25,000 expected for tonight's East LA Classic football game

The Garfield and Roosevelt High School football teams face off in what’s known as the East L.A. Classic Friday night. Some call it the oldest and biggest football rivalry west of the Mississippi.

As many as 25,000 people are expected to pack Wingart Stadium at East L.A. College to see Garfield’s Bulldogs and Roosevelt’s Roughriders clash on the field.

It’s an annual tradition dating back to the early 1920s – and it’s become a reunion of sorts for many families who for generations have attended the largely Latino schools.

Seating arrangements can be touchy – especially in cases where a Garfield grad marries someone from Roosevelt.

The rivalry runs deep. Halftimes are usually electric as the two schools’ drum majors strut their stuff to prove who’s best with a baton. And, the marching bands, drill teams, and cheerleaders show off for bragging rights.

It’s each school’s homecoming game, and kickoff’s at 7:30.