Los Angeles Chargers and Rams to Host Three High School Football Games at Sofi Stadium

Six legendary Southern California high school football programs will be showcased at SoFi Stadium during the month of October by the Los Angeles Chargers and Rams.

SoFi Stadium’s Friday Night Lights presented by LA Bowl and hosted by Gronk will kick off on October 6^th with a battle between Mission Viejo and Long Beach Poly.

Mission Viejo is currently ranked No. 30 in the High School Football America 300 national rankings, powered by NFL Play Football. The Diablos, who won the California Division I-AA state title last year, their second, are currently 5-0.

After starting the year No. 76 in the HSFA 300, Long Beach Poly (1-3) has fallen out of the national rankings after an 0-3 start. All their losses were against teams in the Top 300 — No. 50 Folsom (California), No. 127 Lincoln (San Diego, California) and No. 140 Serra (Gardena, California)

Poly is known as the high school that has produced the most NFL players all-time. The Jackrabbits have produced 60 NFL players. There are currently four former players playing on Sundays — defensive back Alex Austin for the New England Patriots, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster for the Kansas City Chiefs, defensive Jack Jones for the Las Vegas Raiders and tight end Mercedes Lewis for the Chicago Bears.

The Mission Viejo/Poly game is hosted by the Chargers.

“It’s a privilege to host these two iconic teams at SoFi Stadium,” said Chargers Director of Football Development, Zac Emde. “Both Long Beach Poly and Mission Viejo have a rich history of success and are outstanding representations of high school football in Southern California. We’re excited to bring this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to these student-athletes and give them the chance to showcase themselves on the Chargers home field. This is sure to be an unforgettable experience for both the players and fans and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.”

On October 18^th, the Rams will host the Trinity League battle between two-time High School Football America national champ St. John Bosco and Servite in a contest dubbed the Brotherhood Bowl.

Both teams are currently 5-0 and ranked highly in the HSFA national rankings, Bosco is ranked No. 2 in America. Service is ranked No. 48 in the nation.

“It has been a goal of ours to bring high school football to the world’s greatest venue and allow student-athletes the experience to play on the home field of the Los Angeles Rams,” said Rams Senior Director of Social Justice and Football Development Johnathan Franklin. “The Brotherhood Bowl is a top matchup of two storied football programs and the memories made on October 18 will last a lifetime for these young men and their families and fans. We are grateful for the partnership with LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk, Hollywood Park and SoFi Stadium to make this possible for Servite and St. John Bosco.” 

The Rams will host the 89^th renewal of the East L.A. Classic between Garfield and Roosevelt.

Roosevelt and Garfield began playing in 1925. The game, which serves as homecoming for both East Los Angeles schools, annually draws between 20,000 and 25,000 fans.

Because of the crowd size, the game’s usual venue is Weingart Stadium on the campus of East Los Angeles College. While the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosted the backyard brawl in 2022, this will be the first time that the game will be played in an NFL stadium.

For a second year in a row, both schools’ Girls Flag Football teams will compete before the East L.A. Classic kick-off. Last year, in an epic battle, the Rough Riders triumphed in the first-ever Girls’ Flag Football game, clinching a historic overtime victory.

“LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk is dedicated to supporting and uplifting the community,” Adolfo Romero, Executive Director for LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk said. “We’re thrilled to celebrate the culture surrounding the historic East L.A. Classic while highlighting the local athletes of James A. Garfield High School and Theodore Roosevelt High School in our world-class stadium.”