Clouds of baby powder filled the air of the Orange High School football stadium on Sept. 5 during this year’s Beachwood-Orange football game. The BHS student section was live with spirit, as students chanted “Go Bison” from the nearly-full stands, where students dressed in all-white huddled together in the visitors’ section.

This level of spirit appears to be reserved for games against the Orange Lions, with whom Beachwood has had a long-lasting, vigorous rivalry dating at least to the 1980s.

BHS Athletic Director Ryan Peters, a BHS alum, believes this is due to similarities between the districts.

“We are very similar communities, and our school districts are very similar,” Peters said. “Sometimes you
will see parents fuel the fire and sometimes students fuel the fire,” Peters added. This is ironic, according to Peters, because many Orange parents were Beachwood Alums like himself.

Orange Lions Athletic Director, Ben McCauley, though he has only been on the job for a few years, attributes the rivalry to similar reasons.

“It would make sense that we’ve been long-standing rivals since our communities border one another and we share a somewhat similar population. Many families in Beachwood have family and friends at Orange and visa-versa,” McCauley stated in an email.

Unfortunately, as with most rivalries, there have been occasional skirmishes.

“Unfortunately, there have been times when our good-natured rivalry has been carried a bit too far,” McCauley added.

A case of vandalism during Peters’ sophomore year (1988) seemed to repeat itself two years ago when a large “O” was spray-painted on the Beachwood fields as well as on the scoreboard and bleachers. Though Peters does not recollect any memories of physical violence, there has always been “trash-talking” and subsequent rise in security for these events.

“After the rivalry game, we try to get the Orange kids and families out as quickly as possible…[because] we don’t know who’s going to do something that might cause a potential problem,” Peters said.

Nevertheless, Peters believes that overall the rivalry is an enjoyable experience. “It’s good we have a rivalry against Orange. We foster it.” Peters stated. “I think rivalries are good for high schools and high school sports.”

Beachwood sophomore Michael Farley also believes the rivalry can be positive.

“It makes spirit a lot more lively because people actually care,” Farley said.

Sophomore Joshua Bialosky also believes the rivalry is a positive force.

“It’s a good thing because it brings more competition and spirit” Bialosky said. “There’s always an Orange game every year which residents of the city, students and teachers look forward to,” he added.

The Orange games have been hard-fought in recent years. This year’s Beachwood-Orange football game was a tough loss for the Bison, after a mere one-point loss during the last six minutes of the game played the following day after a rain delay.

Both soccer teams fell to Orange with a score of 1:2. However, cross country did place ahead of Orange at the OHSAA district meet.

“It comes down to school size,” he added. “The fact that they have more people to choose from.”
McCauley, however, believes it is hard to compare the athletic differences of the districts, because each has uniquely different programs.

“There are some programs that we do not share in common, but ultimately athletic programs are not usually constant. There are years of success followed by years of rebuilding. Some programs are usually good with some seasons of greatness,” he said.

Nevertheless, many Beachwood students feel the Bison will be emerge victorious in the basketball season, as they have in the last few years.

Overall, McCauley sees the rivalry as a good force for both schools’ athletic programs.

“If rivalries are approached in a positive and constructive manner- with both schools remaining conscious of what is appropriate- then both schools benefit,” he said.