High school football may seem trivial to most people, but that's not the case where I'm from. Most schools have a pep rally, a "white out" game as their home opener or maybe a few parties afterward. Few schools will have a week-long spirit week in preparation for one game. Few schools will have the news come to their rivalry game. Few schools have an existing rivalry that originated in the 1920's. I'm fortunate enough to have come from a town that actually has this sense of tradition ingrained into its roots. I'm from Harrison, and I'm fortunate to know what it's like to experience the Harrison vs. Rye rivalry, which culminates at one event every year: "The Game."
The Harrison vs. Rye football game isn't just another high school football game. It's an event full of hometown pride, screaming students and alumni, and families that have lived in each town for decades. The seas of maroon and white and red and black clearly distinguish who is rooting for which team; a good tip is to never cross the border behind the enemy team's lines. If you're not sporting either of these colors, why are you even there?
Coming to college, it was hard to describe this rivalry to any of my friends. I found that this is because no one can understand The Game's intensity unless they've actually experienced it. And that experience isn't just going to the game for a few hours and leaving once the clock runs out. It may be because my entire family has established a sense of Husky pride in me since birth, but, to me, experiencing The Game means looking forward to spirit week each year. It means getting up at an ungodly hour Saturday morning to get ready and set up the tailgate hours before the first kick. It means hearing the stories from my cousins, parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts about what the rivalry was like when they were growing up (Hint: it hasn't changed much).
Even though I can only cheer on the Huskies from afar for the years I'm away at college, once Rye week rolls around I immediately get flashbacks of all of the pep rallies, the spirit weeks, the sea of maroon and white in the fan section, and the jeers we used to scream to intimidate the Rye players. Seeing the next generation experience this rivalry creates a huge sense of nostalgia in me, but it simultaneously reminds me that I can always count on my hometown to stay true to its roots.
The Game will always hold a special place in my heart. It reminds me of my childhood, my quintessential high school days and my family's traditions. But most importantly, it reminds me where I'm from. No matter where life takes me in the next few years, I know that as long as the Harrison vs. Rye rivalry is alive and thriving, then I'll always have a reason to come back home.
