Ashland and Phoenix high schools are teaming up this year for the Pacific Rim Bowl, a long-running international football game against a Japanese team.
The event was founded in 1988 to foster cultural exchange between southern Oregon and Japan's Kansai region, which includes the cities of Osaka and Kyoto.
Every two years, Japanese high school students will come to southern Oregon to learn more about the culture and participate in a friendly football game. Then, Southern Oregon students head to Japan two years later to do the same thing.
The southern Oregon team is coached by Charlie Hall, who also leads the Phoenix Pirates.
“I think it's so important to be able to bring them this shared, common experience through sport and football, specifically, that we share and can help appreciate each other,” Hall said.
Hall has been involved since 1999, when he coached the Ashland Grizzlies. Until now, the Grizzlies were the only team competing against an all-star Japanese team.
For the first time, players from Ashland and Phoenix high schools are combining to form a regional all-star team. teaming up with the Phoenix High School Pirates to form their own all-star team: the South Valley Wolfpack. Hall hopes the merger will end the losing streak.
“Maybe if we combine our teams, we'll have more depth,” he said. “We'll have older players playing, so we don't have to rely on younger players who aren't ready for varsity football to play in an international game because their team is quite strong.”
Ashland hasn’t won a Pacific Rim Bowl game since 2015, when Hall was also the head coach.
The Japanese players arrived Sunday and will take part in cultural events with local students throughout the week, reflecting the bowl's motto: “More than just a game.”
Hall said the experience builds lasting relationships, both internationally and now between two local schools.
“I think if you can convince them that they're playing and fighting for something other than something for themselves, they'll put the effort out there and focus and try to do the things that we're trying to coach them to do this week,” said Hall.
It's not yet clear whether Phoenix will join the trip to Japan in two years. Hall said that would depend on the team's fundraising efforts.
The game kicks off 7 p.m. Friday at the Ashland High School stadium.
