By WARREN DILLAWAY
Staff Writer
ASHTABULA — Dozens of area men, and a few boys, will have difficulty getting out of bed this morning after punishing each other in the annual Turkey Bowl at Wenner Field.
The Turkey Bowl started years ago and has built up steam to the point that substitutes waited on the sideline Thursday morning to get their shot at somebody.
“I just want to tackle somebody. It’s fun. It’s what men do. We have to work up an appetite to eat some turkey,” said Ashtabula resident Andrew Carlisle.
“I do this every year,” said Damian Hunter who graduated from Ashtabula High School. He said he was invit-
ed to play by a couple of friends six years ago and the rest is history.
To say there is a bit of trash talking, and some disagreeing on calls, would be the under statement of the holiday weekend.
As the event has grown so have the spectators who sit on the sidelines and watch the men pound each other play after play.
“I like coming down here to watch them,” said Keristy Vanyo who was watching her boy friend play. She said her two children Mateo Snyder, 7, and Jayden, Snyder, 4, can’t wait to get a piece of the action.
Two brothers, Ian and Chris Bednarski, even got a chance to go mix it up against each other one more time. More than once, as Ian was running the ball, Chris was bearing down to make the hit.
Ian Bednarski said things the morning after last year’s Turkey Bowl didn’t go real smoothly. “I couldn’t get out of bed,” he said with a laugh.
Participants in the game included present students at Lakeside and Edgewood High schools and graduates of Harbor, Ashtabula and Lakeside high schools and even a former state champion.
Mike Clever was in town and heard about the game from friends and decided to make an appearance. He said he was a member of the Cardinal Mooney state champion team of 1987 and also a lineman for the University of Pittsburgh.
“I haven’t played for 10 years. It’s my first Turkey Bowl,” Clever said while getting into his van to leave.
By the tone of his voice it sounded like it might not be his last.
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