Rivalries and Battles

 

This week, Beech students have turned more diehard than ever for their teams due to the latest sensational struggle for football supremacy--the Beech High Buccaneers going up against long-time rivals, the Hendersonville High Commandos, in what is to be the biggest clash of armies this season. While it is no secret that both teams perceive each other as sworn rivals, there are probably those who are wondering, “WHY in the world are we sworn rivals to begin with?” Well the answer to that may be more relevant to all of the students of both schools than most previously thought, and is deeply rooted within the histories of both schools.

Over thirty years ago, Hendersonville High School had, at one point, reached maximum capacity. Soon after, they went over. In a dire overpopulation problem, with yet more students coming in, the decision was made that another school must be built in order to properly take care of the influx of new students and those who could not get the education they needed at Hendersonville. Thus, Beech High School was born. That’s right: Beech High is the younger brother of Hendersonville High. From then on, ever since the inception of this school, a natural “sibling” rivalry of sorts was established, and school spirit (as well as ticket sales) thrived off the rivalry.

However, this rivalry is looked upon to be a healthy dose of added competitive spirit, not at all being violent though far from friendly. It strikes just enough of a balance so that each school takes the rivalry seriously, though stray from going overboard and causing any bodily harm to each other. It makes the players play harder, the tickets sell faster, the students prouder to be students of their school, and the games fought harder. At the end of the day, the students of both schools are still neighbors and friends, and are mature enough to not let a long-standing rivalry get in the way of that. To sum it up simply in the words of Mr. Cardwell, “The rivalry is healthy, school students keep it in perspective. I don’t notice lingering hard feelings.”

- Matteen Mansoori