High school players from St. Edward, Mentor, Lake Catholic and St. Ignatius and their fans move up to first class Saturday in world of sports facilities ... at least for one day ... in the Charity Games at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
Dave Trubisky dressed in Mentor red tossed a bag during a round of cornhole while tailgating outside Cleveland Browns Stadium Saturday in advance of the Charity Games. His Mitchell is a quarterback on the Mentor team, daughter Mariah carries a flag with the band's color guard, and son Manning was a game ball boy. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tama Burke jumped to her feet as her son Kevin -- the starting quarterback for St. Edward -- raced down the field at Cleveland Browns Stadium for a first quarter touchdown.
"That's Kevin!" said Jeff, her husband.
"Oh my God!" said Tama.
Kevin played quite a game in a rare chance for high school players to perform in a big-league environment Saturday as his school took on Mentor in the latest rebirth of the Charity Games.
Kevin scored two other touchdowns and was named Most Valuable Player as St. Edward hung on for a 35-28 victory in a game that started at 3 p.m.
"It's surreal," said mom, as she sat in the stands above the 50-yard line with more than a dozen family members. "It's almost like watching a dream."
The dream went on into the night for other high school players, their families and fans. St. Ignatius took on Lake Catholic at 7 p.m., a game Lake Catholic won, 28-21. Organizers said a combined 20,000 people were in the stands for the games.
"It feels like we're coming to a professional game with the fans and the excitement," said Dianne Kasberg, whose daughter Kristen plays the flute in Mentor's 198-member Fighting Cardinal Marching Band. "When we walk in, I think we're going to be star-struck to see our kids on the field. It takes on a professional air."
Jeanne Trubisky bought 34 tickets for friends and family for a spectacle that involved three of her four children. Son Mitch is a quarterback for Mentor, daughter Mariah carries a flag with the band's color guard, and son Manning was a game ball boy.
"Every kid dreams of being in the NFL," she said. "To play on the same field as an NFL player is exciting."
The day got more exciting for Trubisky as the game went on. Mitch came off the bench to rally the Cardinals from a 35-14 deficit.
The Charity Games are a throwback to an older Cleveland, when some of the best high school football in the area was played by Senate league teams. The season would end with a championship game at old Municipal Stadium on Thanksgiving Day.
Jack Barno said he came to those games with his father in the 1960s.
Yesterday he and his dad were back. This time he, too, was a father, watching his son Mike play for St. Edward.
"It's really emotional," said Barno. "To watch your son play in Browns Stadium, it doesn't get any better than that."
St. Ed's first score brought Tama Burke a sense of relief. She realized her son and his team were staying focused despite the big stadium surroundings.
"It's an intimidating environment, and they still performed," she said. "It's a credit to the coaching staff. This is not your usual opening day."
Nor was this anything like a regular day for the bands.
"To march in a professional field is definitely something -- it's incredible," said Jacob Simko, after he played the tenor sax during the halftime show with the Mentor band.