Save the rivalry for last
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
The Hillsboro Indians have taken control of their storied South Central Ohio League rivalry against the McClain Tigers by winning for the seventh straight time Tuesday night, but the rivalry keeps getting better each game no matter the outcome.
In the seven games that have taken place the past three seasons, including a sectional tournament game, the Indians have outscored the Tigers 369-290 for a plus margin of victory of 79 points. Not to mention those seven wins came in four different gyms (Hillsboro High School, Patriot Center-SSCC, Southeastern High School and McClain High School).
One of the wins came in overtime last season at MHS, but Hillsboro’s controlling the rivalry comes after they were in the same place the Tigers are currently in this basketball showdown.
Before the streak compiled by HHS, the Tigers won eight of nine meetings between the 2004-05 and 2007-08 seasons, including two four-game winning streaks. The one loss during that time frame between the teams allowed Hillsboro to upset the Tigers' perfect season in the last game of the year.
Though one thing does bother me about this game.
Why isn't the second game of the yearly series the last one of the season? I know sometimes it may cause a problem if each team is paired up in the sectional tournament, but with the way the schedule is now, a game where the other rival can break a perfect season in the final game of the year (or at least final league game) won't happen between the two teams.
Not having this game as the final game of the season makes no sense, and this is me being on a soap box again, but why have it on a Tuesday night? Why not a Friday or Saturday night when more fans are likely to attend, instead of a day in the middle of the week?
The date of the game currently takes something special away from this rivalry, and that feeling the game gets now can't match one that would come if it was played to end a league season. All but one SCOL team plays their final league game on Feb. 18 this season, and honestly, how hard would it be to make this game the final one of the league or regular season once again? Seems like something was "fixed" when it wasn't broken. (Maybe when East Clinton arrives there can be a rivalry day in the SCOL to celebrate the end of league play, since they will make an even eight teams in the league.)
Back to the Highland County rivalry, this current streak by the Indians hasn't come easily. Just look at the most recent games (from this season), with HHS winning by a combined 13 points by scores of 46-36 and 49-43.
What catches my attention about this rivalry is the respect that is shown between not only the players, but the coaches as well.
Maybe Rex Ryan and some of the other NFL coaches who think they are bigger and more important than the game itself can learn from coaches Tim Davis (HHS) and Brent Eaton (MHS).
Following the game Tuesday at HHS, both coaches praised the effort put forth by not only their players, but by their opposition as well. They get it, it is a game between student-athletes, but it does have the big-game feel and is important to the communities of both schools. Heck, these games are important to sports writers, too.
Although some of the stands weren’t filled (maybe because it was played on a Tuesday), it still had an above-average and loud atmosphere. A loud atmosphere is something the players feed off of (I hope), which in turn makes the game better. A good atmosphere must make the rivalry mean more when the stands are packed.
That doesn’t go just for the HHS-MHS rivalry, but for another one I watched in recent weeks between the Whiteoak Wildcats and Fairfield Lions.
The other night at WHS this game (their second meeting of the season) had a big-game atmosphere, and it was on a Friday night.
Every year these teams play each other at WHS (and FHS), but you better get to WHS before the JV or freshman game starts, or you will be taking a longer journey than normal to the entrance of the gym. I got there at halftime of the JV game last week and still had to park down the road and walk there.
And once you set foot into the gym and see how packed it gets, it just makes the game even better than it would have been.
I love the passion the fans at the WHS and FHS series showed this season. You can tell it is more than just a regular game.
Plus, with this rivalry, you never know what will happen. In their last five meetings, WHS has won three, and this season each team were winners at their opponent’s home court. Last year, WHS swept the regular season vs. FHS, but the Lions won the third meeting in the postseason.
But again, I just wish these games would end the league season, instead of being put in the middle of the schedule.
There is still what, over a month left in the season, and wouldn’t it be an even better ending if we still had a MHS-HHS or WHS-FHS game to look forward to right before the tournament starts?
Maybe it’s just me, but that sounds like something to look forward to.
It’s done right in football for the SCOL, when the SCOL plays their rivalry games in Week 10, but I guess that way of thinking isn't good enough for basketball.
I don’t want to sound bitter, because I’m not, I just think a good old-fashioned rivalry game is a great way to end a long regular season, or at least an entertaining way to end a league slate of games.
If high school sports are about the experience of playing the actual game, then these two rivalry matchups that have been played must be switched to the end of the league slate for the fact it will make these game more memorable for everyone involved. Plus, playing in a big-time game would help teams prepare for the tournament.
Imagine this: Two county rivals, in the same league, one or both have a chance to have a opportunity to win the title with a win, or cost the other one their chance at a trophy. The final game of the year arrives, the game is played, and the championship is decided with a win or loss in a rivalry game.
Sounds great.
