one of the most picturesque high schools in Washington.
ESPN RISE last month designated Stadium Bowl as having “the best view on and off the field” of any high school football venue in the country.
So it will be under that backdrop that Stadium Bowl will celebrates its 100th birthday Friday night when the host Tigers (1-1) play Bellarmine Prep (2-0) in what is being termed the “Centennial Game.”
It’s a celebration much bigger than just a football game with planning that started in April.
There will be a parade along St. Helens Avenue in Tacoma Friday and pancake breakfast Saturday morning, among other special things planned.
Northwest Harvest and the Centennial Foundation also are holding an ambitious food collection drive with the hopes of collecting 1 million pounds of food, which would break a world record, according to Jim Catalinich, Stadium athletic director and 1970 graduate of the school.
The emphasis is on canned goods. “In particular, they emphasize peanut butter,” Catalanich said.
The 7 p.m. game itself has intrigue in that Stadium hasn’t beaten Bellarmine Prep since 1968.
“There’s a lot of pressure on Bellarmine,” said Bishop Blanchet football coach Aaron Maul, a former Bellarmine Prep quarterback. “Stadium is freed up to go out and play as hard as they can and see what happens.”
After the game, two movies will be played inside Stadium Bowl: the 1986 comedy, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” and the 1999 romantic comedy, “10 Things I Hate About You.” The latter movie was filmed inside, around and even on the roof at Stadium.
Catalinich said his black Honda is in the background of parking lots scenes. He also plays a track coach in the background of a scene filmed in Stadium Bowl.
“They had me standing with a stopwatch and polyester coaching shorts,” Catalinich said. “I was embarrassed.”
The centennial celebration will even include three presidential actors re-enacting the exact speeches delivered by former U.S. presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Warren Harding and Woodrow Wilson in Stadium Bowl.
Calalinich said he takes pride in his job working at the unique high school he attended. He’ll be able to catch his breath when this weekend’s festivities are over.
“I’m looking forward to Saturday night when I can sleep,” Catalinich said.
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