Rivalries: What creates a rivalry?

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

Wanted to get yall thoughts on this. 

 

To me #1 animosity between communities and 1 just having more success than the other. (Hint hint)

I think rivalries can be friendly but for the most part they're not (😂). 

[TC2020]

Distance is usually the most important factor.  When two towns of similar size located right next to each other play - usually ends up with bragging rights for the year.

[bullets13]

1 hour ago, TC2020 said:

Distance is usually the most important factor.  When two towns of similar size located right next to each other play - usually ends up with bragging rights for the year.

This is the most common factor. Our two biggest rivals at Hamshire-Fannett are East Chambers and Hardin-Jefferson. It's no coincidence that our communities border each other, and that we have neighborhoods that split residency with each of these schools. Of course, now that the Horns have improved in almost every sport it's hard to get EC to schedule us for much of anything 😁

another big factor can be meeting a team regularly in the playoffs. If PNG and SOC meet 20 years from now in the playoffs there will be a little extra buzz around that game.

[navydawg31]

2 hours ago, TC2020 said:

Distance is usually the most important factor.  When two towns of similar size located right next to each other play - usually ends up with bragging rights for the year.

This is a great description of one! 
 

History between the two teams… like right now SOC vs PNG has turned into a sense of rivalry like especially if they meet again in 2025… but I do say this.. I think there is old rivalries one that’s been going on for years PNG vs Nederland and new ones PNG vs SOC that could easily fade after not playing. 

[OlDawg]

When you & your co-workers spend 40+ hours a week working with each other, but on a certain Friday night, all bets are actually ‘ON’ from the game week wagers, and the loser has to listen to the crap for a year.

Of course, when the game history is 75 years old or more, it’s pretty much grown into classic status—especially if the wins are fairly close.

I find the best rivalries are between communities/towns. Not those between multi-school districts.

[AggiesAreWe]

When a game between two local towns gets shut down for a few years because of a massive brawl, then that is a rivalry.

Jasper/Silsbee started it's rivalry in 1922 but put it on hiatus for several years later in the 20's because of a big fight during a game in '24. Didn't start back playing each other till '32

As a child, Jasper was the only rivalry I knew. 

[Goslin]

I think history has a lot to do with it.  A rivalry can’t be one-sided either or a mismatch in strength year after year after year.  For a real rivalry you need a long history and two teams that more often than not are pretty close in strength.  Otherwise it gets to the point where it’s not a rivalry but just a bully punching down and half the stands are empty because who wants to watch that?

Take REL vs RSS in Baytown for example . There’s a decades-long rivalry, right there.  Sure, there have been mismatches in that game over the years, BUT more often than not both teams are close enough in strength to make the game interesting.  RSS became the “Rich School” the day it opened in ‘66 and forever cemented REL’s identity as the “Poor School” which it has embraced and made part of its culture.  Instant crosstown rivalry from the very first game, plenty of fights in the parking lot after games.  To this day the most attended game each year at Stallworth Stadium, probably the only game each year where the parking lot is overflowing and the stands are over half full.

Rivalries can’t be forced.  Just because one side wants it to be doesn’t mean it’s a rivalry.  Hence the reason no rivalry between GCCISD High Schools and BH and no rivalry in GCCISD between GCM and REL/RSS.  No history of it, mismatches in games year after year, not all sides want it.

Speaking of rivalries, REL’s move down to 9-5A-2 means that it plays Texas City again, Coach Finn’s former school.  Texas City was one of the first teams the Ganders played in their inaugural season 104 years ago and the way 9-5A-2 is set up it looks like REL vs TC is the game that’ll decide 4th place in-District and the last playoff spot.  I’m hoping REL stays down there a while and that develops into a little rivalry.

 

[TrojanWarrior08]

5 hours ago, TC2020 said:

When two towns of similar size located right next to each other play - usually ends up with bragging rights for the year.

Just like us vs. Shepherd.  For the longest it really wasn't much of a rivalry until 2004 (the only win they have gotten against us in that decade).  After our state run in the 2010s they have gotten more competitive to damn near kicking our butts every year outside of this past season.  So now our fans on both teams in San Jacinto County look forward to this match-up every year now.

[TrojanWarrior08]

22 minutes ago, AggiesAreWe said:

When a game between two local towns gets shut down for a few years because of a massive brawl, then that is a rivalry.

Jasper/Silsbee started it's rivalry in the 1920's but put it on hiatus for several years in the 30's because of a big fight during a game.

As a child, Jasper was the only rivalry I knew. 

I felt like that when we used to play Cleveland in district or otherwise. 

[OlDawg]

One throng I forgot to mention…

You know it’s a rivalry when you move into a new town, and within the first day or two, someone asks if you have kids playing and are you going to the game. Then, they proceed to give you the history, and their part in it.