It has happened before with one team stopping a perfect league season of their county rival, but with the way the current schedule reads, it won’t happen again … at least this season.
It’s a missed opportunity, and that’s too bad.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
In the seven games that have taken place the past three seasons, including a sectional tournament game, the Indians have outscored the Tigers 369-290 for a plus margin of victory of 79 points. Not to mention those seven wins came in four different gyms (Hillsboro High School, Patriot Center-SSCC, Southeastern High School and McClain High School).
One of the wins came in overtime last season at MHS, but Hillsboro’s controlling the rivalry comes after they were in the same place the Tigers are currently in this basketball showdown.
Before the streak compiled by HHS, the Tigers won eight of nine meetings between the 2004-05 and 2007-08 seasons, including two four-game winning streaks. The one loss during that time frame between the teams allowed Hillsboro to upset the Tigers' perfect season in the last game of the year.
Though one thing does bother me about this game.
Why isn't the second game of the yearly series the last one of the season? I know sometimes it may cause a problem if each team is paired up in the sectional tournament, but with the way the schedule is now, a game where the other rival can break a perfect season in the final game of the year (or at least final league game) won't happen between the two teams.
Not having this game as the final game of the season makes no sense, and this is me being on a soap box again, but why have it on a Tuesday night? Why not a Friday or Saturday night when more fans are likely to attend, instead of a day in the middle of the week?
The date of the game currently takes something special away from this rivalry, and that feeling the game gets now can't match one that would come if it was played to end a league season. All but one SCOL team plays their final league game on Feb. 18 this season, and honestly, how hard would it be to make this game the final one of the league or regular season once again? Seems like something was "fixed" when it wasn't broken. (Maybe when East Clinton arrives there can be a rivalry day in the SCOL to celebrate the end of league play, since they will make an even eight teams in the league.)
Back to the Highland County rivalry, this current streak by the Indians hasn't come easily. Just look at the most recent games (from this season), with HHS winning by a combined 13 points by scores of 46-36 and 49-43.
What catches my attention about this rivalry is the respect that is shown between not only the players, but the coaches as well.
Maybe Rex Ryan and some of the other NFL coaches who think they are bigger and more important than the game itself can learn from coaches Tim Davis (HHS) and Brent Eaton (MHS).
Following the game Tuesday at HHS, both coaches praised the effort put forth by not only their players, but by their opposition as well. They get it, it is a game between student-athletes, but it does have the big-game feel and is important to the communities of both schools. Heck, these games are important to sports writers, too.
Although some of the stands weren’t filled (maybe because it was played on a Tuesday), it still had an above-average and loud atmosphere. A loud atmosphere is something the players feed off of (I hope), which in turn makes the game better. A good atmosphere must make the rivalry mean more when the stands are packed.
That doesn’t go just for the HHS-MHS rivalry, but for another one I watched in recent weeks between the Whiteoak Wildcats and Fairfield Lions.
The other night at WHS this game (their second meeting of the season) had a big-game atmosphere, and it was on a Friday night.
Every year these teams play each other at WHS (and FHS), but you better get to WHS before the JV or freshman game starts, or you will be taking a longer journey than normal to the entrance of the gym. I got there at halftime of the JV game last week and still had to park down the road and walk there.
And once you set foot into the gym and see how packed it gets, it just makes the game even better than it would have been.
I love the passion the fans at the WHS and FHS series showed this season. You can tell it is more than just a regular game.
Plus, with this rivalry, you never know what will happen. In their last five meetings, WHS has won three, and this season each team were winners at their opponent’s home court. Last year, WHS swept the regular season vs. FHS, but the Lions won the third meeting in the postseason.
But again, I just wish these games would end the league season, instead of being put in the middle of the schedule.
There is still what, over a month left in the season, and wouldn’t it be an even better ending if we still had a MHS-HHS or WHS-FHS game to look forward to right before the tournament starts?
Maybe it’s just me, but that sounds like something to look forward to.
It’s done right in football for the SCOL, when the SCOL plays their rivalry games in Week 10, but I guess that way of thinking isn't good enough for basketball.
I don’t want to sound bitter, because I’m not, I just think a good old-fashioned rivalry game is a great way to end a long regular season, or at least an entertaining way to end a league slate of games.
If high school sports are about the experience of playing the actual game, then these two rivalry matchups that have been played must be switched to the end of the league slate for the fact it will make these game more memorable for everyone involved. Plus, playing in a big-time game would help teams prepare for the tournament.
Imagine this: Two county rivals, in the same league, one or both have a chance to have a opportunity to win the title with a win, or cost the other one their chance at a trophy. The final game of the year arrives, the game is played, and the championship is decided with a win or loss in a rivalry game.
Sounds great.
It has happened before with one team stopping a perfect league season of their county rival, but with the way the current schedule reads, it won’t happen again … at least this season.
It’s a missed opportunity, and that’s too bad.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]