Prep talk: It’s Garfield vs. Roosevelt in the East Los Angeles Classic

Throughout the season, high school football coaches advise their players to stay focused and not look ahead. Then there’s what happens before, during, and after the football game between Garfield and Roosevelt.

“We’ve been hearing about this game since January,” Roosevelt coach Ernesto Ceja said. “I’m getting texts and phone calls, ‘Are you guys going to beat Garfield?’ I say to myself: “Let me put a team together, and then I will come back to you.”

The annual East LA Classic, in its 90th year, has a homecoming double and typically produces the largest regular-season crowd of the football season. It is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday at East Los Angeles College. The joint team match will be held at four in the afternoon, followed by the girls’ flag football match, then the university match. DJ Mustard will be part of the halftime festivities.

At this time of concerns about ICE raids in Los Angeles, East Los Angeles College officials say every entrance will be monitored by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies, campus police or private security. The school hosted 11 high school graduation ceremonies last summer without incident, and believes fans should feel comfortable attending. Tickets are available at GoFan.co

Garfield is on the verge of winning the Eastern Conference title with a 6-2 record and a 5-0 league mark. Roosevelt (4-4, 3-1) has won three straight league games since switching to a dual attack.

“This community, these schools, we are as American as apple pie and sweet dough,” Garfield principal Regina Marquez Martinez told a crowd of media, players, fans and band members Wednesday at East Los Angeles College.

“Let’s go to East L.A., let’s go to Boyle Heights,” LAUSD board member Rocio Rivas said.

This is a daily look at positive events in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.