‘We all bleed red and gold’: What the East LA Classic means to its alumni

East LA Classic: Tickets, times + more | Brothers face off | Students break gender norms | DJ Mustard performs | Alumni memories | Media Day photos | How teams prepared | A record for Garfield | A look back at 2024

The East L.A. Classic is more than a football rivalry — it’s a tradition passed down through generations of alumni. For Roosevelt Rough Riders and Garfield Bulldogs, the game is a defining part of their high school experience, a family ritual and a symbol of Eastside pride. 

Beginning in 1925, the Classic has endured the Great Depression, World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic. Now in its 90th edition, the Classic continues to unite the community, drawing crowds to venues from the LA Coliseum to SoFi Stadium for one night. This year’s game kicks off Friday night at East Los Angeles College.

But for many alumni, the meaning of the classic goes beyond the field. 

A teacher reflects on his time as a student

Randi Rubin, 39, teaches photography and yearbook at Garfield High School and is also a proud Roosevelt alum. He says the Classic continues to connect the student body — spirit or not, everyone ends up wearing school colors at some point.

“It’s such a big part of the school that people just kind of get swept into the whole thing…everybody has something to say, whether they’re a fan or not,” said Rubin. 

Rubin remembers attending his first Classic as a junior. It was at the Coliseum, where the seats were packed and the energy was high. “There was just a lot of excitement. I remember seeing the sea of red and gold,” he said.  

During his high school days, Rubin said it was the pep rally that changed the energy around campus and kicked off the rivalry. 

“The cheerleaders were there, the football players were introduced, leadership would create a banner and the athletes would run through,” said Rubin. “The homecoming king and queen would do a parade, where they would bring in a convertible car, and they would parade around campus or the quad.” 

A family tradition: “We all bleed red and gold.” 

For Tayler Neria the tradition started long before high school. 

Neria, 29, graduated from Roosevelt High School in 2014, but her first time attending the Classic was when she was 5 years old.

“My uncle played football and my grandpa coached, so I was always either on the field or in the stands,” said Neria. 

Neria grew up in a Rough Riders family: her mother, uncle and grandfather all worked at Roosevelt, and her sister was a member of the drill team. “My mom, her sisters, my uncle, we all bleed red and gold,” she said. 

That legacy led her to the cheer team. As a dedicated Rough Rider, Neria still shows her support for Roosevelt, most recently at last year’s Classic, cheering once again. 

“As an alum, it was a completely different spirit, because my aunt did the choreography. So knowing that she was in drill, and then getting to dance with her, it was really cool, because she coached me and now we’re cheering together, and we’re performing. So that was a really great experience,” Neria said. 

From quarterback to coach

Patrick Vargas, 34, once played as Garfield’s starting quarterback. Now, he’s the school’s head football coach, guiding the next generation of student athletes. 

“The Classic has been a very prideful moment for me and my family,” Vargas said. Whether on the stands or on the field, he feels the anticipation and spirit of the game from the community and the students. 

“This game unites family and generations, future Bulldogs, future Riders,” said Vargas. “It allows us to all be one and to come out and have a great time and support one another.”

A rivalry rooted in memory

For some alumni, the Classic holds a deeply personal meaning.

Roxana Dueñas, a history teacher at MSTMA at Roosevelt High School and a 2003 Garfield alum, gets emotional when talking about the game.

“I think one of the first times that I went to the Classic, I went with my uncle Javi, and he had actually gone to Garfield,” said Dueñas. “The reason I get emotional is because he passed away a few years ago.”

Today, she continues to cheer her students on from the stands — whether it’s the drum major tossing the baton or the football players scoring touchdowns.

“I think the Classic is an opportunity for both schools to come together and celebrate the Eastside, to celebrate our community and our commitment to our young people,” Dueñas said.

Her favorite time going to the Classic was last year at SoFi Stadium, which happened on the same night as the World Series, when the Dodgers played against the Yankees. The stands were filled with families and friends, all watching their students, said Dueñas. But every once in a while, the Dodgers game would play on the big screen. “We wanted to be at Dodger Stadium, but we were there cheering our students on, and we got to experience that moment.”