East Brady youth football in nostalgic setting
EAST BRADY — The Bulldogs are home.
After over two decades away from Graham Field, the former home of the East Brady High School football team, the town’s youth football program is back playing at the venue.
“This is the first I’ve been down here and the field looks great,” said Rocky King, of Brady’s Bend, as he watched the Bulldogs’ 26-6 win over Saxonburg. “I don’t know why they moved to Sugarcreek, anyway.”
The Bulldogs opened their home slate against Moniteau on Labor Day weekend. The program made over $760 in ticket sales as approximately 850 supporters came to watch the three teams throughout the day.
“I like this field better,” said Tyler Rodgers, a nine-year-old in his second year with the program. “There’s usually a lot more people.”
It was a welcoming atmosphere for a program that had been gone for a generation, playing eight miles down the road at Sugarcreek Park. The move came shortly after East Brady High closed down in 1993.
“When they switched, Karns City took over the school district (and) got the field,” said Pete Douglass, the president of the East Brady youth football program. “They used it for soccer and different things, so then it got to the point where the youth program really couldn’t use it.”
Even after the Karns City Area School District gave the venue back to the borough, the youth football program stayed put. That was until Douglass reached out last spring to gauge the borough’s interest in having the youth teams back.
Town residents had been eager to see the field host something again. The return was a win-win.
“They didn’t really do a lot of maintenance and it relied a lot on donated time from parents and stuff,” said Douglass, who played in the youth program from 1988 to 1994. “It was just really difficult to make it work at Sugar Creek.
“It just didn’t feel like East Brady football (with) not being in East Brady.”
A number of local business chipped in. Brian Hiles of Hooker’s Hiles Enterprise purchased a brand-new scoreboard in memory of his father, Jimmy Hiles. East Brady High grad and Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly donated to the cause, as well, when he was home for the East Brady Area Riverfest.
“Between that, a lot of work, and the borough’s help, we were able to move back for our first home game,” Douglass said.
Relocating made things easier on Douglass and the rest of the coaches, too. The borough helped with painting and putting new roofs on the buildings around the field. It also lends a hand with upkeep.
“They mow, (do) the maintenance, do all the stuff that we did at Sugarcreek that would let us just worry about teaching the kids how to play football, enjoying what it’s supposed to be,” Douglass said. “The big thing was to try to draw more kids.”
The bantam team, which throws the football more than one would assume, has the bare minimum, 11 kids aged 7-8, who all play both sides. The junior team, which is for players 9-10 has 16, while the next age group — the seniors — has 13.
“We really, really struggle with numbers,” Douglass said. “Basically, there’s two youth programs (feeding into) one high school ... This is one of those years.”
Smoke King, a resident of East Brady whose grandson, Mason Martin, plays quarterback for the Gremlins, sees the glass half-full.
“The thing that’s nice is, say we’re together, we have 40 kids and 11 of them play,” he said. “This way, we have 22 kids playing every weekend. Then, when we go together with Karns City, now we have 22 kids that have experience actually playing the game, as opposed to just being on the team.”
Both Smoke and Rocky played on the gridiron for East Brady High, graduated from the school in 1971, and dedicated time coaching for the youth program. Most of the members of the teams’ staffs today played under them.
“You figure, these kids are playing two games in one,” Rocky added. “They’re playing both defense and offense. They’re on the field for the whole time.”
Mothers of the players on the bantam team dubbed the small group “The Mighty 11.” When any of the players on the youngest crew get hurt, one of the smaller players on the team a level above fill in.
The teams practice in the evenings Monday through Thursday. Douglass said the program leaves Fridays open so that the kids can go to Karns City’s games.
People from town even come to watch the kids practice throughout the week.
“They don’t have any ties with grandkids or nephews or nieces,” Douglass said. “They just came to see it back up and running again.”
For some, it’s simply a chance to reminsce. Tim Williams, a Fairview resident and another former player at East Brady High, recalled playoff games where the home hillside was filled with fans. As were both endzones.
“A lot of blood, sweat, and tears on this field,” Williams said. “A lot of great memories. Mostly the practices and the camaraderie. Just everyone getting together.
“This was all we had, really.”
The Bulldogs’ final home games of the season will take place on Saturday, against A-C Valley. The bantams play at 9 a.m., with the price of admission being $3. Kids and seniors get in for free.
