The History of the Bell Game

For all who don’t know what the Bell Game is, it’s the USA today game of the week that will held at Falls Church High School this Friday at 7:30pm verses Jeb Stuart High School. This game is one none should miss; it’s the one game in the whole season that means the most to the football players and the community. This “bell game” has been around a long time, and each year it lives onto its rivalry between Jeb Stuart and Falls Church High School. All the students, teachers, community come around to support their team as we all say “Stomp Stuart”, hoping our team will come back with the legendary bell. There is a lot of history behind the “Bell Game”, it all started in 1960 by Jeb Stuart High School’s first principal, Mr. Mason. Before being the first principal at Stuart Mr. Mason was an assistant principal at Falls Church High School. Then when Jeb Stuart opened some teachers from Falls Church transferred to Stuart, that’s when Mr. Mason became the principal at Stuart. As a new high school opened, Mr. Mason saw that many students who had to go to Stuart were former Falls Church students. Mr. Mason then wanted to come up with a friendly rivalry between the two schools. The “Bell Game” got its name by a Stuart faculty member, who was also a former Navy Captain. The former Navy Captain obtained a bell from the U.S.S JEB Stuart ship and brought it to Jeb Stuart High School. The tradition then began when Mr. Mason got the bell and created the friendly rivalry between Stuart and Falls Church, as he said that whoever wins the game then receives the bell. As years went on the bell was soon made into a trophy, a shop teacher at Stuart made the wood frame and then attached a metal plate. The metal plates have the school that won each Bell Game with each year next to it. This trophy is given to the varsity team at the end of the game, and then the trophy/bell is displayed in the school. This “Bell Game” has been around for many years, as this year it is the 49th year, and will live on to many more years.