For Bison football players, coaches and fans, there is one game that is always circled on the schedule…

The Orange game.

However, Friday night’s game in the Lions’ Den was a night to forget.

Heading into the game, both teams had already been mathematically eliminated from the OHSAA playoffs, the Bison with a record of 1-8, the Lions with a record of 5-4.

But that didn’t matter. The anticipation is always high as the Orange game approaches, no matter how the two teams’ seasons are going.

With both student sections at their loudest, junior kicker Griffin Davis sent the opening kickoff deep into Orange territory.

Unfortunately, the rowdy Beachwood fans quieted down as Orange quarterback Ryan Singer had touchdown runs of 7 and 85 yards to help his team take a 14-0 lead. Not long after, he completed a 21-yard pass to a teammate to increase the lead to 21 points.

In a deep hole, with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter, the Bison regrouped and began to battle.

After moving down the field on a long drive, quarterback Ben Connor completed a beautiful 14-yard touchdown pass to senior Jalen Davis, the reigning Bison Athlete of the Week.

But the fight didn’t stop there.

After Orange began to move up the field, the Bison defense forced a fumble and recovered it at Orange’s 39 yard line.

With the help of the Bison defense, the offense picked up right where they had left off on their last drive, as they moved within 3 yards of the end-zone.

Penalties prevented them from putting of 7 more points, though, calling for Griffin Davis to attempt a long 31-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 11 points.

Showing flashes of the Browns’ Travis Coons, Davis calmly knocked it through the uprights, giving some life to the BHS student section.

To their dismay, the Lions were quick to respond, scoring touchdowns of 25 and 45 yards.

Again, however, the Bison weren’t going to quit.

Connor tossed another touchdown pass to Senior Shawn May to cut the deficit to 35-17 with just seconds remaining in the half.

However, Bison fans were quieted once again as Orange scored right before halftime, bringing them to a commanding 42-17 lead.

After the final halftime performances of the season from the Beachwood and Orange bands, it was time for the Bison to go battle once again.

But much like in the first half, the Orange offense proved too tough to stop.

The Lions scored 4 touchdowns in the second half, preventing the Bison from scoring.

The final score was 70-17 in Orange’s favor.

While their win-loss record of 1-9 may not show it, there were some positives to take from this football season. Many underclassmen, like Connor, developed into better players over time, and they will undoubtedly be back next year. Also, the team got to form relationships with an impressive new coaching staff, headlined by Head Coach Damion Creel.

While next season may be far away, Bison fans don’t have to wait long for another shot at beating their rival, as the Boys Basketball Team, predicted by some to win a state title this season, travels to the Lions’ Den on Nov. 28 to open their season.