MANSFIELD, Ohio – Madison Comprehensive and Mansfield Senior high school football teams are teaming up to make the most of their storied cross-town rivalry to help local charities, and a former Buckeye is pitching in, too.
The second annual Richland County Children Services Spaghetti Bowl will feature former Ohio State All-American running back Maurice Clarett as the main speaker on Oct. 25.
The pasta dinner will be from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Mid-Ohio Conference Center on West Fourth Street, five days before the Tygers and Rams face off at Arlin Field.
Last year’s rivalry game, which Madison won 21-14, netted $3,125 with money going to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (the charity chosen by Madison) and the United Way of Richland County (Mansfield’s charity). Those two agencies will reap the benefits again this year.
“I think this is extremely important, not just for the two programs but for the city of Mansfield,” said Mansfield High School head football coach Chioke Bradley during a press conference Tuesday morning. “It’s been a big game for many, many years around here, and just to be a part of it is very exciting for myself and for a lot of our kids.”
“I think it’s an extremely exciting event to begin with, and then you do something like this, and you put a charity to it, and it makes a lot more special as well,” said Madison football coach Jamie Masi. “You hear about Ohio State and Michigan, but for me my first experience (with a rivalry) was Senior High and the Rams.”
Mansfield Athletic Director Skip Fulton said he was grateful for all the sponsors and work involved to make an event like the Spaghetti Bowl happen so area kids can hear the message Clarett has to share.
Clarett, now 31 years old, was a freshman and scored the winning touchdown in a double overtime national championship win for The Ohio State University Buckeyes against the Miami Hurricanes in 2002. In that initial season, Clarett rushed for 1,237 yards and 18 touchdowns, breaking the OSU freshman record despite missing three games due to injuries.
Following that stellar freshman season, Clarett fell into a downward spiral that ended with him facing a 3 ½- year prison sentence for robbery and concealed weapons charges.
While in prison, he decided to turn his life around, and since his release in 2010, he has been committed to restoring his life and his reputation. Clarett is now a businessman who has made a career of addressing groups across the country about self-awareness and making good choices. His message is that it’s never too late to change the direction of your life.
“I’m excited about this day,” said Patricia Harrelson, executive director of Richland County Children Services. “Last year was great, it was a good event but we learned a lot and this year we will put those things in place.”
Tickets for the dinner will be $10, and will be sold at the door and pre-sold at locations to be announced.
Sponsors for this year’s Spaghetti Bowl include Spitzer Motors of Mansfield, STARTEK and OhioHealth MedCentral.
“It’s been a big game for many, many years around here, and just to be a part of it is very exciting for myself and for a lot of our kids,” Chioke Bradley said.
