Friendly competition is part of the high school experience, but at the McIntosh-Starr’s Mill boys’ basketball game two and a half weeks ago, things went too far. The rivalry, which has existed between the two schools since 1997 when the Mill first opened its doors, has been evolving over the years from “friendly” to “fierce”.  It’s good to have that one school everyone wants to beat, that game that everyone goes to, but name-calling, chanting specific students’ names, and destruction of school property cross the line of a simple rivalry.

After the Chiefs won by a point in overtime, their students  emptied out of the visitors’ bleachers and gathered at center court to celebrate. Then they ran over to the Panther student section, taunting them. Administrators were able keep the Mill students in their seats and stop them from retaliating, which most of them did.  Instead of joining the McIntosh students at center court, Mill students started throwing plastic water bottles and other pieces of garbage on the court.   When students left the building, the parking lot was chaotic with reckless driving, drivers cutting each other off and some yelling insults out windows. No accidents were reported but someone could have easily have been injured and vehicles could have been severely damaged. Many parents were horrified by the thoughtless behavior of some members of the student body, especially in a crowded parking lot.

Students should remember that a rivalry is supposed to be about a sport, about a game, not about the personal drama both sides try to interject into these events. This rivalry has evolved into something much more hurtful than sporting. Chanting is a way to unite a student body against an opponent. However, when individual students are targeted, chanting becomes bullying. Most of the chanters don’t even know who they’re insulting. It’s something no one, especially their parents, need to hear. Both student bodies need to realize that behaving like elementary school children will not help their team win or have any kind of positive effect. Instead students are creating a reputation that exemplifies every bad stereotype adults have of these generation of teenagers.

Panther point guard junior David Watson scored 30 points that night, but all that people remember about the game is the rude chants, damage to some of gym bleachers, and the garbage and bottles that were thrown at students.

Principal Audrey Toney was hit with a water bottle under her left eye. Another student received stitches when he fell on the damaged bleachers and cut his hand on exposed metal a few days after the game. Although neither one suffered any lasting damage, imagine if someone had been blinded or suffered a serious injury over a high school rivalry.

The rematch game of these two teams is tomorrow night and students should keep in mind that it’s just a basketball game. It should be about school spirit, something that brings parents, faculty and students together to support their schools. Students don’t need to repeat their childish, irresponsible, embarrassing behavior. It’s just another sporting event and students need to behave no differently than they would at any other sporting event against any other opponent. It’s time to live up to the classy reputation that we like to give ourselves.