All this is done before they tell you where the Post Office is…

[OlDawg]

38 minutes ago, AggiesAreWe said:

When a game between two local towns gets shut down for a few years because of a massive brawl, then that is a rivalry.

Jasper/Silsbee started it's rivalry in 1922 but put it on hiatus for several years later in the 20's because of a big fight during a game in '24. Didn't start back playing each other till '32

As a child, Jasper was the only rivalry I knew. 

Ha!

We used to leave dead deer on the entrances to Deer Park school buildings, burnt LP into their football field on the 50, and left birdseed all over the visitors side of Bulldog stadium where the seagulls from the Bay would shit all over their side before the game.

They’d leave dead dogs on our steps.

Fights, yes. But, never one like that I’m aware of.

Rivalry started in ‘46.

[Right99JOH]

When a player off of one team has a meet and greet with the girlfriend/cheerleader of a player off another team 😁

[Clueless]

On 1/30/2025 at 9:55 AM, Mr. Buddy Garrity said:

Wanted to get yall thoughts on this. 

 

To me #1 animosity between communities and 1 just having more success than the other. (Hint hint)

I think rivalries can be friendly but for the most part they're not (😂). 

That means everyone is a rivalry for BH😂🤣

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

1 minute ago, Clueless said:

That means everyone is a rivalry for BH😂🤣

Used to be Vidor and Mid-County 🤣

[Clueless]

Just now, Mr. Buddy Garrity said:

Used to be Vidor and Mid-County 🤣

Slowest games I ever watched.😂

[OlDawg]

46 minutes ago, Clueless said:

That means everyone is a rivalry for BH😂🤣

Not a rivalry if one team never wins. 🤣😂😁

[Bigdog]

On 1/30/2025 at 4:59 PM, AggiesAreWe said:

When a game between two local towns gets shut down for a few years because of a massive brawl, then that is a rivalry.

Jasper/Silsbee started it's rivalry in 1922 but put it on hiatus for several years later in the 20's because of a big fight during a game in '24. Didn't start back playing each other till '32

As a child, Jasper was the only rivalry I knew. 

Same thing for MCM according to some accounts, although I think WWII had more to do with it.   Some of the stuff that went on in the late 80s early 90s was pretty bad and I am glad it doesn't go on anymore. 

[Clueless]

13 hours ago, OlDawg said:

Not a rivalry if one team never wins. 🤣😂😁

Ouch, but true. LP has been a thorn

[lionpride08]

Franklin vs Lorena rivalry was born in 2016. We just moved up from 3ad2 to d1 and they were a 4a school. They had some success and were a playoff team year in and out. It Started with football but then moved into other sports. Both schools would trade blows in multiple sports. Some big games against one another in the playoffs followed. Franklin has a 6-4 advantage in football.

Big time games vs each other:

2023 Lorena ends Franklins 39 game winning streak in Franklin. Later that season Franklin would get revenge and take them down in the regional final.

2021 Franklin vs Lorena in what would be  Champion vs Champion game seeing both won state that year in 3ad2 and 3ad1

2024 Basketball round 3 top 10 matchup Lorena would beat Franklin 45-42 with a buzzer beating shot.

2022 Softball Regional final Franklin would win the series vs Lorena 2-1 and advance to the State tournament.

Franklin 2023 baseball went into the playoffs in the top 10 and #1 ranking in some polls, Only to be eliminated by Lorena in round 1.

When these two programs get together sparks tend to fly.

[Big Daddy Cool]

When a team finally beats you on your home field and the players do backflips like they just won a state championship. That creates a rivalry. 🤣

[Goslin]

1 minute ago, Big Daddy Cool said:

When a team finally beats you on your home field and the players do backflips like they just won a state championship. That creates a rivalry. 🤣

I don’t know about creating one but it damn sure could contribute to it!

[WOSdrummer99]

Recently we've lost a few rivalries. I can definitely tell you what caused that. But I'd be beating a dead horse 👀

[Separation Scientist]

On 1/30/2025 at 9:55 AM, Mr. Buddy Garrity said:

Wanted to get yall thoughts on this. 

To me #1 animosity between communities and 1 just having more success than the other. (Hint hint)

I think rivalries can be friendly but for the most part they're not (😂). 

My thoughts are I see a few hateful voices but hopefully they do not reflect accurately on the whole. It might seem that way to those on certain forums and groups, but the majority of the public does not have a real axe to grind. Those who threaten, insult and provolk their neighbors are far outnumbered by thoses who don't. Hopefully.   

 

[oldschool2]

Geographic proximity.. relative competitiveness between the teams (not usually historically lopsided).. historical conflict(s).. a lot of community hype..

I'm sure there's a lot of definitions and characteristics.