At lot goes into making a rivalry

By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
Aug. 30, 2002
Back in late July, I ran into an old friend Arn Jones who was already foaming at the mouth over high school football season "gettin' ready to get going," as he put it.
Arn, better known as "Grid Arn" in his younger days, set many records for futility during his prep career. For example, he once blocked two punts in the same game. The only problem was he was the back that stands near the punter and is supposed to block the onrushing team. Arn, however, kept backing up until he blocked his own man's punt… twice. Arn had trouble sitting for a few days after that.
Arn asked me who all still have good football rivalries these days. After a few hours' discussion, we halfway agreed on what goes into making a good rivalry.
Physical proximity between the two schools ranks high on my list. For example, Moss Point and South Panola are modern-day powers in Class 5A and they've opened the season against each other the last few years. Good football? No doubt. Good rivalry? Probably not. After all, the winner isn't likely to drive 300 miles during the year to let the loser know "Who's Your Daddy."
Some say schools need to be in the same town or at least the same county to establish a really good rivalry.
You won't find a better example of that than in Neshoba County where there's little love wasted on the opposition in the annual Neshoba Central-Philadelphia feud. Only "Al-Kider," as Arn calls them, would be more despised.
Newton and Newton County were getting to that point before that series was ended by the Newton County School Board last December.
Forest and Morton have a pretty intense rivalry for the Gold Chicken. Scott Central, Lake, and Sebastopol have a pretty unique rivalry between themselves. And you can't forget Noxapater and Nanih Waiya.
It also helps if the series is somewhat balanced. If the same school wins all the time, is it really a rivalry game or just an annual beating?
Fan interest is another key ingredient. If Team A beats Team B in front of 150 fans is it really that big of a deal? Maybe to those involved, but that's about it.
Games that attract fans from other towns… now that really makes a rivalry. This becomes obvious in the final weeks of the season when you see letter jackets in the stands from schools that aren't even participating in the game that's taking place.
It doesn't hurt matters any if something big rides on the outcome of the game such as a division championship or sub-state or state title.
Lastly, it takes a little time to get a rivalry going. It's hard to carry on a remember when' conversation throughout game week if the teams have only played each other once or twice.
Arn: "What are some of the rivalries' standings in the area? Who's been whuppin' who?"
MS: Two of the oldest rivalries are Meridian and Laurel, who will meet for the 85th time tonight, and Newton and Philadelphia, who didn't play last year or this year but have squared off on 75 occasions.
Meridian holds a 49-31-4 advantage over Laurel in a series that began way back in 1909 and no, I don't know how they pumped up the ball back then.
Philadelphia has a 50-23-2 advantage over Newton in a series that began in 1926 and played at least once every year from 1928-78. After not playing in 1979 and 1980, the teams battled from 1981-2000 before not meeting in 2001.
Arn: "What's the best rivalry in Lauderdale County?"
MS: Two of them are pretty impressive. West and Southeast are all slick at 20-20-1 thanks to four straight wins by the Knights. Northeast has taken a 21-20 lead in its series with Southeast by winning the last two games.
In the others that are still being played, Northeast holds a 25-13-2 advantage over West, while Southeast has a 27-10-2 dominance over Clarkdale.
Southeast and Clarkdale do have one intangible the first game they ever played was against each other.
Arn: "They don't play anymore, but what about Clarkdale and Enterprise?"
MS: That series was about as one-sided as it can get as Enterprise won the first 14 meetings in taking a 26-1 series advantage. Clarkdale's lone win was a 26-6 victory in 1982 at Enterprise. The two haven't played since 1998.
Arn: "What about Philly and Neshoba?"
MS: Philadelphia has reclaimed the upper hand thanks to wins in each of the last five years. The Tornadoes now have a 22-20 edge over the Rockets.
Arn: "How about one that's gone to the ages Union and Decatur?"
MS: I guess you still remember those postgame discussions' by a certain lake between the two towns?
Arn: "Yeah. Where was Vince McMahon back then? He coulda made a bundle."
MS: I know, but Vinnie Mac already has all the money he needs. Heck, they probably don't even let schools have bonfires at pep rallies for the big game anymore.
Arn: "Remember the time that girl had on so much hair spray and her hair caught fire?"
MS: That's probably why they don't let them have bonfires anymore.