According to our Athletic Director, Mr. Jesse Lohr, Massaponax and Chancellor high school are our official school rivals. Although that’s his view, our athletic Bears have other opinions.

According to Varsity Girls Basketball player Saniya Durham, Colonial Forge High School are their rivals for the girls basketball team. She explained how separate they are from other teams in the district. “Most of the teams in our district I feel like they’re just games we just go through. I feel like they’re [Colonial Forge] just more skilled than all the rest of the teams, like they play up to our level. So it’ll be more competitive, and we’re not blowing the team out by like thirty or twenty or whatever. I feel like it’ll be like a close back and forth game.” 

Some of the Boys Varsity Basketball players expressed their feelings on who they thought were their school rivals, Donovan Tate said,  “Definitely Forge and Ponax.” He also expressed why he thought of them as rivals, “They’re just better, their records are better and [they have better] players.” His teammate Amani Gipson added, “This team [Colonial Forge] is bigger and they have more team chemistry than any other team we’ve played.” Nathaniel Tyler also agreed. “I [would] say Ponax because it’s always a tough game, but this year, probably Forge because [of the] same skill.”

Eric Howard explained his opinions on it. “I haven’t been able to go to the games, I heard Colonial Forge is like one our big rivals as far as football and basketball.” He continued to say how he thought their character was. “I would kinda see them as a little cocky.”

Baseball player, Luke Alexander said, “The biggest [rival] baseball wise would probably be Mountain View just because we’ve lost to them so many times, but we’ve also beat them in real big games.” He continued to explain how Mountain View’s character is, and why he doesn’t like them. “They’re obviously very talented, that’s why all of our games are really close. But all they’re kids are loud and just always riled up and annoying. And just get in my head all the time, every single time we play them.”

The Boys basketball team shared how they prepare and get ready against their rivals. “We practice hard and be real competitive in practice against each other, so when we play them, we can compete hard,” said Tate.“ [We] just get our mindsets right and just get ready for what we’re about to walk into,” Gipson said. “Just do what we’ve been doing, it’s nothing different. I feel like we’re better, we know we’re better so just practice the same way and play the same way.” Tyler said.

Girls basketball teams have ways they prepare against them also. Durham said, “Honestly practice, making sure our plays are sharp and doing a lot of conditioning to prepare us like when we’re tired during the game, and basically running through plays. We also watch films on them, we need to watch films on them to make sure we know what we’re getting ourselves into.”

Howard said, “As far as the team, hopefully they would come to practice with a different attitude and really wanting to beat the team. But for me I just come in with the same attitude everyday to dominate.”

Although their rivals, the athlete Bears expressed their emotions playing those teams. Gipson said, “I’m just ready, I’m not scared, I ain’t nervous, I’m just ready to go.” Tate added, “I’m ready and I’m excited to play them.” Durham said, “I’m excited actually, like I’m ready to play. I mean I’m kinda nervous but not nervous at the same time.” 

She continued to describe the feeling of the game. “You know when you start the game you get nervous, and then after that when you’re playing you’re not nervous anymore, that’s how it is for every game, but Forge I’m ready to play them and see what they gonna do.”

Alexander described the feeling of beating a rival team. “It’s awesome [beating Mountain View] there’s really no better feeling, I’d rather beat Mountain View in a regular season game than beat anyone else in the playoffs games.” 

Those are not the only rivals other sports might have, these are the ones for these students. Continue to cheer for the bears as they play more teams in this season.